Actor Career Mentorship
Welcome to the Vancouver Actor Career Mentorship
This highly successful program is going into it’s 10th year – a decade of mentorship! After being run jointly with Women in Film & TV Vancouver for 8 years, the program shifted, as many things did during the pandemic, to being run independently by the creator & long-standing Program Director, Krista Magnusson.
The application period is now open! The deadline to apply is 11:59pm PT, Saturday, November 12, 2022.
On this page, you will find the following information:
- What is the purpose of the program?
- What does the program include?
- How does the program work?
- Who is eligible?
- What is required?
- How do you apply?
- Actor Mentorship Program FAQ
- Download the 2021-2022 Mentorship Program Application Form
What is the Purpose of the Program?
To provide female-identifying actors with guidance and inspiration in developing their craft and advancing their acting careers. The key to the program is the one-on-one time with the personal mentors, to get personalized guidance and ask those personal questions that can’t be asked in acting class or in public panels!
What Does the Program Include?
The 6-month program matches successful applicants (Mentees) with female-identifying working actors (Mentors), with whom they will meet for one hour, once a month for six months from January to June. The Mentee will be prepared for these meetings with clear questions as well as a development path for feedback.
In the first month of the program, the Mentees will take part in a a Kick Off Session, to review tips on how to get the most out of the program, as well as a Goal Setting Workshop, to help them hone their application goals. There may be other workshops or panels offered, however these are unique each year and are not guaranteed.
It should be noted that while Mentees can, of course, be active in other areas of the Film & Television industry, this mentorship program is focused solely on acting careers and is not intended to aid actors in expanding into other areas (i.e. producing, writing or directing).
How Does the Program work?
The entire program is aimed at maximizing the benefits of the Mentees, while minimizing the expectations and time requirements of the Mentors.
Prior to the start of the program, the Mentee Application Package is provided to their paired Mentor, providing the Mentor with all information needed about the Mentee, so the pair can start personalized goal-oriented conversations right away. Ideally, this will avoid the first two of 6 Mentee-Mentor meetings being spent getting to know each other! In turn, the Mentee is expected to research their Mentor, learning their background as much as possible prior to the first meeting, to make the most out of their time together.
Mentees will meet with Mentors once per month for 60 minutes. These meetings are usually done virtually either on Zoom/Skype or a phone call in order to accommodate Mentors on set or out of town, the pandemic situations of the last few years, and simple convenience. No less than 24 hours prior to each meeting, the Mentee will email the Mentor an update, with specific topic(s) to discuss and questions to address in the upcoming meeting.
All Mentees will have a Mid-Program Check-In with the Program Director, and throughout the program, both Mentees and Mentors will be checked in on.
Who is Eligible?
Mentee applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Female-identifying
- 18 years of age or older
- Live within driving distance to Vancouver, BC for the entire 6-month program
- Not currently involved in any other mentorship program or full-time student program
- 3 years of acting experience, not including a student program
- IMDB profile with a minimum of 3 acting credits
What is Required?
Mentees must meet the following requirements to be accepted into the program:
- Clear and realistic expectations and goals for the program (i.e. Why do you want to be part of the program? How will it help you?)
- Initiative in career growth, such as creating or finding own work outside of agent representation; and participation in the community, such as event attendance (online or in person), volunteering, etc.
- An open mind towards feedback and changes suggested by the mentor, as well as a willingness to try new ways of doing things
- Payment of $25.00 CDN application fee – Due upon submission of application
- Payment of $75.00 CDN program fee – If selected for the program, due upon selection before Program Kick Off
How Do You Apply?
NOTE: The application period is now open! The deadline to apply is 11:59pm Pacific Time, November 12, 2022.
- Please review the Actor Mentorship FAQ to ensure this Program is a good fit for you.
- Download and complete the Application Form, making sure to answer all questions & sections
(Statistical Questions at the end of the form are optional) - Email the completed Application Form along with your Resume & Headshot to krista@kristamagnusson.com with “Actor Mentorship Application” and your full name in the subject line.
- Use this online form to pay the $25.00 CDN application fee. Please note that applications will not be reviewed by the jury unless payment is received.
If you have any questions about the Mentorship Program, please don’t hesitate to contact the Program Director.
