Elena (or Eli) Belyea
(she/they)ELENA (OR ELI) BELYEA is a queer playwright, performer, producer, and arts educator from Amiskwaciwȃskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton) whose plays have been produced across Canada. They’re also Artistic Director of Tiny Bear Jaws, an agile, femme-run, cross-Canadian theatre company and half of queer sketch duo “Gender? I Hardly Know Them”.
Yolanda Bonnell
(she/they)Yolanda Bonnell is a Queer 2 Spirit Anishinaabe-Ojibwe & South Asian multidisciplinary performer, writer, facilitator and producer. In February 2020, Yolanda’s four-time Dora nominated solo show bug was remounted at Theatre Passe Muraille (co-produced with Native Earth and manidoons collective) while the published version was shortlisted for a Governor General Literary Award.
Philip Jonah Logan Geller
Philip Jonah Logan Geller is a Métis (Red River) and Jewish (Ashkenazi) artist and educator, who is focused on decolonizing his process by listening to and dialoguing with ancestral and cultural knowledge. They have worked across Turtle Island as a director, educator, performer, clown, creator, and producer with companies and festivals like Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Theatre YES, Gwaandak Theatre, Centre for Indigenous Theatre, Citadel Theatre, Nextfest, Play the Fool Festival, Edmonton Fringe Festival, and Paprika Theatre Festival. They have been through a BFA from University of Alberta, an MFA from York University, and is pursuing an MEd in Urban Indigenous Education from York University – more importantly he learns from relatives, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and the Land.
Santiago Guzmán
(he/him)Santiago Guzmán is a theatre and filmmaker originally from Metepec, Mexico, now based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. He is Artistic Director of TODOS Productions (NL), Artistic Associate of Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre (NS) and General Manager of Neighbourhood Dance Works (NL).
Darrin Hagen
DARRIN HAGEN is an award-winning playwright and Queer historian. He has created 40 plays, and dozens of published essays and articles exploring the history of sexual minorities in Alberta. He was named by the AFA as one of the 25 Most Influential Alberta artists in the last 25 years.
Tawiah BenEben Mfoafo-M’Carthy
Tawiah is a Ghanaian born, Toronto based Theatre Practitioner, notable as a Dora nominated playwright and performer. Tawiah’s credits include Black Boys (Saga Collectif), Obaaberima (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre) and Yɛn Ara Asaase Ni (Obsidian Theatre – 21 Black Futures). Tawiah is a founding member of Saga Collectif and Blue Bird Theatre Collective and has worked at theatre companies across the country including, Soulpepper Theatre, Stratford Theatre Festival, Shaw Theatre Festival, Factory Theatre and The National Arts Center. Tawiah was the artistic director of the 2020 Festival of Ideas and Creation and currently the artist outreach and development coordinator at Canadian Stage. Tawiah is also a co-director of the Emerging Creators Unit at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.
Nikki Shaffeeullah
(she/her)Nikki Shaffeeullah is an artist, facilitator, and activist who creates theatre, film, and poetry. Currently, Nikki is a curator with National Arts Centre – English Theatre, an artist-in-residence with Why Not Theatre, and a core member of Confluence Arts Collective. Past roles include artistic director of The AMY Project and editor-in-chief of alt.theatre magazine.
Anais West
Anais is a queer, genderfluid writer, actor and producer, as well as a Polish settler on the occupied lands of the Coast Salish peoples. Their Jessie Award-nominated plays, which merge theatre with film, poetry and punk music, have been presented in Tkaronto, so-called Vancouver and NYC. They are the frank theatre company’s Artistic Producer.
Richie Wilcox
Richie Wilcox is a multi-talented director/writer/performer whose work has been seen across Canada and toured internationally. Wilcox is the Artistic Director of the live art company HEIST where they have helped co-create and perform in Princess Rules, The Princess Show, Princess’ Pride ‘n’ Joy among other works. Wilcox is the writer of their autobiographical show New Waterford Boy as well as the recently premiered Good Grief. Wilcox also serves as the Artistic Director of the 37 year old Ship’s Company Theatre which is known for creating and producing original plays with an Atlantic Canadian emphasis.