STAFF
Executive Director
CHRISSY DICKS
Chrissy Dicks is an arts worker of Mi’kmaq and settler heritage from Corner Brook, NL. She has been instrumental in Lawnya Vawnya’s growth since 2013 and is now the organization’s Executive Director. Chrissy also works as First Light’s community events consultant, helping to coordinate the annual Spirit Song Festival. With over 10 years of experience working in the industry, Chrissy’s main area of interest is community building through art and culture. Chrissy has a B.A from Memorial University and completed post graduate studies at NSCAD University. She now lives in St. John’s, NL.
Operations Coordinator
LIBBY DANE
Libby Dane hails from the mainland but has lived in Town since 2014. She is an arts worker and academic but is first and foremost a community member.
Programming Coordinator
SARAH HARRIS
Sarah Harris is a musician, sound engineer, and arts worker from St. John’s, NL. With a primary focus on community organizing, performance, composition, and recording arts, Sarah is the programming coordinator for the St. John’s based music festival Lawnya Vawnya’s, a live and session musician for several projects. Writing and performing musical styles ranging from folk to experimental/electronic, Sarah has created the music for three Atlantic Canadian short films and performed on recent releases by Kelly McMichael, Knitting, and Property. Sarah is a member of the Montreal bands Knitting and Alpen Glow since 2022.
Technical Director
MICHELLE LACOUR
Michelle LaCour is an ECMA-nominated and MusicNL award-winning audio engineer in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador. After earning a Bachelor of Music in piano and historical musicology from Memorial University of Newfoundland, she went on to complete a Masters of Music in sound recording at McGill University, where she worked as an audio engineer and as a camera operator and director for the Schulich School of Music webcast series. Michelle has worked as a recording, mixing, and mastering engineer for classical and jazz ensembles, folk and pop acts, rock bands, and electronic artists. She has worked as a videographer, producer, and livestream engineer; as a live sound engineer at venues across Eastern Canada; and has held Technical Director roles for various festivals and conferences including the Sound Symposium, Lawnya Vawnya, the Tuckamore Festival, and the 21st Century Guitar. She has worked on a number of films and theatrical productions as a sound designer and composer, and her work as a location sound recordist has taken her all over our beautiful province. Michelle is also an educator, mentoring emerging audio engineers and giving workshops on topics such as location sound recording; music recording, mixing, and mastering; and videography.
Marketing Coordinator + Graphic Design
NORA DE MARIAFFI
Nora de Mariaffi is a NL-based visual artist who makes collages, creates digital stuff, sews, knits, markets, and graphic designs. She is also co-admin at I Don’t Do Comics (@idontdocomics), an online comic publication open to everyone. She has recently worked as marketing coordinator at Lawnya Vawnya, Neighbourhood Dance Works, TODOS Productions, and White Rooster Theatre.
Logistics Coordinator
SALOME BARKER
Salome Barker, of Mi'kmaw and Irish ancestry from Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, is based in St. John's. She works in the arts and community sectors, hosting "Good Medicine" on CBC Radio and contributing to Indigenous music from the East Coast. Salome previously specialized in events at First Light Friendship Centre and holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Francis Xavier University. Salome has been attending Lawnya Vawnya since 2013 and sat on the programming committee from 2021-2022.
Festival Assistant
KAITLYN WARREN
Kaitlyn was born and raised on the East Coast of NL, and is a first-time Lawnya Vawnya team member this season. She is a two-time Memorial University graduate with a BBA focussing in non-profit and social enterprise and a BA (hons) in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She comes to us from the Mummers Festival, and has previously held contracts with The Terry Fox Foundation, Nickel Independent Film Festival, CBS Business Improvement Association, St. John’s Community Services, and Food Producers Forum.
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Festival Assistant
ELIZABETH CLARKE
Elizabeth Clarke is a music-lover and folk performer born in St. John’s, Newfoundland and
raised between the East and West coasts of the island. She has performed, volunteered and
worked on festivals including the NL Folk Festival, the Trails, Tails, and Tunes Festival, the
Writers at Woody Point Festival–and now Lawyna Vawyna as a new team member! When not
engaging with music and art, Elizabeth enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and cuddling
with her black cat Salem.
BOARD
Chair
MARA PELLERIN
Mara Pellerin is a musician, songwriter and educator living in St. John’s, NL. She has toured across Canada and internationally as a horn player and vocalist, and is featured on over a dozen studio recordings as a collaborator with a number of artists. Mara has served on the board of directors since 2017 and is proud to be a part of the Lawnya Vawnya team!
Vice Chair
GLEN MAY
Glen lives in St. John’s with his partner Jess, his daughter Ellery and their three cats. He has been actively involved in promoting and performing in the local music community for over a decade.
At Large
ALLISON CONNORS BROPHY
Allison grew up in and resides in downtown St. John’s and is currently the Events & Communications Manager for Terra Bruce Productions. Allison is a Certified Nutrition Practitioner (CNP) who has spent over a decade in the food, beverage, & hospitality industry. Allison has also spent time as an entrepreneur, hosting unique seasonal dining experiences in different venues across St. John’s. Allison has participated in the Lawnya Vawnya Festival as both a caterer and an attendee since moving back home in 2016 and has been thrilled to serve as a board member since 2020. When not working, cooking, or obsessing over table-scapes on Instagram, you can find her either on the trails or lounging with her partner Harry and their handsome cat Ralph.
At Large
CHRISTEEN FRANCIS
Christeen Francis is a printmaker and musician based in St John’s, NL where she currently works as director of St Michael’s Printshop. She is committed to social and political print that engages with local communities and the public at large and she likes to play in bands. She has exhibited in Canada, the United States, Germany, and Iceland, and is a member of the Justseeds Artist Cooperative.
At Large
ELSA SIMMS
Elsa Simms is a musician and museum professional from St. John’s. She is currently pursuing her PhD in community archaeology at MUNL and has most notably curated exhibits such as Punk Rock Pearl for Admiralty House Communications Museum. Elsa started playing in punk bands as a teenager and still plays in several local bands today. She is passionate about making heritage, archaeology, history, and punk accessible through inclusive programming and community engagement.
At Large
NADIA DUMAN
Nadia Duman (she/they) is an immigrant from Guayaquil, Ecuador living in St John’s, Newfoundland (Ktaqmkuk) since 2014. She is a self-taught songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with over 14-years of experience performing a variety of genres including Hardcore, Punk Rock, Electronic and traditional Latin music. Currently, they are an active member of locally/nationally recognized musical projects including CUERPOS, Despertá and So Violento. Nadia has been praised for her hypnotic vocals and their experimental approach to guitar-playing which showcases her capacity to generate genre-bending sounds. Through their music, they reflect on the isolating nature of living on an island, issues with geographic mobility, the meaning of belonging, heartbreak as well as their immigration journey.