Lisa Kelly
Lisa Kelly is the director and founder of The Centre For Art & Soul. Lisa has 20 years’ experience working in computer animation and graphic design. She has worked at many graphics and animation houses in Toronto as well as some leading 3D software development companies. Lisa received an “Honorable Mention” Emmy Award for her work on the children’s TV show “Rolie Polie Olie”. Lisa has been practicing yoga since 1997, has studied with Marsha Wenig of YogaKids International and is certified to teach yoga to children through Shakta Kaur’s Radiant Child Program. Before launching The Centre for Art & Soul, she taught yoga to toddlers to tweens at daycares in the west end. She has always had a love of children and, before having her own son, volunteered in Guatemala at a school for orphaned/abandoned children. Lisa is now mother to a 7 year old, and it’s because of her desire to raise her son in a healthy and creative environment that the idea for her business came to light.
Ryan Kelly
Ryan Kelly has worked with children in the areas of art, music, drama and education for ten years. Having been teacher, mentor and director to children and young people aged three to nineteen, one of Ryan’s primary objectives is to offer a unique experience employing their powers of imagination, creativity and socialization. Aside from teaching, Ryan has been a professional singer, dancer and actor, earning a number of awards, nominations and travel opportunities. Ryan has worked for Mirvish, CanStage, Buddies in Bad Times and Ross Petty. He has been seen on CTV, CBC, CityTV, Showtime, The Movie Network, The Comedy Network and the Sundance Channel. Ryan graduated with honours from the Music Theatre Performance Program at Sheridan College.
Lisa and Ryan hope participants leave their centre feeling inspired and rejuvenated, wanting to ‘come back for more’. Lisa and Ryan participate in professional development courses regularly. It is their mandate to attend interactive forums with like-minded business leaders where they can discuss the challenges and rewards of running a socially conscious venture.
Both Lisa and Ryan are certified in First Aid and have undergone a police check (certification available upon request).
Mark Allen
Mark Allen is an ACTRA and Canadian Actors’ Equity Association member who has performed in countless professional productions. Most recently Mark played Leo Bloom in The Producers in Calgary, and co-starred in the Canadian premiere of the Toronto production of [title of show], for which he was nominated as Best Lead Actor in a Musical by Broadwayworld.com. He played the principal role of Beans (and understudied Aladdin) in the Ross Petty Pantomime of Aladdin at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. He also toured Canada with the show, and appeared in the version that aired on CBC Television. Select additional theatre credits include, Rolf in The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, Fiddler on the Roof, The Full Monty, My Fair Lady, the long running Toronto production of The Mouse Trap, A Year With Frog & Toad, and the Dora nominated show The Player Principal, (just to name a few!) Mark also works as a choreographer and director, and he very much enjoys teaching children!
