What's New > Navigating Your Career in the Technical Arts - Expert Insights & Strategies
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When: Thursday, January 16, 2025 | 1 pm to 2:30 pm Eastern Time
Where: On Zoom
Registration: Registration is required, but FREE and open to all, members and non-members alike.
Join us for an engaging panel session designed to help you navigate and manage your career in the technical arts!
This dynamic discussion will cover key topics for professionals looking to thrive within this sector.
Topics will include: taxes, contract vs. full-time employment, setting career goals, personal branding and much more! Whether you're emerging into the field, transitioning to a new role, or simply looking to deepen your understanding of the industry, this session offers valuable insights for everyone.
In addition, attendees will automatically be entered into a draw to win a FREE copy of the Cultural Human Resources Council's "The Art of Managing Your Career" guide.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the experts and set yourself up for success in the technical arts!
⇒ REGISTER NOW
Panel
- Grégoire Gagnon, Executive Director, CHRC/CRHSC
- Janine Oblak, Visual FX/Props Dept. Manager, Famous PEOPLE Players
- Matthew Reicker, Lighting Director, Mr. Light Solutions
Moderated by:
- Jacquie Lazar, Executive Director, CITT/ICTS
About the panelists
Grégoire Gagnon
Dr. Grégoire Gagnon is a manager, pedagogue and musician fostering culture and promoting arts from the stage to the classroom to the boardroom. Aside from being a lifelong academic and a real-world problem solver, Grégoire is (amongst other things) currently the Executive Director of the Cultural Human Resources Council, the President of the Ottawa Guitar Society and in all his roles, he strives to make others thrive.
Janine Oblak
Janine Oblak graduated from Sheridan in 2016 from the Technical Production for Theatre and Live Events program. She has been working in the industry since 2014 and recently (2023) became a member of IATSE 828. Janine is currently leading the Visual FX/Props department at Famous PEOPLE Players, where she works with props, paint, wardrobe, and helps to run visual art workshops. She also enjoys mentoring her co-op students. Her other passion is volunteering in health and safety, including participating in creating ANSI standards through the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA), as CITT/ICTS' Principal Voting Delegate.
Matthew Reicker
Matthew is a graduate of the Ryerson Theatre school performance production program (2011). Theatre career started with. Lighting Director Ballet Jorgen 2013-2015, Production Electrician “A Buddy Holly Story” Drayton Entertainment (2016). Matthew has been the lighting designer and programmer for many years on corporate events, concerts, galas and more including “trackside country music festival” Canada Day, London, ON (2016-2018), PRG, Production Electrician, and “NBA on TNT roadshow” (2018-2019). Matthew is a member of Iatse local 873 as a lighting programmer most recently working on Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 3. Matthew continues to expand his designing and programming skills on many live events and through his company, Mr Light Solutions where he has established himself as a rental house for lighting control and networking equipment in an ever-changing technological landscape. To find out more please visit www.mrlightsolutions.com or follow on Instagram: @mrlightsolution
Jacquie Lazar
Jacquie brings over 20 years of professional experience working in the theatre and live entertainment industry. Her career path has included numerous appointments including Front of House Manager, Head Electrician, Assistant Technical Director, Technical Director, Production Manager, and Theatre Manager. Jacquie currently serves as the Chair of the Board for Shadowpath Theatre Productions, a not-for-profit theatre company based out of York Region (Ontario), whose mandate is to transform everyday spaces into creative places for suburban audiences. She is currently the Executive Director for the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology / Institut canadien des technologies scénograhiques (CITT/ICTS).


