So, what do you do for the rest of the year?
This is a question we’re often asked. Well, this is it. It comes as a surprise to many that Shambhala is a year-round job. In fact, it keeps quite a few of us busy through all seasons. Our main office, Shambhala Studios, is located in beautiful Nelson BC where most of our dedicated office crew work and play.
Surprise! We’re not Unicorns, we really do exist.
Meet the staff of Shambhala; our work is your play!
| Year Round Crew | ||
|---|---|---|
| Site | Salmo River Ranch | Rick & Sue Bundschuh |
| Executive Producer | Farmboy Productions | James Bundschuh |
| Producer | CAZ Productions | Corrine Zawaduk |
| Producer | Anna Bundschuh | |
| Exec. Producer’s Assistant | Jennifer St. Denis | |
| Producer’s Assistant | Kayo Terada | |
| Producer’s Assistant | Alla Korotenko | |
| Assistant Site Manager | Chris Brach | |
| Tech | Tom Craft |
|
| Human Resources Director | Melissa Shulga | |
| Human Resources Coordinator | Lori Gunn | |
| Social Media & Communications | Britz Robins | |
| Cultural Development Director | ricardO Hubbs | |
| Talent Manager | Christine Hunter | |
| Ticket & Vendor Administrator | Sara Victor (Ticket Email) (Vendor Email) | |
| Accounts Receivable | ||
| Artwork | Meghan Hildebrand | |
| Website Development | Funktion Design | Andy Chute |
| Graphic Design | Rob Campbell | |
| Lead Gardener | Kelly Moore | |
| Site Decor | Copper Chris |
| Stage Directors | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Fractal Forest | Fractal Media | Rich-E-Rich |
| The Labyrinth | Stacy Shaak | |
| The Living Room | The Pride | Mike Paine |
| The Pagoda | Rob Campbell | |
| The Rock Pit | CAZ Productions | Josh Zawaduk |
| The Village | PK Sound | Jer Bridge & Eroca Colins |
| Photographers | |
|---|---|
| Quana.net | Quana Parker |
| Mtn Eye Photography | Marc Lefebvre |
| Novus Photography | Rob McCaghren |
| Unasimple | Nasim Jamal |
| RECORDO | ricardO Hubbs |
Corrine on the job.
A true farm girl and a once upon a time ballerina, Corrine Zawaduk has been involved with Shambhala since its beginning in 1998. As the festival grew, so did her skill set and professional demeanor. Corrine is now a respected industry professional and her experience leads speaking engagements around the continent. Behind her ever present smile is a management style that cares about people. To know her is to love her.
Her vision of the festival seeks to establish Shambhala as the top venue for progressive electronic media culture. Corrine foresees a permacultured festival landscape that integrates a natural world with interactive art, cutting edge visuals and music that represents the very best of the electronic global scene.
Her greatest joy is hearing about how Shambhala changes people’s lives.
“That”, she says, “is the very best anyone can do.”
Corsets & tutus are appropriate business attire @ Shambhala!
Anna needs to write her damn Bio.
Want to talk to someone from Production at the Festival? Look for Britz in the blue wig + top hat!
Britz discovered the magical world of Shambhala in 2003 and never looked back. Shambhala not only changed her life – it eventually became her life.
Always a strong, positive force on the forums, the festival organizers took notice. In 2006 she became the forum’s first volunteer administrator.
In the summer of 2007, she was forced to quit her job when she was suddenly denied her already-booked Shambhala vacation time a month before the show. No longer tied to a full-time job, she emailed Shambhala, offering her assistance – to which the response came, “You start on Monday.”
Sometimes life has a way of connecting the dots for you – quitting her job that summer turned out to be the best thing she ever did.
In 2008, she was offered a seasonal position, making her Shambhala’s first full-time employee. She’s played different roles over the years, and is currently the Social Media & Online Database Manager. Facebook updates, and blogging (along with wearing costumes to work during the festival) are among her favourite parts of her job.
But the best part isn’t really a thing or a task at all. It’s the feeling she gets at the festival when she overhears snippets of a silly conversation, or joyful laughter, or sees people in their bliss on the dancefloor. These moments warm her heart and provide inspiration throughout the year leading up to the next festival. It’s a yearly cycle of Shambhalove.
Steen embodying her motto.
