Work with me

Over the last 12 years, I’ve been privileged to have collaborated with inspiring artists, curators and arts professionals to create community-engaged experiences that foster creativity, playful experimentation, exploration and community building.

Find out how I can support you in your next creative project!

My professional experience is built on creative practice, facilitation, collaboration, research, and community building. I have worked at small non-profits and large public institutions, thriving at both scales and successfully managing multiple programs simultaneously.

I honour the work of the people and organizations I partner with by fully investing myself in every project we undertake together, paying great attention to detail throughout the stages of ideation, planning, production, promotion, delivery and evaluation. I am an attentive listener and a thoughtful communicator, with a creative and mature approach to problem-solving.

Leadership Strengths

Clifton Strengths® Profile

  • Connectedness: I build bridges between people and groups. I help others find meaning by looking at the bigger picture of the world around them, nurturing a sense of comfort and stability in the face of uncertainty.
  • Positivity: I’m a grounded optimist, with an energetic and enthusiastic personality. I empower and uplift my teams by encouraging them to see the opportunities in every challenge.
  • Context: I understand the present by looking at the past. Identifying the links between where we have been and where we are going is extremely valuable in my planning and decision-making process.
  • Belief: My core values include authenticity, compassion, connectivity, creativity, curiosity, integrity, responsibility, and proactivity. These values guide my actions, give purpose to my work, and provide clarity, conviction and stability during challenging situations.
  • Responsibility: I have a deep sense of dedication and feel ownership of my commitments. I’m a person of my word, reliable and trustworthy.
  • Developer: I see the raw potential in people. Leading teams and mentoring others, I make sure to celebrate all signs of progress as we move toward our development goals. My mission is to encourage exploration, growth and improvement.
  • Ideation: I am fascinated by ideas. I enjoy looking at the world from different perspectives, searching for connections, and partnering with others for creative brainstorming sessions.
  • Empathy: I have well-developed interpersonal skills. I can genuinely connect with others by tuning into their emotions.
  • Input: I’m a researcher. I seek, catalogue and process information from diverse sources, producing knowledge that empowers me to make credible and well-informed decisions.
  • Woo: I’m a social person with highly developed relational skills. I love to build connections, develop partnerships and help build networks by connecting people with each other.

Areas of Expertise

  • Community Engagement
  • Cultural Programming
  • Education
  • Film & Media Studies
  • Latin American Arts & Culture
  • Youth Empowerment



Areas of Practice

  • Creative Facilitation and Mentorship
  • Curation and Film Programming
  • Event Planning and Production
  • Program Development and Management
  • Public Speaking, Panel Presentation, Moderation
  • Interviewing
  • Photography
  • Research
  • Writing

Ready To Connect?

Let’s discuss your next project!

Contact Me

Testimonials

In this section, you will find a selection of testimonials by creative collaborators about their experience working with me. I am deeply grateful to each of my creative partners for their generous support and encouragement.

“I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer for María Cecilia, work alongside her, and hire her to be a facilitator at a mentorship program for emerging Latine curators at the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, and I cannot speak enough about what a fantastic facilitator Maria Cecilia is. You can tell that she cares about what she is doing, and I feel like that helps bring people in to what she is trying to convey. She is able to bring groups together, and has a way of making everyone feel included, regardless of their ways of expressing themselves. Additionally, I found her workshops to be incredibly rich and layered, and a space where even other facilitators could learn as well because of the well-researched and lived experiences she has.”

Valentina Acevedo Montilla
Managing Director / Curator ¡Así Suena! Music Nights, Vancouver Latin American Film Festival

“Our organization recently had the pleasure of working with Maria Cecilia as our Community Engagement Facilitator for the event ‘Punto de Encuentro,’ (December 2023) aimed at bringing together emerging artists and creatives from Latin America. Maria Cecilia’s incredible facilitation skills transformed this event into a memorable evening of creativity, connection, and reflection.

Her ability to build a welcoming and inclusive environment allowed participants to freely express themselves, reflecting on the milestones and lessons of 2023 while anticipating and setting intentions for 2024. Maria Cecilia’s guidance in developing a collective tree of intentions added a unique and meaningful touch to the event.

