The Watah Theatre

atah is a professional theatre company that specializes in producing political theatre from a radical queer Black feminist lens. Founded in 2008 and incorporated in 2014 by Artistic Director d'bi.young, Watah cultivates artists as instigators of social change through ongoing arts residencies, using the Anitafrika Method. Alumni include CBC's Amanda Parris, Manifesto's Che Kothari and Stratford's Bahia Watson. 

​

STATEMENT

The Watah Theatre contributes to, supports and develops the legacy of Black Theatre in Canada by cultivating and sharing a unique African-Caribbean-Canadian feminist theatre aesthetic, heavily informed by the radical performance tradition of Jamaica’s dub poetry and dub theatre. The company insists on challenging systemic barriers that exclude Black and diverse theatre artists, giving Black and diverse arts practitioners a local, national and international platform to showcase and celebrate their work.

​

OBJECTIVES

It is our mission to create, support and nurture:

• a space for Black and diverse artists who are under-represented in mainstream theatre, addressing challenges for Black and diverse artists in accessing mentorship and professional development as theatre practitioners by eliminating racially and economically restrictive selection processes

• a new generation of African and diverse Canadian theatre-makers, arts-educators and mentors who are able to innovate future projects that further cultivate equity, justice, fairness, and accessibility in Toronto and Canada’s arts and social sectors

• an intersectional (w)holistic approach to artists’ lives, their art, and their communities, allowing them to tell their stories, create their art and lead others with compassion, authenticity, and professionalism

• a cyclical mentorship framework that nurtures strong engagement-based artistic practice between artists and community, developing artists who change the Canadian cultural landscape through their practice and their roles as ambassadors of change

• an established practice of archiving African and diverse Canadian theatre in Toronto and Canada’s arts and social sector through ongoing publication via Sorpluis Publishing

​

IMPACT

Radical arts-engagement sits at the core of Watah's commitment to providing artists with the tools to self-actualize, create relevant art and uncover crucial mentorship skills for each one to teach one. The company insists on giving Black arts practitioners a local, national and international platform to showcase and celebrate their work. Since its inception, Watah has facilitated the growth and development of over 600 artists locally, nationally and globally through residencies, workshops and one-to-one mentorship.

​

Watah Alumni include change-makers such as Amanda Parris founder Lost Lyrics, Randell Adjei founder of R.I.S.E, Che Kothari founder of Manifesto, Kim Katrin Milan and Naty Tremblay co-founders of The People Project, Natasha Adiyana Morris founder of Piece of Mine Festival, Mriga Kapadiya co-founder of Nor Black Nor White Fashion House, Lishai Peel poet/arts educator, Liza Paul and Bahia Watson co-creators of widely-celebrated play Pomme is French for Apple, and Ngozi Paul actor-playwright and producer of 'da kink in my hair' tv show. These artists today, are leaders in their own creative fields, incorporating the Anitafrika Method's transformational skills-building and mentorship techniques as crucial facilitative, pedagogical and social frameworks in their creative and activist endeavors.

​

Watah has also published three popular anthologies through the Sorplusi Publishing featuring the theatrical and literary works of alumni arts practitioners; making archiving a priority. The organization has also professionally produced 45 new plays (from 2008-2016) by resident artists in our annual festivals: Mikey Smith Raw Works, Audre Lorde Works-In-Progress and Word! Sound! Powah Festival of Monodrama.​