The SING! Music Business Summit presents free seminars on a variety of topics related to the music industry. This seminar provides a balanced look at fringe festivals as performance opportunities, considering the potential benefits, challenges, and strategic value of taking part in these creative spaces. Open to all artists interested in participating in Fringe Festivals, including in theatre, musical theatre, comedy, dance, etc.

Sponsored by Canadian Music Spotlight, Long and McQuade Musical Instruments, and Ontario Creates

Clinician Bios:

Derrick Chua is an entertainment lawyer and independent theatre producer. Recent productions include Haley McGee’s Age Is A Feeling (Soho Theatre and Soulpepper), The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale (Soulpepper) and Jake Epstein’s Boy Falls From The Sky (Royal Alexandra Theatre with Mirvish Productions). He is the founder and Executive Director of Alliance for Canadian Musicals which launches at Toronto Fringe this summer, co-founder and original Producer of Studio 180 Theatre, co-founder and Executive Producer of Groundling Theatre, and co-producer of the Toronto Sunday Night Cabaret Series.Derrick was a Consulting Producer for CanadaHub at Edinburgh Fringe, President of the Toronto Fringe Festival for over 10 years, President of the Toronto Theatre Alliance (now Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts) and chaired Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program Committee. He is the proud recipient of a Dora Award, Harold Award, Now Magazine Award as Toronto’s Best Indie Producer and Canadian Actors’ Equity Association Honorary Membership for his Outstanding Contribution to the Performing Arts. He can be contacted at derrick@derrickchua.com.

Justine Cargo is one who wears many hats, both fashionably and creatively, Some of her work includes; Tita Collective since 2019 (Lighting Designer/Technical Director) and was nominated for her Lighting Design with Broadway World Awards for her work on Titaverse 2023. Some of her other Theatre Production credits include: Stage Manager of Dora Award winning show, Tough Jews, A Whole New World: Musical Magic of Alan Menken, Angelwalk Theatre; Beauty and The Beast, and Toronto Musical Concerts (3 seasons). Justine is no stranger to the Fringe circuit. She has participated with Toronto Fringe every year since 2011. She has stage managed, performed, designed, produced shows for Edinburgh Festival, Fringe stages across Canada, UK and the U.S.A. She knows the ins and outs to what makes a show at any Fringe successful. 

Rachel Kennedy (she/they) is the Executive Director & Co-Lead at the Toronto Fringe Festival. For the last decade, they have had the pleasure of supporting local indie theatre and dance productions as a producer, director and stage manager and arts administrator. Rachel’s love for the arts centres around a passion for advocacy, equity, and bringing communities together through storytelling. Thanks to wonderful collaborators throughout her career, Rachel has learned much about the unique needs of Toronto’s artists and how essential their impact is across the City and beyond. Rachel is thrilled to serve the Toronto Fringe community and can't wait for this summer's Festival (join us July 2-15th!).

Pat Silver is Founder of Sphere Entertainment Agency; an award-winning event planner; an ward-winning composer and recording artist (Gold Record) and international performing artist; humanitarian. She has a vast network of suppliers and “influencers”. She has produced and performed at Edinburgh Festival Fringe for multiple seasons beginning in 1995, produced one show for Toronto Fringe, and performed in Fringe festivals across the U.S. virtually during COVID. Pat was recently inducted into the Festivals and Events Ontario Hall of Fame for her leadership and vision in the festival landscape as Co-Manager of SING! Toronto.