Meet your host:
Known to the Quebec audience as the host of ALL IN A WEEKEND on Saturday and Sunday mornings on CBC Radio One, she has also produced several podcasts for CBC Podcasts on a variety of topics.
Karnick joined CBC in 2000, working in various roles in radio from researcher and traffic reporter to story producer for federal and provincial elections. In 2005, she took on the role of sports reporter on Daybreak. She built a solid reputation in radio and television sports, reporting both locally and nationally on professional and amateur sports, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Women’s World Cup and the Olympics in both English and French.
Meet your speakers, moderators & performers:
Amanda Wanis is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She studied cultural management and holds a PhD in Urbanism, with a focus on the regional development of public cultural policies. She worked in public administration in Brazil for 15 years, notably within museums, arts foundations, and universities.
She has been working at the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec since 2023. She is responsible for grant programs for artists, notably in Literature, Dance, Circus, and First Nations programs.
Caroline Marcoux-Gendron is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Music at the Université du Québec à Montréal, as well as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Management at HEC Montréal. Her research addresses issues such as the professionalization of immigrant musicians in Quebec and the transformation of the local artistic ecosystem due to immigration-driven sociodemographic changes.
She is the founder of the collaborative action-research project “Musique Immigration”, and also co-editor of the book Participation culturelle, arts et immigration. Regards transnationaux (Cultural Participation, Arts, and Immigration: Transnational Perspectives), to be published in 2026 (Presses de l’Université Laval). From 2017 to 2020, Caroline worked as coordinator for the Constantinople ensemble and at the Centre des musiciens du monde (2017-2020). Between 2022 and 2025, she served on the Board of the Conseil des arts de Montréal as president of the music sector.
Eleuthera is a Montreal-based singer/songwriter whose powerful, intimate performances explore love, loss, and the inner strength needed to overcome life’s hardship.
Her new album Crossing Over is an exploration of how we can connect deeply to the natural world and actualize our full potential to co-create a more just, peaceful world.
Fred Azeredo is a Brazilian theatre practitioner and arts administrator based in Montreal. A graduate of McGill University, he has written and directed extensively for stage and radio, working with companies like Teesri Duniya Theatre, TNC Theatre, and CKUT Radio.
He is also a co-founder of independent theatre collective MBC Productions, dedicated to producing artistically innovative and culturally diverse work. MBC will be producing his latest play, Daumas: Devil’s Advocate, at the 2026 Montreal Fringe Festival. Fred also works as Trellis Micro-grants Coordinator at the English Language Arts Network.
Gavin is a Writers Guild of Canada prize-winning filmmaker, the Founder of Intersectionnel Films, and led creative teams at Mattel and Shopify. Gavin teaches how to make movies at howtomakemoviesincanada.com
Guillaume Thériault grew up and lives in Montréal. He primarily studied theatre and cultural organization management. He first worked in the administrative teams of organizations in dance, theatre, song, and for an association of performing arts presenters in Québec.
He has been working at the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec since 2016. He is responsible for grant programs for artists, notably in Multidisciplinary Arts and Humour.
Choreographer, founder and artistic director of Van Grimde Corps Secrets, Isabelle Van Grimde develops a practice of the dancing body grounded in a transdisciplinary approach. At the intersection of the arts, sciences, and technologies, her work explores the relationships between the body and technological systems, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and immersive environments.
Her projects investigate transformations of the living in the digital age, as well as the hybrid forms of intelligence that emerge from these interactions.
Kalika Hastings is a public relations and brand strategist known for her ability to place people and brands at the center of the right rooms, conversations, and opportunities. Driven by culture and creativity, with a sharp pulse for what’s next, she works with founders, artists, athletes, creatives, and public figures, positioning them across media and high-impact partnerships where visibility becomes intentional.
As the founder of KHPR, Kalika leads with storytelling and placement, aligning clients with the platforms, partnerships, and audiences that matter to forge authentic connections for lasting impact. Her work spans media relations, brand development, creative direction, and project management, crafting strategies that not only generate attention but also cultivate community.
Beyond her client work, Kalika invests in the next generation, serving on the board of directors of The Youth Stars Foundation and mentoring women as the co-founder of The Nova Stevens Academy.
Marianne holds a psychology degree from the University of Montreal and specializes in the intersection of art and mental health. She views creativity as a sacred space for liberation and is dedicated to supporting artists’ emotional well-being.
