The Canadian College of Performing Arts was founded in 1998 as a private, post-secondary training institution. Created by co-founders Jacques Lemay and Janis Dunning, the College was born out of their highly regarded summer training and performance program, Spirit of a Nation, which originated at the Confederation Centre for the Arts in Charlottetown, and toured nationally.
The College was established as a multidisciplinary training institution, with an equal focus on acting, voice, dance, and career management training. From its initial offering of a one-year Performing Arts training program, the College quickly grew to offer an optional second continuing year in 1999. In 2005, a third program, the ‘Company C’ Studio Ensemble, was created as a practical four-month program for graduates of the second year program to work as an arts collective, producing three productions in a professional working environment under the direction of nationally acclaimed Canadian directors.
Lemay and Dunning were the College Directors for twelve years, until their retirement in 2010. The College was then managed by Ron Schuster as College Director and Darold Roles as Artistic and Education Director until 2017. Under their leadership, the two one-year programs were amalgamated to create a two-year Enriched Performing Arts Diploma, and a one-year Certificate in Performing Arts program. The Certificate program was created for professional artists and graduates of a degree program who wanted a year of intensive practical training. The “Company C” Studio Ensemble was expanded to its current length of twenty-one weeks, allowing for continued training, workshops, and mentorships, in addition to its core curriculum of three productions. The College also solidified an accreditation process, creating a path to university transferability for graduates of the Performing Arts Diploma and the “Company C” Studio Ensemble programs to obtain a Bachelor of Performing Arts degree.
Managing Artistic Director Caleb Marshall joined the College in 2018 and worked alongside several Directors of Education during his 6-year tenure. Heather Burns served as Director of Education and Programming from 2017 to 2021, esteemed alumna Alana Hibbert supported the transition as Interim Director of Education for six months following Heather’s departure, with Danielle Meunier formally stepping into the position of Director of Education at the conclusion of the transition period in 2021. Together, they implemented a renewed focus on Canadian playwrights; ensured creative teams included a wealth of different cultural perspectives, as well as gender parity across the season; spearheaded new access initiatives such as Relaxed Performances; and strengthened partnerships with artistic leaders in Victoria and across the country.
Danielle was joined by the current Managing Director, Erin Gavaghan, in autumn 2024. Embracing a collaborative and agile approach, they will continue to uphold the rigour and excellence of the college’s teaching and productions while adapting to the needs of students, artists and audiences.