Carol Whiteman had a revelation while serving as chair of ACTRA B.C.’s women’s committee in 1995. She was involved in a series of panel discussions with successful women in the industry, when a survey of the participants after the fact yielded some interesting results.

‘They said resoundingly that they wanted professional development at a high level that wasn’t about bashing men but empowering women,’ recalls the Vancouver-based Whiteman, today president and CEO of the Creative Women Workshops Association and producer of the Women in the Director’s Chair workshop.

In response, Whiteman set about creating a modular workshop designed to mimic the process of production, with women assuming helming duties. The concept became reality through a partnership with Women in Film and Video Vancouver, ACTRA and The Banff Centre, which would be the site of the workshop and provide many of the resources needed to execute the program.

The CWWA was created as the umbrella organization, with a board represented by WIDC alumnae across Canada, as well as members of The Banff Centre and ACTRA. To date, 86 directors have gone through WIDC, and 360 projects have been directed by alumnae.

‘We’ve found a great number of supporters from the industry and government,’ adds Whiteman. Telefilm Canada has been a major sponsor, as has the Directors Guild of Canada’s B.C. branch. The CBC has recently come aboard to sponsor a program that focuses on story development.

Yet despite the number of women who have gone through the program, it remains an uphill battle.

‘We’re still noticing that there are few women who direct series drama, and there are fewer women who are directing feature films,’ Whiteman says.

She sees WIDC as an opportunity to practice the craft in an environment where a neophyte female director can work alongside professional mentors who share their wisdom. The workshops involve the creation of a short video project with the collaboration of ACTRA performers and DGC and IATSE crews.

Director Léa Pool (The Blue Butterfly) will serve as mentor director for the upcoming workshop in December.

‘I can give back because I’ve learned from experience,’ Pool says. ‘[Mentoring] is good for us… I also receive a lot from the younger generation.’

She adds that the workshop environment is important for both developing relationships and enabling women to work in a supportive place where they can take risks.

‘Directing is one of the few jobs that you don’t get to do for more than a few days in your career,’ notes WIDC board member and inaugural workshop participant Katie Tallo. ‘[WIDC] gives you a chance to run the ship like a director does. Some women need that. It gives them more confidence and more experience.’

www.creativewomenworkshops.com