Why Not Theatre Launches ThisGen Fellowship for Female-Identifying BIPOC Artists

This spring, innovative Canadian theatre company Why Not will launch ThisGen 2020 Fellowship, a national leadership program to support exceptional female-identifying BIPOC (Black Indigenous Person of Colour) theatre artists advancing to the next level of their career. Why Not Theatre will pair each Fellow with both a national and an international mentor working at the highest level of their craft to engage in conversation, as well as provide Fellows with support, skill-building opportunities, and access to new networks.

In response to COVID-19, Why Not will roll out Fellowship activity in two phases for the 2020 cohort. Phase One will be completely virtual and take place between May and September 2020. During this time, Fellows will meet online with Mentors, based on a curriculum driven by the Fellows and co-curated by their Mentors and Why Not. Over the summer, Fellows will also participate in peer-to-peer discussions and masterclasses, in addition to receiving a budget for self-directed online learning (e-courses, virtual conferences, etc.). Phase Two, which is aimed at in-person mentorship, will be re-evaluated in September 2020.

ThisGen 2020 Fellows (clockwise from upper left): Intisar Awisse, Tai A Grauman,
Bianca Guimarães de Manuel, Crystal Lee, Nikki Shaffeeullah, Olivia Shortt, Echo Zhou

The inaugural cohort of Fellows was selected from across Canada, and applications were accepted in both English and French. The seven ThisGen 2020 Fellows are:

Intisar Awisse - Dramaturgy (Waterloo, ON)
Tai A Grauman - Writing (Edmonton, AB)
Bianca Guimarães de Manuel - Set Design (Calgary, AB)
Crystal Lee - Production Management (Toronto, ON)
Nikki Shaffeeullah - Directing (Toronto, ON)
Olivia Shortt - Sound Design (Toronto, ON)
Echo Zhou - Set Design (Toronto, ON)

Why Not is proud to be able to pair these Fellows with top-level artist Mentors from the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia who are creating some of the most ground-breaking, innovative work in the world and changing the sector through their leadership. The group of mentors for Phase One include Amrita Ramanan (Director of Literary Development and Dramaturgy at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Julie Fox (Dora Award-winning Set Designer), Elisheba Ittoop (Acclaimed American Sound Designer), Mimi Lien (Tony Award-winning Designer of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812), Lisa Fa'alafi (Co-creator and Director of the international smash hit Hot Brown Honey), Kirsty Housley (Co-creator of Tony-nominated The Encounter), and Peter Lyne (Technical Director of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre of Canada). Masterclasses will be taught by UK director/theatre-maker Kirsty Housely, award-winning Canadian designer Camellia Koo, and Technical Director at American Repertory Theatre, Latiana Gourzong.

COVID-19 has brought to light many inequities in the theatre sector and the wider world. By using this period of theatre closures to address systemic barriers to access, Why Not is actively working to shape what theatre will look like when it returns, equipping a New Group of artists with the tools to be leaders in their fields. In building relationships with diverse artists and engaging in complex conversations around art and the industry, ThisGen 2020 Fellowship is reimagining the future of leadership across disciplines in Canadian theatre.

Why Not Theatre's ThisGen Fellowship is made possible by the Government of Canada.