The Sanctuary

Andy has been the CEO of the East Coast Music Association (ECMA) based in Halifax Nova Scotia since April 2014. As the East Coast’s most prodigious music and industry event, he is responsible for delivering a nationally televised music award show, 5–day music festival and an industry conference as well as a world-renowned international export buyers program.  Arriving from Manchester, England...

Lindsay Ruck is an author and editor from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. She studied journalism at Carleton University's School of Journalism in Ottawa before returning to her home province to continue her writing career.  Lindsay's first book for younger readers, Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians (2020), was nominated for a Hackmatack Book Award. Her first children's picture book, called My Favourit...

Janice Ho is a Korean-Canadian who freelances as a copy editor and marketing consultant. She is currently training to become a psychotherapist. Janice hosts The Soul's Work Podcast, the show about uncovering our authentic selves through doing both the light work and the shadow work. She is known for getting vulnerable about uncomfortable topics like trauma, alcohol dependency, sex, and p...

Nick & Mathilde have left everything behind to go on a World Tour in their Landrover Defender 'Albatross'. Join them as they travel around the world in their tiny home on wheels for the next 3 years! Going from one Meridian to another, making new friends, exploring cultures & traditions, and road-tripping around this beautiful planet. 3 Years | 88 Countries | 7 Continents | 300 00km Find o...

Jackie Torrens is a Halifax-based actor, writer and film director. She and producer Jessica Brown have, under their company Peep Media, completed four documentary films for CBC, the Documentary Channel and Bravo which include Edge of East, My Week on Welfare, Small Town Show Biz and Bernie Langille Wants to Know Who Killed Bernie Langille, which premiered this spring at Hot Docs. Jackie has also d...

Ashlye is an artist from Brampton, Canada. This singer and songwriter strives to bring music that heals, expresses and touches upon souls other than her own.  This genuine artist connects influenced sounds of R&B and soul with a history of classical by the warmth and passion of her voice.   Her music captivates experiences and emotions when words limit the language of expression...

Mehret writes the weekly newsletter, time spent offline, about spending less time online and (re)discovering the pleasures of the offline world. It is a documentation of her journey and lessons from years of plugging/unplugging, connecting/disconnecting, and learning/unlearning in our digitally-caffeinated world. Check out www.mehretbiruk.com

Lila Quinn is a poet, performer, and kinkster from rural Missouri. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her work has appeared in Rabbit Catastrophe Review, TulipTree Review, and Boulder Weekly. Her poem, “To Helen and River of A.A.'', was an honorable mention for TulipTree’s 2021 Wild Women story contest, and her story, “When Light Floats” was a fina...

Tre. Charles is an Alt Soul Singer/Songwriter who dives into the depths of his soul and invites you into his world with an expressive blend of warm and soulful undertones, simplistic and powerful lyrics, and emotive crooning; all of which help you navigate your way through the encompassing experience.   Growing up along the East Coast from city to city, Tre. Charles has been exposed to a myri...

Over the past decade, JoJo Worthington has emerged as a distinct presence in creative Canadian music, pairing deftly penned songs with spectacular sonic landscapes. Having wandered through the “lost, enchanted forest” (Bandcamp, New & Noteworthy) of 2016’s breakthrough album, \\, and sailed the seas of her epic avant-pop odyssey TCYK (2019), BAPTIZED I sees this visionary songcrafter adorning...

Since the release of his self-titled debut album, Chris Ryan has caught the attention of the East Coast music industry, playing showcases during East Coast Music Week and Music Newfoundland and Labrador Week, along with receiving nominations for "Country Recording of the Year" and "Songwriter of the Year". Chris' songwriting skills allowed him to be part of the 2016 ECMA SOCAN Song House, working...

Nice Horse is wild: wildly talented, wildly entertaining, fun, fresh, fierce and feisty, and they’ve established themselves as one of the most buzzed-about and fast-rising groups in the Canadian music industry. A live act to be reckoned with, the self-contained all-female band has played high-profile festivals across Canada and Europe and toured as direct support for legendary artists including th...

