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WHERE  BLACK PLAYS MATTER

D’BI.

FAREWELL 

GALA

The Watah Theatre presents

JUNE 26 at 7:30pm | Theatre Centre

Advance $25 | Door $30 dbifarewellfundraisergala.bpt.me

The Watah Theatre

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.

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 700 artists locally, nationally and globally through residencies, workshops and one-to-one mentorship.

Watah has also published three popular anthologies through Sorplusi Publishing featuring the theatrical and literary works of alumni arts practitioners; making archiving a priority. The company has also produced 57 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.

OBJECTIVES

It is our mission to create, support & nurture:

  • the development & production of excellent Black & diverse theatre productions

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

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

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

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

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

  • collaborations with allies of individuals, groups & organizations who can support Watah's vision & mission

 

ALUMNI

Watah Alumni include change-makers such as Amanda Parris of CBC's The Exhibitionist, Randell Adjei - founder of R.I.S.E, Che Kothari of Manifesto, Kim Katrin Milan & Naty Tremblay of The People Project, Natasha Adiyana Morris of Piece of Mine Festival, Mriga Kapadiya of Nor Black Nor White Fashion House, Lishai Peel - poet & arts educator, and Liza Paul and Bahia Watson of Pomme is French for Apple. 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 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 RISE's Randell Adjei. 
About
Residencies

Residencies​

Watah residencies are year-long professional development intensives grounded in the Anitafrika Sorplusi Method that provide artists with a wholistic creative environment through which to continually self-actualize.  

PADI

The Performing Arts Development Initiative aka PADI is Watah's bridge program into professional theatre that provides both theoretical and practical performance training while enabling mentorship between emerging/newly emerged and established artists. PADI is a TUITION-FREE residency primarily for performance artists. It offers professional artistic development for BIQTPOC artists between the ages of 18-30 who write and perform. Artists-In-Residence study the Anitafrika Sorplusi Principles and its three applications for a year, which culminate in a production and publication of a bio-mythographical work of art.

PADI for Performance Artists

Full Scholarship Available | 18-30 Yrs

TAP

The Transdisciplinary Arts Program aka TAP is a multi-layered arts residency for BIack and diverse artists  ages 18 and over working in various creative disciplines. Visual artists, novelists, filmmakers and more, are welcomed to join TAP. It is a PARTLY-TUITIONED residency; offering a 50% energy-exchange with The Watah Theatre. Artists-In-Residence study the Anitafrika Sorplusi Method and its three applications for a year which culminate in a production and publication of a bio-mythographical work of art.

 

TAP for Transdisciplinary Artists

Partial Scholarship Available | 18 Yrs & Older

Watah Artists-in-Residence

River Bowen

Blane Taye Solomon

Morgan

Alexandra Sproule

Angaer Arop

 

Collective

The Collective

d'bi.young
anitafrika
Founding 
Artistic 
Director
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Black queer feminist Jamaican theatre practitioner d'bi.young anitafrika, is a Canadian Poet of Honor, YWCA Womxn of Distinction in the Arts and three-time Dora Award winning Playwright-Performer. She is the author of five books, seven dub albums, seven plays and is the front-womxn of the Afro-Dub-Fusion Band d'bi. & the 333. d'bi is the Founding Artistic Director of Watah Theatre and Sorplusi Publishing. d'bi has toured nationally and  internationally; she is currently in production for the world premiere of her Afro-futurist Dub Opera Lukumi.

Najla
Nubyanluv
Residency
Coordinator
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Graduate of The Watah Theatre School & alumni of bCurrent's rAiz’n in the Sun ensemble, Najla Nubyanluv is a playwright, actor, author, doula & Residency Coordinator at The Watah Theatre. During her recent Sorplusi Arts Fellowship at Watah, Nubyanluv’s afrofuturist play I Cannot Lose My Mind received workshop-production funding from Canada Council for the Arts. She is also the author & illustrator of I Love Being Black, a children’s book published by Sorplusi Press. Look out for the world premiere of I Cannot Lose My Mind in Watah's upcoming 2017/18 Season of Nomads.

