About Us
Mission
Arts Orillia exists to build diverse artistic programs that foster positive experiences in the arts within our communities.
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Vision
Our communities will experience a diversity of voices and stories that respond to the important issues of our time through powerful public encounters that encourage and support artistic creativity.
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Values
Arts Orillia Believes in…
Collaboration: …actively working with individuals and organizations from our communities, our region, and beyond to encourage creative inspiration and expression.
Curiosity: …ensuring that we are ready to adapt to changing circumstances by encouraging the exploration of all artistic disciplines.
Innovation: …seeking out resources that enable us to be nimble and creative as we provide a setting that encourages outstanding opportunities for artists and their audiences.
Inclusion and Equity: …providing opportunities for all.
Creative Management
Kate Hilliard
Creative Director
Kate Hilliard is an artist, curator and educator. She is the Creative Director at Arts Orillia, fostering programming and residency opportunities for artists across disciplines. Over the years she has cultivated a teaching practice in her own community and in several institutions, including The Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NYC. Kate has instructed at Ryerson University since 2015 and is dedicated to nurturing students in their creative work. She has performed with Le Groupe Dance Lab, The Margie Gillis Dance Foundation, Fortier Danse-Création and was a company member of Dancemakers and The Centre for Creation for five years. After performing Tino Sehgal’s work in several international galleries, Hilliard broke from dance practice to pursue curatorial work with a focus in contemporary performance and visual art. Her own choreography has been commissioned and presented in Canada, USA, Mexico, and Germany. Kate’s performance research blends highly codified gestural movement language with improvisation. Her choreographic structures include spoken word, writing, and digital media. At the centre of each choreographic body, Hilliard aims to comment on the experiences that we share in relation to the passing of time. Her 2020 premiere “this happened…” was nominated for The Dora Mavor Moore Award for “Best Original Choreography”. Hilliard studied Art History at The University of Toronto and holds an MFA in Creative Practice from Plymouth University’s Transart Institute in the UK.
Board Members
The Board of Directors at Arts Orillia is comprised of a group of volunteers from a diverse range of backgrounds, including but not limited to the arts, education, business, and community engagement, committed to contributing to the many areas of arts and culture in Ontario. We are committed to the principles of equity and diversity and endeavour to ensure our board reflects that commitment. We honour inclusionary practices in all areas of organizational activity and uphold anti-oppression values in furtherance of a healthy and strong community.
Stevie Baker
Director
Stevie Baker is a producer, director and costume designer based in Severn, Ontario. A prolific theatre creator and artist, she has been a part of innumerable productions in Toronto’s vibrant theatre community over the past 15 years.
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Stevie has been the Head of Production at Dauntless City Theatre since its inception in 2007 (originally Urban Bard). Her work with Dauntless is rooted in queering, subverting and modernizing Shakespeare to better reflect the dynamic people of Ontario.
She centers queer joy, anti-racism and anti-poverty in her work, life and the raising of her two children. Stevie has worked internationally with Kansas City’s MET and served as Artistic Director of The Daegu Theatre Troupe in Daegu, South Korea. She orchestrated the DTT’s first touring show and directed South Korea’s first English language production of A Streetcar Named Desire.
