I consider my time at the Canadian College of Performing Arts to truly be the most formative experience of my life. I know that is a bold statement, but it is representative of my passion for the work we accomplished as students at CCPA. Moving from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island to create a network of peers who were as passionate about the impact of the arts in our lives as I am was truly a gift. I recall experiencing this deep feeling of gratitude every day during my tenure at CCPA. The College’s faculty was profoundly committed to each student’s success. We had the opportunity to experiment, take risks, and develop while being supported by our peers and leaders. My work at CCPA created the foundation for me personally to be able to create a career in arts management with a deeper understanding of how artists and administrators partner to enrich our communities.
-Mark Folkes
Since graduating from the Canadian College of Performing Arts in 2003, Mark Folkes has worked for a variety of performing arts organizations including Canada’s National Arts Centre, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, as well as Houston Grand Opera. He has served as Senior Director, Development, for the Houston Symphony, and is, since 2015, the Managing Director of Stages Repertory Theatre in Houston Texas, leading their administrative functions, with a focus on fundraising, marketing and strategic planning.
He studied theatre as an undergraduate at the University of Waterloo. He is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and holds Master of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Cincinnati.