Apex Arts Access

Meghan Sivani-Merrigan

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, founder of Halifax-based Apex Arts Access and creator of the Better Backstages Accessibility Toolkit, I bring over two decades of combined experience in the music industry as a touring musician, live sound engineer, festival organizer, promoter, venue bartender, and former co-owner/operator of a Montreal live music venue. That ground-level experience, combined with lived experience with disability, gives me an expert understanding of how spaces operate from FOH to BOH – and a sharp eye for the barriers faced by artists, patrons, and staff.

Message Meghan

Meghan and Kel Mansaray performing on a live stream in her home studio

Work & Mentorship

Alongside my consulting work, I have organized various panels and workshops on accessibility, harm reduction, nightlife safety, and violence prevention, and developed educational resources to support safer and more inclusive arts spaces. I have also mentored emerging artists in audio engineering, musicianship, and stage performance.

Approach

After my training as an auditor through Eastern Front Theatre’s Accessibility Project, I founded Apex Arts Access and created the Better Backstages Accessibility Toolkit to support the arts community I love. Drawing on both technical expertise and a commitment to disability justice, I help clients move beyond compliance to integrate accessibility into their daily operations.

Atlantic Presenters Association

The Atlantic Presenters’ Association is a member-based arts service organization, made up of a multidisciplinary network of performing arts presenters, that offers programs and services to members across the Atlantic Region.  The APA’s purpose is to connect performing artists and presenters to bring a wide range of experiences into communities; to provide our members with education and knowledge to assist in skill development; to connect our members and provide them with opportunities to explore accessibility, equity, and social justice in support of equitable, respectful, and engaging experiences and spaces. The APA staff live and work on the ancestral and unceded territories of several Indigenous peoples: the Mi’kmaq, Wəlastəkwiyik, Passamaquoddy, Beothuk, Inuit of Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut and the Innu of Nitassinan.

Music Nova Scotia

Music Nova Scotia is the provincial industry association representing musicians, composers, songwriters, and music professionals in Nova Scotia. We advocate for the growth and development of the sector, providing services such as networking opportunities, funding advice, and business skills training.
​Music Nova Scotia was the host organization for the JUNO Awards in Halifax in 2024 and the Better Backstages project is a key piece of the Wavemakers legacy programming coming out of the event. We’re proud to support a project that improves access to resources so venues can better host artists across the Atlantic region.

Eastern Front Theatre

Eastern Front Theatre (EFT) has been an active producer and presenter of Canadian theatre for over 30 years, with a clear mission to support and develop Atlantic Canadian stories, playwrights and theatre artists. EFT takes its designation as an artistic catalyst very seriously, and seeks to provide artists with opportunities to share their distinct stories throughout Atlantic Canada and beyond. EFT works to develop artists and new work through a supportive multi-step process that includes workshops, readings and work-in-progress showings at the annual STAGES and EARLY Stages Festivals, as well as developmental efforts like our Design Mentorship Program, Playwrights Unit, Study Groups, MACRO/micro Creation Series’ and The Accessibility Project. EFT grows and adapts with the local community as it changes and progresses, prioritizing accessibility and diverse perspectives.