The Board of Directors of Art Starts is pleased to announce the appointment of Bruce Pitkin as the new Executive Director for the community-based arts charity.

As a theatre artist with international experience and a community perspective, Bruce is a true believer in the power of art as a form of expression and a means to empowerment. After earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in performance from York University, Bruce performed, directed, produced, and taught in Japan, Germany, the United States, and Canada. He was the Artistic Director at both the Acting Academy (Munich) and the International Michael Chekhov School of Acting (Munich), and taught Shakespeare, Scene Study and Audition Technique at the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts in Toronto from 2007-2013. In 2013, he was named in NOW Magazine’s Top Ten Artists to Watch for his directing work. He comes to Art Starts after five years as Executive Director of Theatre Ontario.

Bruce is a strong advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the arts. He received certification in ‘Leading the Conversation: Inclusion in Non-Profits’ in December 2016 from HRPA-Human Resources Professionals Association. Also, he serves as the Co-chair of the PASO (Provincial Arts Service Organization) Coalition, the Chair of the Advisory Committee for ArtsBuild Ontario, and sits on the newly formed Ontarians for the Arts steering committee.

“We are thrilled that Bruce will bring his vast experience to Art Starts, including his skills in community building and non-profit leadership,” said Martin Gangnier, Chair of the Board of Directors of Art Starts.

“I am very excited to build on the outstanding achievements that Art Starts has delivered to the diverse communities of Toronto that it serves. And I’m pleased to be joining Art Starts’ staff and board to learn from our participants how we can further our engagement with them.”

Bruce will join Art Starts on July 9.