Ally Schuurman (she/they) is a performance art advocate, artist, and administrator originally from unceeded Coast Salish Territory. Prior to joining Banff Centre, her work in arts education spanned 15 years, multiple disciplines, and culminated in leading the successful expansion of the student services department at Arts Umbrella.

When they’re not facilitating learning environments for artists, they’re directing, curating, and taking in works of new Canadian theatre. She has been the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Vancouver Fringe Festival Society since 2022.

A proud citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta, Matt is currently the Artistic Director of Punctuate! Theatre, a member of the Pemmican Collective, and an Artistic Associate of Pyretic Productions. In 2018, Matt’s play BEARS won Dora Awards for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Production, was named a co-winner of the Toronto Theatre Critics Outstanding New Canadian Play Award and won the Playwright Guild of Canada’s Carol Bolt National Playwriting Award. In 2023, First Métis Man Of Odesa, which Matt co-wrote and performed in with his partner, Mariya Khomutova, toured to nine Canadian cities and won Doras for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Production. Working dramaturgically with both early career and established writers, Matt was very happy to work with Joleen and Lianna on Kohkom’s Babushka!

Trent is an Edmonton based artist and arts enabler with a specialty in activating non-traditional performance spaces. A graduate of MacEwan's Theatre Production program and The Banff Centre for the Arts, Trent has spent the last 15 years as a Lighting Designer, Production Manager, Technical Director, and Entertainment Programmer.

Andy has worked on stages and in stadiums nationally and internationally. As Creative Producer with Punctuate! Theatre, Andy premiered Takwahiminana (with Soulpepper), toured First Métis Man of Odesa (to NAC, Soulpepper, TIFT) and now Kohkom’s Babushka (with Banff Centre & Pyretic) and will premiere Strife (with Tarragon) later this season. He is also a Producer on Bright Star (GTP & Mirvish). As actor/creative: Disney’s FROZEN (Citadel; Sterling nom), Charlotte (Theaturtle/ National Theatre Prague), Hunchback (Catalyst/ Playhouse), Godspell (Arts Club), Fiddler on the Roof (Persephone; SATAward nom), Circle Game (Firehall/ Persephone; Ovation & SATAwards, Jessie nom), Elf (Chemainus), Hair (Mayfield). Andy has worked on ceremonies and major events including the JUNOs, CCMAs, Volleyball Nations League & Beach Pro Tour, and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Olympic & Paralympic Games (Vancouver, Rio de Janeiro), AIMAGames (Ashgabat), Invictus Games (Sydney), Commonwealth Games (Gold Coast). He was responsible for the Sitewide Programming at Expo 2020 Dubai, and was lead Producer for the COP28 Opening Ceremony in UAE.

Donna Lee Dumont is a proud descendent of the Red River Settlers. Donna Lee has been interested in art since her childhood in northern Ontario where she first sketched her environment. She feels fortunate to have painted in northern Saskatchewan with A.Y. Jackson, and to have studied Oriental brushwork with Szeto Kei in Vancouver. She has had several one-person art shows in Western Canada. She is the author and illustrator of Peter Fidler and the Métis, and illustrator of Manny’s Memories and Kohkum’s Babushka, publications of Gabriel Dumont Institute Press.

Krista Leddy (she/her) is a proud Métis woman and artist whose family comes from the historical Métis communities of St. Albert and Lac St. Anne. She currently calls amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton) home. Krista is passionate about her culture and community and loves to share the depth and wealth of Métis identity through art and story.

Aaron Macri is an award-winning composer and sound designer based out of Edmonton, Alberta. Credits with Punctuate! include Takwahiminana, First Métis Man of Odesa.

Over his twenty-five year career, Aaron has created music and sound design for theatre, television, dance, and film. His works have been broadcast nationally (APTN, SuperChannel) and on stages across Canada and Off-Broadway.

From Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement, AB, Darla Daniels is a celebrated Métis fiddler, singer-songwriter, recording artist, actor, and composer with a dynamic stage presence and a deep reverence for tradition. She has spent over two decades sharing her passion for traditional Métis fiddle music & dance while forging a bold, contemporary path through Roots, Folk, and Americana genres. 2012-2025: Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Mardi Gras, North Country Fair, Mariposa Music Festival, The Diviners (The Stratford Festival). Awards: Arts and Culture Award (Métis Settlements General Council); The Young Woman of Vision Award (Grant MacEwan University); The Aboriginal Youth Female Role Model Award (Canadian Native Friendship Centre); Top 5 finalist - Specialty Instrumentalist of the Year (Country Music Alberta Awards).