Drawing on her background as a practitioner and trainer at the Montreal Suicide Prevention Centre, Marianne has extensive experience leading mental health workshops for educational and social service networks. She is committed to fostering environments where creativity and emotional support coexist.
Nicolas Lachance-Brais has always been entranced by the visual arts. A love of drawing fantasy characters and robots evolved into a great interest in the digital arts around 2014 and has only evolved ever since to encompass 2D+3D+VR+Fulldome technologies and techniques.
His latest projects include Interstellar Arc (Félix & Paul Studios 2025): a sci fi LBVR experience in Las Vegas, Traveler’s Introspection (Fantastik Obsolete 2025) : a Fulldome short film accepted in Dome under Festival 2026 and SATFest 2026. His interest in GenAI visuals stem from a profound curiosity and a reflection of what makes Art and its use in our society.
He is currently working on a personal Unannounced Fulldome project that questions humanity’s relationship with this new technology and its repercussions.
Omar Bernal is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist and muralist born in Mexico City, trained in Graphic Design in San Luis Potosí, and holding a Master’s degree in Mexican Art History. Based in Montreal since 2016, he has built a strong career in public art, creating murals across Canada, Mexico and over the world.
His work has been featured in festivals such as Under Pressure and in collaborations with organizations like MU and the Musée d’art de Joliette among others. He has also served as a jury member for CALQ grants. His practice explores identity, migration, and cultural hybridity through painting, aerosol, and mixed media.
Rameez Karim is a Montreal-based choreographer, teacher, and performer whose work blends Bollywood with Indian classical, folk, and contemporary dance. He has trained with renowned Bollywood choreographers such as Saroj Khan, Shampa Gopikrishna, and Baba Yadav, as well as Western choreographers including Pavan Thimmaiah and Paul Becker. He holds a BFA with distinction in contemporary dance from Concordia University.
Rameez has collaborated with major institutions such as Place des Arts, TVA, CityTV, and TV5 Unis, and has worked with artists including Priyanka Chopra, Marc Dupré, and Diljit Dosanjh. His work has been presented at festivals such as Festival Quartiers Danses, Accès Asie, and Fierté Montréal, as well as internationally across Portugal, Dubai, Mexico, New York, and Canada.
Expanding his vision of accessible and immersive cultural experiences. His recent projects include the award-winning dance film ZOOM and Creating MATA an interdisciplinary work exploring themes of nature, transformation, and resilience.
He is the founder of Veils of Bollywood since 2019 and will launch the TandavX Academy in 2026. A training and creative space dedicated to developing versatile dancers through a fusion of Indian and contemporary movement, while fostering cultural connection, artistic identity, and professional growth.
Simon Peacock has been working in the arts for almost 40 years. Starting as an Actor and Comedian in New Zealand, he moved to Montreal where he started working in film, Tv, and animation.
In 2005 he began Voice Directing Video Games and later added directing motion capture. He has worked in Montreal, LA, New York, London, Toronto, Madrid, Auckland, and many other production hubs with numerous companies spanning multiple genres.
Simon now has over 100 games under his belt, including 13 Assassin’s Creed titles, The Outer Worlds, Outlast, Guardians of the Galaxy, Gotham Knights, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and many more.
Simon was elected to the ACTRA Montreal Council in 2012, ACTRA’s National Council in 2014 and has been President of ACTRA Montreal since 2018
About the Business Skills for Creative Souls Artists Conference
Transform your artistic passion into a sustainable career.The Business Skills for Creative Souls Artists Conference is YES’s annual flagship event, created to support artists and creative professionals at every stage of their career.
Whether you’re just starting out or navigating the realities of an established practice, this conference offers practical tools, concrete advice, and real‑world insight to help you build a creative career that can last.
Rooted in YES’s long‑standing Artists’ Program, the conference responds to the real challenges artists face today — from funding and visibility to mental health, adaptation, and long‑term sustainability.
Business Skills for Creative Souls: Art in the Face of Adversity
April 24, 2026 • Hosted by CBC’s Sonali Karnick
10AM-6PM (Doors open at 9AM)
This full‑day conference is designed for artists who want to adapt, grow, and build a sustainable creative life in a rapidly changing world.
Across panels, talks, and real conversations, you’ll explore the challenges artists are facing today — and, more importantly, how to move forward with clarity and confidence.