Staff Profile: Ella Batten – Marketing Coordinator
How long have you worked at Soulpepper and tell us a little bit about what your job consists of lately.
I was first involved with Soulpepper as a summer student in 2014 before heading back to UofT for my final year in Arts Management and Theatre. I returned as Soulpepper’s Marketing Coordinator the following spring and have been here ever since! Lately I’ve been working a lot with our beautiful new website, tweaking it towards digital perfection.
What is something we would be surprised to know about you?
I have years of busking experience playing violin/fiddle in Vancouver. It became my only source of income as its flexibility allowed me to focus on school, studying dance, and travel. I played for years every weekend at markets and public food courts, perfecting the balance of focus on my music and responding to my passing audience. When I was 16 I earned enough to travel through Peru!
What kinds of projects/events have you been involved in outside of work?
I am producing a deliciously exciting show called The Numbers Game, on stage September 29 at the Storefront Theatre! The Numbers Game is a 6-part miniseries set in the dirty 30’s, and dives into the race-fueled clash between Queenie St Claire and Dutch Shultz, two real-life titans of illicit industry. Unlike any other show, The Numbers Game has been written by a brilliant team of six playwrights and is performing new ‘episodes’ weekly at The Storefront.
When you’re not at work, what are you doing to have fun or relax?
If I’m not at Soulpepper or working on personal projects, I am most likely practicing yoga or eating. I’ve been indulging in my deck-garden’s basil crop all summer and have eagerly tried every recipe using Pesto I can find.
What do you love about working at Soulpepper?
There is a constant buzz in this building as everyone works towards bringing stories to life. No matter what a person’s role here is, from students to artists to administrators, we are all working towards bringing stories to life and creating a moment of communal *something*. Working with that shared purpose in mind is joyously satisfying.