Our Team

Administration

Keli Dunn, Founder & Executive Director

Keli founded Amber Academy Youth Fine Arts Society in honour of her sister, Amber, who passed away tragically in 2016. Through Amber Academy’s programs, Keli is committed to helping young people build a strong sense of self, develop pro‑social connections, and gain the confidence and resilience they need to thrive into adulthood.

With more than 25 years of experience in the non‑profit sector, Keli brings expertise in Business Development, Risk Management, Project Management, Marketing and Communications, Fund Development, and Event Coordination.

Her passion lies in using her professional skills to create meaningful opportunities for children and youth today, empowering them to grow into compassionate, capable, and community‑minded leaders of tomorrow.

Brittani Slocombe, Artistic Program Director

Brittani Slocombe is originally from High River, Alberta, and spent much of her childhood as an expat living abroad. Music and theatre became her anchor in each new home, offering connection, confidence, and creativity—passions that have stayed with her throughout her life. After six summers as a daycamp leader, she discovered how deeply she enjoyed sharing those passions with young people and inspiring them to explore their interests.

Brittani studied Education at McGill University before moving to Calgary in 2018, where she began working in leadership with an award‑winning before‑ and after‑school program organization. She has supported the development of school‑age programs in eleven schools, mentored dozens of emerging educators, and—above all—cherished the relationships built with hundreds of children and their families. A lifelong learner, she has continued her studies in management, human resources, and labour relations.

Alongside her career, Brittani has had the privilege of working and performing with both community and professional theatre companies. Most recently, she served as Volunteer Coordinator with Alberta Theatre Projects while continuing to perform on stage locally. She leads with heart, brings passion and integrity to every project, and believes wholeheartedly in the magic and impact of fine arts programming for youth.

She is thrilled to be joining the Amber Academy team and looks forward to an amazing season ahead.

Instructors

Bobbi Mackenzie, Art

Born in Toronto to a Newfie family and spending her early childhood in Newfoundland, Bobbi grew up primarily in Calgary, Alberta. She moved to Vancouver Island ten years ago and immediately felt at home. The wild beauty of the West Coast—ocean, misty rain, mossy forests, weathered rocks, and nature’s often‑overlooked treasures—continues to inspire her work.

Art has been part of Bobbi’s life for as long as she can remember. As a child with learning differences that weren’t diagnosed until adulthood, creativity became her natural way of expressing herself and understanding the world. That same curiosity now fuels her mixed‑media practice, where she experiments freely with colour, texture, and unconventional materials, believing there is no single “right” way to create.

After nearly 20 years in healthcare, Bobbi now works as an Educational Assistant at Journey Middle School in Sooke. Her experience supporting people has taught her the importance of patience, compassion, encouragement, and meeting each person exactly where they are—values she brings into every creative space.

Bobbi is a wife and mother to three wonderfully artistic adult children, and her family remains a constant source of inspiration. Her most enthusiastic companion these days is Violet, her beloved Boston Terrier.

At the heart of Bobbi’s work is a simple belief: art isn’t about perfection. It’s about curiosity, exploration, self‑expression, and the joy of making something new. She hopes every child feels that their creativity matters, their ideas are worth exploring, and their way of seeing the world is uniquely beautiful.

Deborah van Hattem, Art

Deborah van Hattem Koff is a Sooke‑based artist and art instructor originally from the Netherlands. A lifelong creator, she has been drawing and painting since childhood and later studied Art History before beginning her work in community art education in 2008. Her artwork has been exhibited in local galleries and sold through gift shops across Vancouver Island and in Amsterdam. She continues to produce commissioned pieces, with recent work including a mural for the City of Langford and hand‑illustrated art for the Hallmark Channel series When Calls the Heart.

Deborah joined Amber Academy Youth Fine Arts Society in 2018, where she teaches art classes that emphasize imagination, confidence, and the joy of creative expression. She also delivers community art programs for all ages throughout the region, including inclusive art experiences for neurodivergent individuals and creative art therapy sessions for seniors.

Deborah believes creativity belongs to everyone. Her teaching approach centres on expression, connection, and trusting the creative process.

Isabella Derilo, Acting

Isabella Derilo is a theatre artist and educator who recently relocated to Sooke, BC. She is very excited to be joining the Amber Academy team and to meet all the talented young artists in this beautiful community. She holds a BFA in Applied Theatre practice, specializing in community-based theatre and theatre education. Isabella has experience in acting, directing, devising, playwriting, improvisation and even stage carpentry!

Her most relevant and recent credits include Playwright/Co-Host (New Writers Showcase, SKAMpede, July 2026), Performer/Research Assistant (Salty Scent of Home by Yasmine Kandil, Phoenix Theatre/Touring Production, 2024/25), Parliamentary Player (My Place in Politics and A House for Democracy by Nicholas Guerriero, Legislative Assembly of BC, 2022/23).

