Farewell to Keshia Palm
After an incredible 3 seasons as Paprika's Artistic Producer, Keshia will be moving on from their time at the Paprika Festival after the upcoming festival this May.
Joining the leadership team in 2021 alongside General Manager Julia Dickson, Keshia's time as Artistic Producer has been a time of significant growth and change for the organization. Their leadership tenure included deftly steering and adapting the organization as it emerged from the pandemic, launching new and revised programs to respond to participant needs, expanding and deepening community partnerships, continually increasing artist and participant fees, and embarking on a bold new strategic plan - to name a few of their many contributions!
Keshia is an exemplary artistic and community leader who has led Paprika by prioritizing care for all of the participants and artists involved, modeling thoughtful consideration and values-led decision making every step of the way. We are so grateful to have had their immense talents at the helm these past three years. There is no doubt their contributions to Paprika will be felt for years to come!
We wish Keshia the best on all their new adventures!
- The Paprika Festival Board of Directors (Michelle, Naz, Hana, Jasmine, Koy, Kimberly)
"It’s been an honour forwarding the legacy of Paprika and collaborating with Julia and the incredible festival team for three seasons. Together, we’ve deepened relationships with longtime partners and facilitated new partnerships that have ushered Paprika into a more stable position post-pandemic and expanded the mentorship offered to program participants and staff. We’ve evolved and adapted programs to offer more hands-on, tangible, and specific training in Costume Design, Lighting Design, Sound Design, and Creative Producers. We expanded access supports for program applicants and participants and made significant moves towards paying Paprika artists and artsworkers equitable wages, including a piloting a 2-year Living Wage program. Above all, I’m most proud to have mentored and supported the artistic development of 55 emerging artists. Thank you for trusting me and giving me the space to grow. I’m so excited to welcome new leadership to Paprika with a new strategic plan as a roadmap, professional development resources to draw from, and a solid financial foundation to build from."
- Keshia Palm, Outgoing Artistic Producer