Artist in Residence

Cape Breton University (CBU) acknowledges that it is built on and operates in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw People. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Mi’kmaw and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) people first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources. They recognized Mi’kmaw and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) title and established rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations.

2026 Artist in Residence

CBU’s 2026 Artist in Residence is Sandi Somers.

As a screenwriter, film director and lighting, set, projection and costume designer, Sandi has woven together a career that has brought all of her creative passions together. Filmmaking naturally extended out of her theatre design; her love of playing with light, shapes and colours now had permanence.  Initially, she worked with choreographers to create award-winning, visually stunning dance films. From there, she moved into scripted works within her 2SLGBTQ+ community. It was here that she witnessed the lack of mentors and support within her communities. The lack of representation for women, non-binary and trans artists in Alberta’s creative landscape motivated her to found herland, a mentorship program dedicated to providing guidance and support for women and those who identify outside the traditional gender binary. Sandi was honoured with the Spirit of Helen Award for her contribution to the media arts communities in Alberta and, from the City of Calgary, she received the Doug and Lois Mitchell Outstanding Calgary Artist Award which was established to honour artists who are lauded for their work in national and international arenas and are acknowledged around the world for the caliber of their work and their contributions to the arts as innovators who have significantly enriched artistic discourse in Canada. Sandi’s creative practice is rooted in a belief that storytelling is a powerful tool for transformation.

Film Workshops with Sandi Somers – Centre for Sound Communities Studio

• Creative Approaches to Filmmaking and Collective Creation – January 13, 6:30-8:00pm. Kick off the workshop series with an inspiring look at films that mix disciplines, perspectives and inventive storytelling strategies. Discover how collaboration fuels creative filmmaking.
• Directing Documentaries and Narratives – January 20, 6:30-8:00pm. Dive into the role of the director—both the artistic visionary and the technical leader. Explore how directors shape story, performance, mood and meaning.
• Stages of Film Production – February 3, 6:30-8:00pm. From development to post-production, learn what happens at every stage of the filmmaking journey. Understanding the process gives you more space and freedom for creativity.
• A Creative Approach to Editing – February 17, 6:30-8:00pm. Editing is where the story truly takes shape. Learn how to approach the edit with intention and flow while discovering what really matters in the timeline.
• Post-Production: Audio, Composition and Titles – March 10, 6:30-8:00pm. Sound, music, colour and typography all shape the audience’s experience. Explore how these elements deepen emotion, enhance storytelling and complete the creative process.
• Finalizing Projects – March 24, 6:30-8:00pm. Your film is finished—now what? Learn how to navigate festivals, granting agencies and opportunities for future creation.

Theatre Design Workshops with Sandi Somers – Centre for Sound Communities Studio

• Discovering the Fabric of Set Design – January 15, 6:30-8:00pm. Explore how materials, shapes, textures and space work together to build a theatrical world.
• Creative Nuances of Lighting Design – February 12, 6:30-8:00pm. Learn how lighting brings emotion, movement and meaning to a stage.
• Directors: Working with Designers – March 19, 6:30-8:00pm. A behind-the-scenes look at how directors collaborate with designers to bring a shared vision to life.
• Designers: Working with Directors – April 9, 6:30-8:00pm. Flip the perspective—learn how designers interpret, challenge and enrich directorial ideas.

Community Talks with Sandi Somers

Storytelling and Screenwriting: Where Films Begin 

• February 4, 6:30pm
• Wilfred Oram Centennial Library, North Sydney
• The creative spark: From concept to paper —how to begin writing, shaping and imagining a film from the ground up.

The Art and Heart of Filmmaking 

• March 5, 6:30pm
• James McConnell Library, Sydney
• What does it mean to be a film artist in Canada today? Explore how filmmaking practices and forms continue to evolve.

Artist on Campus

January 22, February 12 and March 16 with Sandi Somers.

A Minute of Your Childhood
Share your story. Celebrate your roots. Capture a moment.
Join CBU’s 2026 Artist in Residence, Sandi Somers.  Bring a short story, original poem, song or dance inspired by your childhood—your neighbourhood, your family or the experiences that shaped you. Sandi will guide you through the full creative process, helping you craft a powerful 1-minute piece. Your finished creation will be screened in the University’s Video Booth.

Term End Showcase – April 8

Join Sandi Somers as she leads an evening of film, music, theatre and dance celebrating CBU’s Creative Campus.

Past Artists in Residence

2025 Artist in Residence

CBU’s 2025 Artist in Residence, Rose Morrison, has been a professional musician for more than 20 years, touring and teaching internationally. She first came onto the scene at age 11 as an original member of The Cottars. The group recorded three albums, toured North America, Europe and Japan, earned themselves two East Coast Music Awards and performed at Carnegie Hall to a sold-out audience. She has since recorded and performed with Oscar and Grammy Award-winner Glen Hansard and Brendan Begley, among others, and continues to tour with many well-known artists in North America and internationally.