When she’s not at Amber Academy, you can find her teaching at Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People or working as a Youth Program leader at the Esquimalt Teen Centre.

Megan Evans, Art

Megan Evans is a visual artist based in Sooke, BC, originally from Victoria. She has been painting since childhood and has continued to grow her skills through courses at Camosun College, local workshops, and online studies with Ginger Cook’s Academy of Fine Art and Acrylic Painting.

Megan has taught painting workshops at the Sooke Arts Council studio and is a seasonal artistic vendor at the Sooke Night Market at the Sooke Region Museum. Her creative practice includes resin art and mosaic wall pieces crafted from hand‑cut glass tiles, along with explorations in watercolor, plaster sculpture, origami, and mixed‑media collage.

She has participated in numerous local exhibitions and frequently displays her work at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre and other community venues through the Independent Artists’ Group.

Megan joined Amber Academy in September 2023 and brings her enthusiasm for creativity to every class. She is passionate about empowering young artists to explore, experiment, and discover their own unique style while enjoying the creative process.

Paul Holmes, Musical Theatre

Paul brings more than 35 years of stage experience to his work with Amber Academy, where he has been part of the team since September 2023. He returns this season to direct his third Amber Academy production, following Alice in Wonderland (2024) and Frozen Jr. (2025).

He loves working with both youth and adults as they tap into imagination, creativity, and stagecraft to bring characters and stories to life. Paul believes the real magic of theatre comes from discovering “the story of the story”—digging deeper into who characters are, what motivates them, and why they make the choices they do. When actors explore these layers, their performances can unfold in unexpected and remarkable ways.

Since moving to Sooke in 2011, Paul has appeared in numerous local plays and musicals, including Godspell, Afterlife: The Musical, Annie, Fawlty Towers, Tommy, Snow White, Cinderella, Treasure Island, Camelot, Robin Hood, and A Christmas Carol. He also directs PoSH Improv, Sooke’s improvisational theatre troupe, now entering its fifth season.

Sadie Unger, Dance & Show Choir

Born and raised in Sooke, Sadie loves all the beautiful nature the West Coast has to offer. After completing her first two years of Criminology at Vancouver Island University, she continues to explore opportunities that allow her to work with and inspire others.

Dance has been a meaningful part of Sadie’s life from a young age. With experience in a variety of dance styles, she has developed a particular passion for ballet and jazz. Through years of dancing, she has learned the importance of discipline, confidence, creativity, and most importantly the joy that comes from expressing yourself through dance.

Sadie believes that dance should be a positive and welcoming experience for everyone. She loves creating an environment where students feel comfortable being themselves, trying new things, and building confidence while having fun. Whether a student is stepping into a dance studio for the first time or has been dancing for years, she believes every dancer has something unique to bring to the room.

Sadie hopes to share her love of dance with the next generation and help young dancers discover not only their skills, but also their confidence, creativity, and love for dance.

Sarah Losier, Costumes & Fashion Design

Sarah’s lifelong connection to sewing began in childhood, watching her mom create her Halloween costumes and handmade clothes. As she grew older, she started mending her own garments and experimenting with simple patterns, gradually developing both skill and confidence. Today, her passion for sewing is rooted in sustainability—she loves giving textiles new life and keeping them out of the landfill. When she’s not upcycling fabric, you’ll likely find her gardening or cooking.

In her day‑to‑day career, Sarah is a Registered Dietitian who especially enjoys teaching youth‑focused classes and community education. Her creative and professional worlds came together in 2026, when she helped curate and sew the costumes for Amber Academy’s Into the Woods production. That experience led to her role as Costumes & Fashion Design Instructor.

Sarah is thrilled to be working with Amber Academy’s students and looks forward to nurturing their creativity. She knows sewing doesn’t always go according to plan, and she aims to create a supportive space where problem‑solving, confidence, and imagination guide students toward bringing their designs to life.

Tessa Stitt, Photography & Graphic Design

Tessa has spent her life on Vancouver Island—born in Port McNeill, raised in Nanaimo, and now building her family in Sooke. After high school, she pursued her passion for visual storytelling by studying Photography at North Island College in Courtenay.

Over the past 20+ years, Tessa’s photography career has evolved alongside her family, taking her into a wide range of settings and subjects. She has photographed weddings, families, maternity and newborn sessions, equine work, and lifestyle portraiture. A standout moment in her career was joining graduating students from the University of Saskatchewan’s Veterinary Medicine program on a month‑long learning trip to Uganda, where she documented their work with local veterinarians and captured the region’s wildlife challenges through her lens.

Tessa is excited to share her knowledge and experience with young photographers—and to learn from them as well. Her teaching focuses on developing strong technical skills, trusting one’s creative eye, understanding how to build compelling images, and feeling confident behind the camera.