Nigerian-Canadian independent musician, Shopé, embodies the new African aesthetic; globally-minded, deeply rooted in tradition, yet steeped in the west. Having emigrated from Lagos to Toronto, the singer/rapper’s personal and musical narratives weave tales of poverty, determination, and love, through a masterful blend of the fast-rising Afrobeats sound with already established Hip-Hop/R&B,...

Halley and Carla. A 10 year married couple discovered that there is more to their life than the normalization of marriage.   Carla a crossdresser for many years came out to Halley in late 2021. Halley a vixen that has learned to rekindle her sex drive.   Their communication is top-notch and helps others with their ongoing experiences.   Check out their podcast Carla and Halley

Hi! I’m Kat, short for Katüsha. I always knew I wanted to do something creative. It’s been a journey trying out different vocations and then trying out all types of photography to get me to my current interest, which is portrait and women empowerment photography. This includes intimate portraiture, women empowerment photogr...

Israel Obasola  is a Nigerian animator and illustrator who took advantage of this period and used it to hone in on his skills. As a result, he gained more confidence in his craft along with growing viewers on his various social media pages. On TikTok, where he goes by the name  Israelthecreator , he has amassed over 32.2 million views. Like most children, Obasola grew up watching cartoon...

Aniyha Jones is a budding superstar! She’s an undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying marketing. Beside her academic feats, she’s well versed within the podcasting industry and mastering ideation. Jones is host of the You’re Wrong, Sir Podcast. This podcast prides itself on the mission of being unapologetic, uncensored, and unfiltered. Jones challenges norms within...

Ebi Ikuku (born Oboatarheiyenhre Ebiyekekon Ikuku) is a Nigerian-born Journalist, Award-winning Filmmaker (Director, Writer and Producer) and Actress. Besides that, she is also a singer/songwriter, model and Dancer. She was born and raised in Delta-State, and was raised in a small town called Warri. After completing her Secondary School (High School) Education, she moved to London, the United King...

David Serero is a critically acclaimed and awards-winner opera singer, actor, director, and producer.   He has performed more than 2,500 performances in more than 45 countries, directed and produced nearly 100 theatrical productions, starred in over 100 films and TV series, recorded and produced over 100 albums and, played more than 50 lead and title roles (in several languages) from the oper...

Lily Lynch is a white and Afro-Mi'kmaw woman from Halifax, Nova Scotia. In her work and life, Lily aims to encourage and catalyze further opportunities for all communities to participate in cross-cultural appreciation and build empathy. Lily is the co-founder of Sankara, an award-winning social enterprise operating in Atlantic Canada. Sankara is an Online Multicultural Marketplace ( www.sankaracui...

Phenyo Melody Madiba, better known as 'Mel Madiba', was born in October 1993, in Mafikeng and grew up in Pretoria. She now lives and works intermittently between Pretoria and Johannesburg. When she finished High School, having taken Design as a subject, she went to study Interior Design at The Design School of Southern Africa. It was there where she fell in love with wood and discovered pyrography...

2021 Canadian Presenter of the Year Nathalie Plamondon-Thomas is a Confidence Expert. She works with people who want to get rid of their negative self-talk and unlock their full potential. She brings entrepreneurs the Clarity they need to make money living from their passion.   She is an international No.1 Bestselling Author of fifteen books about success, communication, wellness and empowerm...

Gabrielle Drolet is a Canadian cartoonist and journalist. Her work, which focuses on disability, health and cultural trends, has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Globe and Mail, and more. She loves split pea soup. Learn more @gabrielle.drolet

Colleen Gallagher is an intuitive business and personal development consultant. She has survived childhood cancer, is a global citizen, an advocate for everyone to have an opportunity to live their dreams and an academic who is currently pursuing her Ph. D. in Psychology with a focus on Global Leadership and Change. She is an author of multiple books, including her latest release  A...

Pam is the maker behind maritime moose, an upcycling business aimed at diverting textile waste from landfills.   Growing up playing soccer, going camping, and taking apart electronics in her basement in Ontario, she found herself in Kjipuktuk/Halifax studying marine biology and finding community at university.   Since graduating, she has taken her love of the ocean and nature in a new di...