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.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Fundraising: be a key fundraising volunteer for 2023
- Application Mentors for 2023: Help us bring in new applicants and assist them with the online process
- Grant Writing: Be a driver that keeps our programming running
- Portia White Award Concert 2023: November 2023 (Date to be announced) help us with distribution of flyers, posters, social media and more.
- Special Awards Ceremony December 2023: Help us make it a great event for the successful 2023 recipients. The event will be held in December at the Central Library in Halifax. Volunteers are needed from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.
- Blue Nose Marathon 2023: Join our team and fundraise for the Talent Trust's Scholarship Fund. Blue Nose Marathon 2023 May 19-21. You can run 2km, 5km, 10km, 15km, or go full in for a half or full marathon. Sign up link will be added shortly.
If one of the above fields speak to you and you like to know more please fill in our Volunteer Application Form or get in touch with Andrea Urquhart, NSTT Executive Director at director(at)nstalenttrust.ns.ca
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.
