Culture's Compass is planned and produced annually by a dedicated team of summer Fellows with Humber College's Centre for Creative Business Innovation (CCBI). This year, the team benefits from the supervision and guidance of both CCBI staff and the team at Small World Music.
The Centre for Creative Business Innovation (CCBI) serves as a nexus for research creation, critical thinking, and business innovation. Building on Humber’s strengths in facilities, resources, and talent, they foster collaboration across all disciplines to find solutions that can be subsequently implemented and commercialized. CCBI is a hub for problem finders, where they work with industry partners to help build and manage teams of students and faculty experts. In an era of digital disruption and growing competitive pressures, creativity is a key driver of competitive advantage and business success.
For more than two decades, Small World Music has been celebrating cultural diversity and show-casing a range of local, domestic, and international talent to audiences across the Greater Toronto Area. Their vision goes beyond simply presenting culturally-diverse artists to include finding ways of working with, showcasing, and supporting underrepresented, marginalized, and newcomer professionals onstage and behind the scenes to encourage sustainable careers, and become a leader in the music industry.
Chun-Wei Ke is a UX/UI designer with a master’s degree in visual communication design. He specializes in user research, UI design, brand design, and photography. Currently, he is pursuing a graduate certificate in User Experience Design at Humber College. In his role as a designer at CCBI and as a member of the marketing team at Small World Music, he is responsible for website design and management, proposing marketing strategies, and graphic design. When offline, he enjoys learning French and snapping cool photos.
Maria Fernanda Martin, as a member of Culture's Compass, is driven by a deep passion for democratizing culture. Maria has actively engaged in university cultural movements, researching how rap transforms Medellin's neighborhoods. She has led initiatives promoting Latin American cinema, such as the ICARO festival, and possesses a solid academic background in International Relations. Her work includes writing and researching for a digital book on Colombia-China diplomatic relations, and she has experience in filmmaking and art direction. Maria is excited to join the Small World Music and Humber marketing team within the Culture's Compass Fellowship as a designer, filmmaker, and video editor. She is eager to explore this new facet of her career. Maria's organizational skills, adaptability, and commitment to fostering cross-cultural relationships highlight her contributions to the fellowship.
Brooklin Hallett is a musician and multimedia artist studying guitar in Humber College’s Bachelor of Music Program. She also graduated from Durham College’s Media Fundamentals Program in 2021. In her role as a 2024 Culture’s Compass Fellow, she works alongside other fellows and Small World Music to develop Culture’s Compass and Global Toronto Festival 2024. Brooklin is incredibly passionate when it comes to accessibility and activism within the Toronto arts scene and hopes to develop a safe space for all artists to express themselves. Outside of their work as a fellow, Brooklin teaches music lessons around the GTA.
Jessie Gosling is a musician and songwriter currently pursuing her Bachelor of Music degree at Humber College. Previously, as an Intercultural and Creative Music Fellow, Jessie has developed a strong passion for uplifting musicians and voices from various cultures. She is thrilled to work with Small World Music to advance their mission of breaking down barriers for equity-seeking artists. Drawing from her experiences, Jessie actively engages in artist development programs, including those with Folk Music Ontario and the Canadian Musician’s Co-operative. Beyond her involvement with Culture’s Compass, Jessie's music is available online, and she regularly performs at venues throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
Tudor Plopeanu is a drummer, composer, and producer with a bachelor's degree in music from Humber College. As a Culture’s Compass Fellow, Tudor is working behind the scenes with Small World Music to help deliver Global Toronto Music Fest 2024. He is passionate about connecting with diverse peoples and believes in an equity-driven arts ecosystem. He is enthusiastic to assist in development strategies that provide better access to equity-deserving artists. Outside of his work as a fellow, he has hit stages at TUJF, NXNE music festivals, countless venues around Ontario and Quebec, and continues to perform/record new projects.
Hani Alaf is a Syrian Canadian cultural manager and a holder of a BDes in Environmental Design: Specialization in Interior Design from OCAD University. He currently works with Small World Music, helping behind the scenes for the annual Global Toronto Music Festival and is completing his postgrad certificate in Arts Administration and Cultural Management and Humber College. For years he's been a community leader, owing to his work as founder of the non-profit, Wanabqa. He received a Community Leader Award in 2023 from the American Syrian Cultural Association.
Kareem is a percussionist whose passion lies in world music and Middle-Eastern percussion styles. As an Arts Administrator, Kareem got his start as a Project Manager for the Canadian Arabic Orchestra before attending Humber for Arts Administration and Cultural Management. Through Culture’s Compass, Kareem is currently working in development for the Global Toronto Music Festival (GTMF). In his spare time, Kareem enjoys film photography, travelling, and cooking with friends.