Involved in the Festival Industry since birth, Christine is the daughter of former long standing Artistic Director Susan Hunter for The Halifax Jazz Festival. After attending college in PEI for Event Management in 2002 she has been pursuing her passion. She has worked 13+ Festivals across Canada and has remained an active volunteer for many festivals throughout the west coast. 2012 is Christine’s 4th year with Shambhala. She first came to work for the festival in 2009 as one of our first “Flying Monkeys”, and the following year moved to Nelson from Vancouver to work as Assistant Talent Administrator, eventually being promoted to Talent Manager. She’s into Hip Hop, Glitch Hop, Dubstep, Juke, Ghettotech or anything with bass for that matter. Also known as Steen amongst her friends her motto is
“Work Hard, Play Even Harder!”
Decked out in something from the craft court
Sara moved to Nelson from Toronto in June 2008 after falling in love with mountains and freedom. After hearing about Shambhala from every single person in Nelson she decided to buy a ticket and check it out. For three years she attended the festival, enlightened by the beauty it inspired in everyone, and she brought home all the amazing experiences to create a world that reflected all the dreams and desires she wanted to achieve. She found inspiration in the beauty found in all levels of existence, and it is her personal mission to unite sacred knowledge with the modern experience.
From 2008-2010 Sara attended the Kootenay School of the Arts, graduating from the Clay program, and in her ceramic work Sara found a medium through which she could express all the wonderful things she wanted to share with the world. She still creates and sells ceramic wares in Nelson as Sacred Hands Divinely Inspired Ceramic Creations.
Early in the summer of 2010, Sara decided that she needed to volunteer for Shambhala to help give back to that which inspired her, and she began working in the office helping out with ticket administration. After the show she was appointed the new Ticket Administrator, and she felt that this was totally in line with her personal mission -
In fact, 2011 and 2012 tickets went on sale on her birthday!!
In March 2011 Sara was honoured to be appointed as Vendor Coordinator for food and craft, and here her personal inspiration began to shine through her work. She is so inspired by the beauty the festival inspires in everyone, and in working with the vendors she has learned even more about the magic Shambhala spreads throughout the world! She loves seeing the love and light that Shambhala inspires in all the festival goers, and looks forward to being a part of the farmily for years to come!
steering the ship!
A Shambhala veteran since that glorious inception many years ago, ricardO brings enthusiastic participant experience to the management team. As the Cultural Development Director, ricardO works to co-create a collective positive experience for us all. He brings his vast experience as an event organizer, professional digital design training and his archetypical kindhearted kootenay persona to our growing FARMILY. He coordinates the Shambassador program, the SMF Media team, organizes tours of the festival and works to make your off the dance floor experience full of Shambhalove!
Personally, ricardO hopes to raise the ‘conscious vibe’ to encourage a sense of personal RESPONSE-ABILITY with the festival’s waste reduction agenda…. He also wants you to have the best time of your life… We can do both.
If you see his towering 6’6” face smiling across the festival, please say hello…
He loves to connect with new people, dance a good boogie and share a good Shambhala hug!
In Summer 2011, Tee was convinced by former Shambhalegend Mike Brewer (not THE Mike Brewer but A Mike Brewer) to lend his experience on something called Shambhala in some place called the Kootenays (apparently it’s North of Vancouver 
).
As with no doubt countless others before him, Tee fell in love with the festival and the Kootenays. Needless to say, he was incredibly excited when he was presented the opportunity to work on the festival full time.
In his youth Tee ran his own business organizing warehouse parties and touring international DJs in his hometown of Perth, Western Australia. Upon finishing his degree, he worked on conferences and other corporate events which led to project management in the Sport and Recreation industry and event management at the WACA stadium.
In 2008 the call of the wild brought Tee to Canada and employment with the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Chris first attended Shambhala in the year 2000, his adventure beginning with a heavy back pack and outstretched hitch hikers thumb. Being a born and raised local he wasn’t too surprised by the paradise beauty of the farm, but the energy of the people attending inspired him to come back again and again. Over the next few years his return was marked by participation in the hip hop showcase break battles as “LiL Fresh”.
“Shambhala shaped my life in many ways. I found jobs there, I fell in love there, I learned a lot…It’s a week in time that years can occur in.”
Oscar the dog!
What office team is complete without a cute little dog? Oscar is a Cairn Terrier (like Toto from the Wizard of Oz), which one of the oldest breeds of Terriers, and was one of Scotland’s first recognized breeds of working dogs.
Oscar doesn’t do much work at the office, but out on the farm, if there’s a squirrel around, you can be sure he’ll find it…and chase it up a tree…and bark at that tree incessantly for hours.
He lives with his mama, Anna, and spends the rest of his time being spoiled and loved by the entire staff.
Playful, (almost) fearless, and full of “big dog” attitude, Oscar keeps us entertained, and gives us an excuse to escape our desks to go for a walk or throw a ball!
