One week, Diana Webley may be overseeing some of Toronto’s most beloved cultural festivals at the iconic Harbourfront Centre. The next, she might be in Europe as a member of a Canadian arts professionals delegation at WOMEX, one of the biggest global music conferences. A few days later, Webley will bring these real-time experiences — and her 20-plus years of arts and culture industry experience — into Centennial College, where she prepares the next generation of arts management professionals for diverse arts and culture jobs.
"One of my career highlights is the legacy of passing on the baton to the next generation," says Webley, manager of the Cultural Engagement department at Harbourfront Centre. "The impact I want to have on them is that anything is possible, but you must be willing to be a voice in the room. In that way, my job title is a career highlight as well. It’s only by speaking up and sharing my ideas that my career has taken the trajectory that it has."
A Rich Resumé of Arts and Culture Jobs
Starting as an independent events producer, Webley had a natural talent for organizing events that attracted large crowds. When a colleague suggested she might benefit from formal training, Webley enrolled in one of the local post-secondary arts management programs. She followed it up with a project management credential. During her studies, Webley landed a position at Harbourfront Centre, one of the country’s leading destinations for contemporary culture. Since 2005, she has moved through the organization in arts and culture jobs as varied as artistic associate, project coordinator, and senior producer.
Through the years, Webley has also engaged in mentorship, networking, and partnership building. For example, for three years, she volunteered on the Board of Directors at CaribbeanTales International Film Festival. In 2020, Webley took on the role of Festival Director.
"Every day is different, which is why I’m still here," she says of the arts and culture industry. "That keeps the pulse in me going. I have the pleasure of being invited to festivals locally and globally and bringing those experiences back home. The impact of introducing Canadian audiences to something they haven’t experienced before is so motivating. Exposing young minds to the arts is also one of my biggest passions. Art is many things, and one of them is a place of healing. It contributes to everyday life."
The Importance of Centennial’s Arts Management Certificate
With a storied career specializing in artistic direction, planning, programming, development and producing, in 2018, Webley joined Centennial College. As one of Toronto’s reputable arts management programs, the graduate certificate prepares students for managerial careers in fundraising, sales and marketing, community outreach, and public programs. Webley has taught both the Mentorship and Storyworks courses. The latter offers students the opportunity to work on real-world, client-driven projects.
"I hope my students come away with a clear understanding of the direction they want to take their careers," she says. "Courses in Arts Management programs are key to exploring their strengths and putting those strengths and their skill set to the test through experiential learning. We prepare them for the bumps in the road and greater employment opportunities in the arts."
As much as her faculty member role is about giving back, Webley says Centennial has also given her something in return. Teaching in the program for five years, she says, has allowed her to see how vital its curriculum is in ensuring the high quality of professionals in arts and culture jobs that Toronto is known for.
"For the future of arts workers and professionals, we need something like this program to keep it going," says Webley. "If this Arts Management certificate program ever ceases, we’ll be in trouble. These courses need to continue because they produce professionals who are prepared for the ebb and flow of the reality of the arts. I’m really privileged to be a part of that."
Sources:
- https://www.centennialcollege.ca/programs-courses/full-time/arts-management/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianawebley/?originalSubdomain=ca
- https://harbourfrontcentre.com/
- https://www.womex.com/about/womex
By: Anthony Geremia