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Staff Bios

Sandra Laronde – Artistic Director & CEO

Portrait photo in sepia of Artistic Director Sandra Laronde

Founder and Artistic Director of Red Sky, Sandra Laronde is an award-winning director, producer, choreographer, actor and dancer. Sandra's vision for Red Sky is to create a leading international company that shapes contemporary world Indigenous performance, and to make a significant contribution to the artistic vibrancy of Canada and the world. Currently, she is also the Director of Indigenous Arts at The Banff Centre. Sandra is originally from the Teme-Augama-Anishnaabe (People of the Deep Water) in Temagami, northern Ontario.

Click here for Sandra Laronde's full biography

Jackie McAlpine - Managing Director

Jackie McAlpine headshot Jackie McAlpine comes to Red Sky with a passion for the cultural sector and thirty years of experience in administration and management for non-profit organizations and community groups.

For the past four years, Jackie worked for Small Theatre Administrative Facility (STAF) where she managed year-round administration and production services for multiple companies and independent artists such as internationally renowned Theatre Smith Gilmour; creator of the hit stage & TV show 'da Kink in My Hair, Trey Anthony; director of Cabaret Company and founder of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Sky Gilbert; the Actors Repertory Company; and the Associated Designers of Canada, among others.

Over the years she has worked with numerous arts and community organizations such as Bain Co-op, Ballet Jorgen, Children's Arts Theatre School, Magpye Theatre, Mayworks Festival, Paprika Festival SAJA/On-the-Line Music, SAVTI, Theatre Works Productions, Third Culture Theatre, Women's Resource Centre, among others.

Jackie is also a seasoned musician and graphic designer. In 2006 her thesis design of orphan spaces and green roofs won a School of Design Director's Award, Design Contribution to the City. In addition, her passion for social justice work earned her a National Millennium Excellence Award in 2002.

Jackie is thrilled to join the Red Sky team at this critical stage of phenomenal growth. She is eager to share her skills in arts and financial management, fundraising, design and marketing as Red Sky continues to flourish into a highly respected, world-renowned contemporary Indigenous performing arts company.

Carlos Rivera – Artistic Associate & Rehearsal Director

Headshot of Carlos Rivera, in front of brick wall Carlos Rivera has been an Associate Artist with Red Sky for the past eleven years. Currently, he is a Rehearsal Director, dancer, and teacher with Red Sky Performance. Based in Toronto, he is of Mixteco Indigenous descent and trained at the Government of Mexico City's Cultural Secretary Dance School and the Centre for Choreographic Research at the Fine Arts Institute (CICO-INBA).

Carlos has been in numerous dance productions as well as a director and choreographer of the Yumare Arte Escenico, a traditional and contemporary dance company. Carlos draws from elements within traditional and popular culture in contemporary dance. His own choreographic works include Bosque Sagrado, Jardines y Santuarios, Memorias del Fandango, and From the Aztlan to the Zocalo. He is currently creating "I'm Not the Indian You Have in Mind", a dance project delving into the complex identity of Native peoples in today's society.

His performance credits include: Caribou Song (Red Sky, presented with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall), and the touring version of Caribou Song which was performed in Switzerland, Australia, Canada, China, Iceland and the United States. He has also performed in Raven Stole the Sun (Red Sky) which toured to Australia and across Canada, with 11-sold out shows at the National Arts Centre and 16 sold-out shows at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People. He also performed in the critically acclaimed Red Sky dance productions: Dancing Americas (Red Sky) which closed the 2004 Canada Dance Festival at the National Arts Centre; Shimmer (Red Sky) which was the highlight at The Banff Centre's 2006 Summer Arts Festival, and sold-out at the 2006 Canada Dance Festival at the National Arts Centre, Vancouver's EARTH Festival, and Toronto’s enWave Theatre Centre; and Tono (Red Sky) which was performed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2008 Meet in Beijing Festival, 2008 Summer Arts Festival at The Banff Centre, The Arden Theatre, High Performance Rodeo, Toronto's Luminato Festival, Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, and World Expo 2010 in Shanghai China.