We are deeply grateful for Maria Cecilia’s role in creating such a positive and engaging atmosphere. Her expertise and commitment were evident throughout, and we appreciate her contribution to making ‘Punto de Encuentro’ a success. We look forward to future collaborations with Maria Cecilia and highly recommend her for her outstanding community engagement skills.”

Lili Vieira de Carvalho
Executive Director, Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre

“I had the privilege of working with Maria Cecilia through her role as the Manager of Youth + Community Programming at Emily Carr University. Right away, I knew we shared a passion for accessible, fun and welcoming teen arts education. Maria Cecilia always made time for the students. It was not about the bottom line, abstract learning outcomes or checking administrative boxes for her. She cared about the individual participants in our teen programming: were they having a good experience? Making connections? Having genuine brushes with creativity and making? And because of that level of care, teen programming thrived.

Together, we improved the experience for hundreds of participants in weekly workshops, Spring Break week-long classes and our intensive Summer Programming. Maria Cecilia was the pivot point around which students, instructors, guest artists, community partners and administrative staff turned, empowering all to bring their best to arts education and inspiring a young generation of creatives along the way. Her passion for her work with education, community, youth and the arts is evident to all who meet her, and it is a privilege to work toward a vision with her.”

Stephanie Broder
Illustrator, Writer and Educator
www.stephaniebroder.com

“Maria Cecilia has a natural ability to develop a quick and strong rapport with young people. She creates a safe environment and works to challenge teens while at the same time gently assists them in finding their own voice to respond to issues and ideas. Maria Cecilia listens intently, cares deeply and acts intentionally. 

I had the pleasure of working with her over a period of four years for the Teen Art Group, a partnership between the Vancouver Art Gallery and Emily Carr University, for teens ages 15-18. During the pandemic Maria Cecilia did a very speedy pivot, creating innovative programs using a digital format for the first time, paying close attention to be sure that the students were actively engaged and focused. 

When we finally resumed in-person programs, Maria Cecilia was a master at finding just the right instructor to provide excellent studio sessions in response to the Gallery exhibitions. She was diligent, responsible, and a great collaborator. Maria Cecilia created programs that helped students think critically about themselves and the world around them and in doing so, she made a positive impact on each student she encountered.”

Susan Rome
Program Coordinator for Youth, Vancouver Art Gallery

I’ve worked with Maria Cecilia in my capacity of instructor for the Summer Teens Animation Program with Emily Carr University since 2020.  From the first day we met her integrity shone through and everyone was treated with the same respect we desired to give her.  Without an animation background, her curiosity and undying patience in asking questions sped her up the learning curve and she was able to facilitate us in her role coordinating the program.

The first year of teaching this program had the further challenge of being taught online during the Covid pandemic.

Maria Cecilia’s calm poise and personality have been a huge attribute for me teaching this program. I recommend Maria Cecilia without hesitation for whichever future endeavour she strives for, with only a slight hint of envy for those who get to work with her.

Darren Brereton
Animator and Lecturer

“I have worked closely with Maria Cecilia from 2020 to 2023. I was her assistant for the Summer Institute for Teens and Junior Art Intensive in the Summer of 2020 and she was my program manager when I was faculty teaching Creative Practices and Society and Professional Practice in 2021, and also when I was a substitute for the program and guest speaker in 2023. I can say with confidence that MC is an extremely passionate program manager, who cares deeply not only about the wellbeing of students but also staff and faculty. She was impeccably organized and had incredible foresight in her planning and execution of programming. She treated me and others with respect and held space for a variety of perspectives and lived experiences, creating a horizontal and non-hierarchical working environment. Her relational skills translated into the way she addressed student conflict and helped to create a safe space in an institutional context. It was a pleasure to work for MC in different contexts, and I’m grateful to have been shown what compassionate, heart-felt leadership looks like working with her.”

Aaniya Asrani
Artist, Designer and Social Practitioner
www.aaniyaasrani.co

For more professional recommendations, please visit my LinkedIn Profile!