Rose released her first solo album, The MacKenzie Project, in 2010 and her second album, Atlantic, won Instrumental Recording of the Year at the 2018 East Coast Music Awards. Later that year, Rose was artistic creator and director of the Celtic Colours special project Voices of the Naomhóg which featured artists and musicians from Nova Scotia, Ireland and Scotland building traditional Irish row boats and included traditional music, Gaelic song, and dance from both sides of the Atlantic. After years of performing and touring as a hired musician, the pandemic hit and brought Rose home to Cape Breton, where she found love and a newfound appreciation for the beauty and nature that surrounds her. Throughout the past few years, Rose has leaned into songwriting and in working with the talented Dave Gunning, is ready to share her original music and song.

2024 Artist in Residence

CBU’s 2024 Artist in Residence, Meagan Musseau, is a L’nu woman, artist, and dancer from Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk (Bay of Islands, Newfoundland) currently living in Sydney, Unama’kik. She nourishes an interdisciplinary arts practice by working with customary art forms and new media, such as textiles, basketry, beadwork, land-based performance, drawing, painting, video and installation. Meagan works with natural and synthetic materials as a way to interweave stories of adaptation, continuation, and resilience into artistic creation. Her works explore themes of kinship, harvesting, connection to land, and matriarchal empowerment. Meagan creates contemporary art exhibitions that have been shown in galleries such as grunt gallery, Vancouver; Ociciwan Contemporary Art Centre, Edmonton; AKA artist-run centre, Saskatoon; and the Mi’kma’ki Artists’ Spotlight space at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax. Meagan’s artwork has also exhibited internationally at the North Atlantic Triennial which travelled to Portland Museum of Art, Maine, Reykjavik Art Museum, Iceland, and the Bildmuseet Art Museum, Sweden. She participated in artist residencies at Indigenous Arts Intensive, University of British Columbia Okanagan campus (2022), Dreaming the Land (2021-22), Neighbourhood Dance Works (2019), Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (2017 & 2018), and the Indigenous Emerging Artist Program (2015-16).

2023 Artist in Residence

Cape Breton University is excited to announce Ellen Furey as the University’s 2023 Artist in Residence. Furey’s artistic path began in Unama’ki/Cape Breton, and at the age of 18 she left the Island to study music, theatre and dance, eventually turning toward experimental dance and theatre. As CBU’s Artist in Residence, Furey hopes to connect with new people, build on cohesiveness and break away some of the leftover isolation from the first years of the pandemic.

Each year CBU hosts an Artist in Residence who joins the campus for a four-month term during which they pursue creative projects, connect with students and employees and engage with the Island community. The initiative was developed to create partnerships with artists who share a passion for enriching the creative arts experience. During her residency, Furey will be offering a variety of workshops and classes for CBU students and the general public.

Throughout the past 11 years, Furey has had the opportunity to present her work in England, USA, Belgium, France, Germany, Scotland, Switzerland and Austria. Cultural exchange and creating in different contexts has been an important element in her understanding of a wider artistic conversation. Furey has worked in co-authorship with UK artist, Malik Nashad Sharpe, on their last two major performance works, and with a range of independent artists in different ways over the past decade. She has been a part of several projects as a dance dramaturg and artistic advisor. Since 2019, Furey has been working formally as an advisor, co-curator and now consultant of Montreal dance organisation, Danse-Cité. Over the past two and a half years, her two areas of focus have been intuitive/spiritual practice and conflict management.

2022 Artist in Residence- Sons of Membertou

Cape Breton University is pleased to announce the University’s 2022 Artist in Residence, Sons of Membertou. The Mi’kmaq drumming and singing group, formed in 1992, will be celebrating their thirtieth anniversary this year and are eager to bring their experience to CBU. Their hope is for members of the campus community to learn from one another through cultural performances.

Sons of Membertou began with just four members and has since grown to include more than 15 members throughout its existence. The group has performed all over the world, always carrying with them the original goal of finding identity and sharing Mi’kmaq songs and culture with others. When restrictions are lifted, they will be hosting a series of events involving additional presenters and performers. The proposed schedule includes an Indigenous theatre project, an evening of storytelling, drumming and singing, a retrospective in the Art Gallery, a drum making workshop and more.

“The drum represents the heartbeat of Mother Earth so we come together on one drum, one people,” says member Graham Marshall. “What I hope to achieve during this residency is for CBU students from around the world to come together virtually so we can learn from one another both academically and culturally.”

Four Month Creative Partnership

Each year, CBU hosts an Artist in Residence who joins the campus for a four-month term during which they pursue creative projects, connect with students and employees and engage with the Island community. The initiative was developed to create partnerships with artists who share a passion for enriching the creative arts experience.

The Artist in Residence program is just one way CBU is working to foster creative arts on campus. Students are invited to participate in workshops and attend performances when they begin to learn about topics such as treaty education, resilience, healing, storytelling and environmental practices.