Jacob Pratt - Associate Artist

Colour headshot of Jacob Pratt, gray background, maroon shirt, turquoise earrings Jacob Pratt joined Red Sky as an Associate Artist in 2011. He is Dakota/Salteaux from Cote First Nation. A business student at the First Nations University of Canada, he also creates curriculum for the University's Dakota Language program. Jacob is a highly creative individual, and an emerging actor, renowned Hoop and Men’s Traditional powwow dancer. He has performed across Canada, the United States and overseas. In addition to dancing, he has played the traditional Native flute since the age of 14-years-old. Recently, Jacob released a first CD entitled Eagle Calls that won the 2011 Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards.

Jacob has made a significant contribution to First Nations youth across Canada and the USA. He is a motivational speaker covering topics such as: culture, language, youth empowerment and healthy living. He believes in leading by example, and seeks to inspire the unlimited potential of First Nations youth.

Past accomplishments include: research with the Amazon Conservation Team in the Brazilian Amazon, committee member of the National First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program, speaking at United Nations working groups, and performing at the 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies.

Meegwun Fairbrother - Associate Artist

Meegwun Headshot Meegwun Fairbrother joined Red Sky as an Associate Artist in 2012. Meegwun is of Ojibway and Scottish origin, from Toronto, Ontario and the Grassy Narrows First Nation. He is a Traditional Singer and a Northern Traditional dancer.

A graduate on the conservatory acting program at York University, theatre credits include: Vimy, Blyth Festival; The Hobbit, Grand Theatre; The Great Mountain, Red Sky (Ontario Tour); Spirit Horse, Roseneath Theatre; One Pure Longing, Luminato; Beyond Eden, Theatre Calgary and Playhouse Theatre Company, (part of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics); The Bewitched, Theatre at York, Pimooteewin (The Journey), a Cree language opera, Ontario Tour; Isitwendam, Factory Theatre; Creon, Stone Circle/Summerworks Festival.

Meegwun played the lead in the independent feature film Moonhair, and the lead in a television pilot, Time Traveler, for APTN. He also appeared in Triptych, part of a six-part series for Bravo!

You can see him next as Burgundy in King Lear, as part of an all-Aboriginal cast for the National Arts Centre, directed by Peter Hinton; in the remount and subsequent Canadian tour of Red Sky's The Great Mountain, and the lead in the upcoming feature film First Allies, shooting in summer 2012.

In addition, Meegwun continues to work on his ceremonial response creation to Stephen Harper's apology for Canada's Indian Residential School System, called Isitwendam.

Deidre Budgell – Executive Assistant

Deidre's headshot Deidre Budgell is an arts administration and communications specialist who brings to Red Sky over seven years experience working in the theatre, film, and not-for-profit sectors. Her educational background includes a M.A. in Theatre Studies from York University, and a B.A. in English from Memorial University of Newfoundland. She also holds a Diploma in Performance and Communications Media from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and a Diploma in Journalism from College of the North Atlantic.

A SSHRC Canadian Graduate Scholarship recipient in 2099, Deidre has a strong commitment to community-engaged arts, a passion for performance that inspires positive social change, and belief in the power of arts education.

Deidre is also a freelance writer and editor in arts and education, and has nearly 10 years experience as a Stage Manager in both Ontario and Newfoundland & Labrador. She is thrilled to join Red Sky as Executive Assistant and looks forward to making an important contribution to such an innovative international company.

Roger Francis - Bookkeeper

Headshot of Roger Francis, colour, in front of brick wall Roger Francis is Red Sky's Bookkeeper. He studied Bookkeeping and Accounting at Humber College, and Computer Programming at Seneca College in Toronto.

His previous work experience includes working in finance with the Small Theatre Administrative Facility, Associated Designers of Canada, Theatre Smith-Gilmour, Company B, and accounting firms including Wallington & Chong. To his new role, Roger brings proven financial knowledge, a broad knowledge of the arts sector in Toronto and beyond, and a strong desire to contribute to the success of Red Sky.

He loves travelling and spending time in his cabin near the St. Lawrence River.

Red Sky Board Members

Honourary Board of Directors

Tomson Highway
Zacharias Kunuk
Veronica Tennant, C.C.
Pier Giorgio di Cicco

Board of Directors

Anya Mckenzie (Chair)
Carolyn Taylor (ex-officio Chair)
Aron Fitzgerald (Treasurer)
Ian S. Anderson
Don Boswell
Don Kavanaugh
Gerald McMaster, Ph.D., OC
Meryl McMaster

Contributing Photographers

Cylla von Tiedemann
David Hou
Don Lee
Nadya Kwandibens
Paul Parkes