Luciana Fernandes
Luciana received the 2011 Canada Games Young Artist of Excellence Award in 2016. She completed her undergrad at Dalhousie University, then relocated to British Columbia to pursue her MFA in directing at UBC.
Luciana returned to Halifax in 2018 to participate in Neptune Theatre’s Chrysalis Project, which provides practical experience and mentorship to emerging theatre artists.
Devin Huang
Devin began playing piano in 2013 at the age of seven, and has won both awards and competitions since then.
He was the 2017 recipient of the first ever Gordon Murray rising Star Award, and one of the winners of the 2017/18 Chebucto Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, an honour which gave him the opportunity to perform with the Orchestra in the spring of 2018.
Ian Parsons
Ian received Talent Trust scholarships to pursue studies in dance. He trained at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts in Halifax, then attended Canada’s National Ballet School.
Ian began teaching ballet after touring with CATS in 2013, and relocated from London, UK back to Canada three years later.
Charley Young
Born in Alberta, Charley moved to Nova Scotia to pursue her BFA at NSCAD University. She received the Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/Visual Arts Nova Scotia Award and the Lieutenant Governor Award.
Charley is a practing artist who teaches drawing and printmaking at NSCAD University and Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.
Lee Yuen-Rapati
Lee received the Talent Trust 2011 Canada Games Award in 2017, the year he began the MA Typeface Design program at the University of Reading in the UK, which is considered by many in the design industry as the best in the world.
He completed his Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Design at NSCAD University, where he taught as a guest lecturer for two years prior to beginning his MA.
Shanice Skinner
Shanice, a soprano born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with an Honours Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2017.
Shanice was Nova Scotia’s alto selection for the 2014 National Youth Choir, and soprano for the 2016 National Youth Choir tour in Alberta. She won the Talent Trust Portia White award in 2016, and received a scholarship in 2018 to continue her voice studies.
Our Community Partners
Nova Scotia - Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
The Nova Scotia Talent Trust recognizes the support of the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage. We thank the Department for their generous support of our 75th Anniversary year in 2019. We are pleased to work in partnership with the province to develop and promote our cultural resources for all Nova Scotians.
The Nova Scotia Talent Trust recognizes the support of Arts Nova Scotia. We are pleased to work in partnership with the province to develop and promote our cultural resources for all Nova Scotians.
Thank you Halifax for your support through a Community Grant to give the Talent Trust new colours. Without you we wouldn't have been able to re-brand the Talent Trust in 2017. Thank you for your generous contribution towards our 75th Anniversary activities in 2019.
Thank You to The Craig Foundation for their ongoing support and their special contribution to our 75th Anniversary celebrations in 2019.
The Nova Scotia Talent Trust recognizes the support of Support 4 Culture Program. We are pleased to work in partnership with the province to develop and promote our cultural resources for all Nova Scotians.
Thank You to RBC - Emerging Artists Program for their ongoing support through the Special RBC Emerging Artists Awards and support of individual scholarships.
Thank you to CN Halifax Community Board for awarding the Talent Trust $25,000 to create an annual named scholarship for $1,000 for many years to come.
Thank You to Debut Atlantic for supporting us by sharing their office space and for supporting the Talent Trust's events and scholarships.
Thank You to Visual Arts Nova Scotia for their ongoing support of the Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/VANS Award.
Thank You to immediaC for their in-kind contribution of $2,499 towards the new NSTT website and their ongoing web support since 2008.
Dalhousie University - Music in Medicine
Thank You to Dalhousie University - Music in Medicine, Dalhousie HEALS Program for supporting the NSTT Portia White Award through the annual Portia White Gala Concert.
Thank You to Eastlink Community TV for airing our Special Awards Ceremony each year and their ongoing coverage of Talent Trust scholarship recipients.
Thank You to Anne-Marie Woods (Amani) and Imani Enterprises for a generous donation to establish the African Diaspora Travel Scholarship in 2023.
Thank You to Theatre Nova Scotia for their ongoing support of the Special Theatre Nova Scotia Award.
Luciana Fernandes
Luciana received the 2011 Canada Games Young Artist of Excellence Award in 2016. She completed her undergrad at Dalhousie University, then relocated to British Columbia to pursue her MFA in directing at UBC.
Luciana returned to Halifax in 2018 to participate in Neptune Theatre’s Chrysalis Project, which provides practical experience and mentorship to emerging theatre artists.
Devin Huang
Devin began playing piano in 2013 at the age of seven, and has won both awards and competitions since then.
He was the 2017 recipient of the first ever Gordon Murray rising Star Award, and one of the winners of the 2017/18 Chebucto Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, an honour which gave him the opportunity to perform with the Orchestra in the spring of 2018.
Ian Parsons
Ian received Talent Trust scholarships to pursue studies in dance. He trained at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts in Halifax, then attended Canada’s National Ballet School.
Ian began teaching ballet after touring with CATS in 2013, and relocated from London, UK back to Canada three years later.
Charley Young
Born in Alberta, Charley moved to Nova Scotia to pursue her BFA at NSCAD University. She received the Charlotte Wilson-Hammond/Visual Arts Nova Scotia Award and the Lieutenant Governor Award.
Charley is a practing artist who teaches drawing and printmaking at NSCAD University and Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.
Lee Yuen-Rapati
Lee received the Talent Trust 2011 Canada Games Award in 2017, the year he began the MA Typeface Design program at the University of Reading in the UK, which is considered by many in the design industry as the best in the world.
He completed his Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Design at NSCAD University, where he taught as a guest lecturer for two years prior to beginning his MA.
Shanice Skinner
Shanice, a soprano born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with an Honours Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2017.
Shanice was Nova Scotia’s alto selection for the 2014 National Youth Choir, and soprano for the 2016 National Youth Choir tour in Alberta. She won the Talent Trust Portia White award in 2016, and received a scholarship in 2018 to continue her voice studies.
