Where Creativity and Progress Meet

Advancing
THE ARTS, Business & Community...

About Proctor Shift Consulting...

Proctor Shift Consulting is an evidence-based practice that advances planning, facilitation, research and public presentations while supporting stabilization and growth of the arts ecosystem. The company advocates for greater understanding of the arts sectors’ creative value among stakeholders and how it intrinsically drives social, economic and community development.

VISION

To have artists and their creative output better connected through networks and processes that reflect enhanced, sustainable, creative and economic opportunities for all participants.

MISSION

Provide consulting services across arts organizations, businesses, community organizations and for artists that facilitate opportunity to build a local, stable and inclusive arts and cultural sector with global reach.

Biography — Cate Proctor


M. Catherine (Cate) Proctor, MBA, is Founder and Principal of Proctor Shift Consulting. For more than 20 years, Cate has influenced arts and cultural sector development at micro and macro levels. Her combined skillset encompasses arts sector management, creative industry production, academic research, and business administration roles. As a passionate arts advocate, she adds value for artists and their artistic works, as well as the arts ecosystem, through applied business knowledge. In short, her work bridges the importance of creative, artistic assets to holistic stakeholder(s) integration.

Through executive management roles at theatres and festivals, and when building multi-sector partnerships, she leads strategic planning, public relations, marketing initiatives, feasibility studies, capital grant/fundraising, and large-scale project management. Her approach, strategies and tactics improve revenue generation and benefit organizational outcomes through expanded clientele, programming, governance, audience and community development initiatives.

In 2020, Proctor Shift Consulting publishes Cate’s first book, Leverage the Arts Ecosystem to Influence Local Prosperity – A partnership guide for arts administrators and community builders. This evidence-based resource distills academic research, consultant-driven findings, and management experience into a succinct navigation tool for artists, arts administrators, managers, business and municipal leaders to work together. The handbook guides these arts ecosystem stakeholders through partnerships, public relations, and advocacy positions – focusing on arts and culture and its intrinsic linkage for long-term, community, and socio-economic benefits.

In 2017, Cate received a Canada 150 Sesquicentennial Pin from Ottawa-Vanier Member of Parliament, Mona Fortier, reflecting her contribution to arts and culture development. She holds an Executive Master of Business Administration degree and a Certified in International Trade Professional (CITP) designation, in addition to marketing and audio production diplomas. She is a member Arts Consultants Canada, and contributes to Arts Ponds’ national DigitalASO project, Mass Culture's research and policy initiatives, and other community organizations. A comprehensive outline is available via Cate’s LinkedIn profile.

Cate’s Membership & Arts Sector Support Focus:

Arts Consultants Canada
Arts Pond
Canadian Arts Coalition
Canadian Association for the Performing Arts
DigitalASO
Mass Culture
Arturo Segura, Director, University of Ottawa — Ontario, Canada “With her diverse experience in the Arts & Culture Sector, along with her business executive training, Cate Proctor is able to bridge the arts with other sectors through innovative partnerships. Cate developed TEDx style presentations to engage our undergraduate students focusing on research in the arts, which elevated their understanding of applying their expertise to important socio-economic contexts.”
Genevieve Cimon, Director of Music Education, National Arts Centre — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada “Cate Proctor wrote an excellent report for a music alliance group in Ottawa. She was a pleasure to work with and provided helpful materials the group could work with.”
Ron Atkinson, Economic Development Officer, City of Charlottetown — Prince Edward Island, Canada “Cate developed a strategic plan on arts and culture for the City of Charlottetown which encompassed support for artists, development of a shared vision, integration of the cultural community and business community, and creation of distinctiveness. The project was presented to the City and was well received. Cate has valuable experience in both the business community, and the cultural community and has worked with players in both areas.”
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