Kathy Allen

Kathy is an artist who greatly values the role of arts and culture to connect people. A lifelong volunteer, she is dedicated to creating inclusive and accessible environments so that all people can experience a sense of belonging and find community. Kathy is a big believer in the mission of SaskCulture and has tremendous respect for the high quality of the organization’s work.

Kathy trained as a theatre artist and spent many years working in the theatre while maintaining a small visual arts practice. Early in her career she toured Saskatchewan extensively, first with Greystone Theatre’s production of You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, and later through the Saskatchewan Drama Association and the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange Society (including visits to fly-in communities in the far north) where she taught theatre and visual arts workshops to thousands of students. This experience provided a deeper understanding of the province and the people in it.

Highlights of Kathy’s theatrical career include: Directing the Canadian Premier of The Beauty Queen of Leenane (New Theatre Co-op); Stage Manager of Z (25th St Theatre); ASM for The Hobbit (Globe Theatre); and ASM/Props/Rosaline for the acclaimed bilingual production of Romeo et Juliet (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival).

Kathy was a founding member of both 25th St. Theatre’s Women’s Festival (1999) and the SK Theatre Design Festival (2021). These opportunities provided a broad understanding of working in the arts and festivals in Saskatchewan.

Kathy was the Dance, Music, and Theatre Consultant at the Saskatchewan Arts Board from 2004-2013 where she had the privilege of meeting and working with independent artists and arts administrators throughout the province and arts funding colleagues across the country. This role deepened Kathy’s understanding of arts funding administration, the arts and culture sector in Saskatchewan, how the sector fits into a national context, and how provincial government works.

From 2013-2025 Kathy worked as the Arts and Grants Consultant in the Community Development Department at the City of Saskatoon. She was responsible for a variety of culture, sports, and recreation grants; sat on over ten national committees; led the City’s 2018 Culture Plan Refresh; and chaired the host committee for the 2019 Creative City Network of Canada Summit. She received a 2019 Tourism Saskatoon Tourism Leadership award for her work on the Summit. Working in Community Development expanded Kathy’s understanding of the Saskatchewan Lotteries system, cultural planning, museums, recreation, and municipal government. Shortly after retiring from the City, Kathy received the 2024/25 Community Builder SATA (Saskatoon and Area Theatre Award).

Kathy lives in Treaty Six Territory and Homeland of the Métis in Saskatoon with her partner, actor Kent Allen. They are the parents of two adult children and proud grandparents. Kathy is a member of Saskatoon Makerspace where she has a studio space and is over halfway through making five thousand sculptures and prints of “keys” for her 5000 Keys to Infinite Places art project.