Brett
Haynes
Artistic
Producer
Sashoya
Shoya Oya
Associate
Artistic 
Director
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Associate Artistic Director of Watah Theatre & alumni of Obsidian Theatre's Playwrights' Unit, Sashoya Shoya Oya is a Jamaican-born oral-storyteller, writer, actor and graduate of Watah Theatre School. She most recently appeared in the award-winning play Lukumi aka Bleeders by d'bi.young anitafrika. Her plays and poetry have appeared in Black Solo I & 2  and From The Root Zine. Sashoya is the Founding Artistic Director of The Walking Griot,  a Toronto-based storytellers' guild, where she recently facilitated the premiere Folklore Theatre Program funded by ArtReach & Toronto Arts Council. Her play Black MOon world premieres in Watah's 2018/19 Season.

Alexandra
Sproule
General 
Manager &
Editor
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Alexandra is a writer, activist, poet & performer. Her works explore the relationship between our social/environmental contexts & our sense of worth & power. Before completing two years of TAP at Watah Theatre, Alexandra studied at McMaster University & Studio Y. She worked with Engineers Without Borders Canada as an overseas fellow & national conference chair. Alexandra is currently Editor & General Manager at Watah. She is also a food packer at Mama Earth Organics, facilitates arts-based workshops around environmental justice & serves on her local neighbourhood association (Bayview Cummer).

Brett Haynes has been working as a producer for over 10 years and has produced over 14 new theatrical productions across Toronto. A graduate of the University of Waterloo and George Brown Theatre School, Brett has worked as a scenic painter, stage manage, actor and was director of the award winning New York City production of It All Leads To The Lemon Scene. Brett recently worked as a Special Events Associate at TAPA with a focus on producing the Indie X Conference and the 2016 Dora Awards After Party and is currently the Artistic Producer of The Watah Theatre and General Manager of Judith Thompson’s The RARE Theatre Company.

2017/18

Season of Nomads

AUG 29 / SEASON LAUNCH
Watah 2017/18 Season of Nomads
Location: A Different Booklist
TUES Aug 29, 2017 
Doors @ 5:30pm Show @ 6:00pm
SEPT / WORLD PREMIERE
Lukumi: A Dub Opera
by d'bi.young anitafrika
Previews THURS-SAT Sept 22-23, 2017
Opening Night TUES Sept 26
Run TUES-SAT Sept 26-Oct 14 
(TUES-SAT @ 8:00pm, WED @ 1:30PM pwyc, SAT @ 2:30pm)
*Special Show SAT Sept 30 @ 7:00pm 
Nuit Blanche at Nathan Phillips Square
*No SUNDAY Shows
*Presented by The Watah Theatre
DEC / FESTIVAL
Mikey Smith Raw Works Festival
Sage Secrets Lecture
FRI Dec 1 @ 7:00pm
Run FRI-SAT Dec 1-2, 2017 @ 7:00pm
Workshop / Abebayehosh by Xenamay
The Mikey Smith Festival is Watah's annual 1st trimester Raw Works presentation by Artists-in-Residence, named in honor of Jamaica's revolutionary dubpoet Mikey Smith
*Presented by The Watah Theatre
 
Run TUES-SAT Jan 30-Feb 17, 2018 
JAN / WORKSHOP
Once Upon A Black Boy
by d'bi.young anitafrika
JAN / WORLD PREMIERE
I Cannot Lose My Mind
by Najla Nubyanluv
Previews TUES-WED Jan 30-31, 2018
Opening Night Thurs Feb 1
Run TUES-SAT Feb 1-17 
(TUES-SAT @ 8:30pm, SAT @ 2pm)
 
*Presented by the Watah Theatre in Residency with Crows Theatre
FEB-MAR / FESTIVAL
Audre Lorde
Works-in-Progress Festival
Sage Secrets Lecture / MON Feb 26 
@ 7:00pm
Run MON-SAT Feb 26-Mar 3, 2018 
@ 8:30pm
Workshop/Event Horizon
by Angaer Arop
The Audre Lorde Festival is Watah's annual 2nd trimester Works-in-Progress presentation by Artists-in-Residence, named in honor of the African-Caribbean-American lesbian femisit poet, essayist and theorist Audre Lorde.
*Presented by The Watah Theatre in Residency with Crows Theatre
APRIL / WORLD PREMIERE
Addicted
by Raven Dauda
Preview WED April 11, 2018
Opening Night THURS April 12
Run TUES-SUN April 13-22 
(TUES-SAT @ 7:30pm, SAT & SUN 
@ 2pm)
*Presented by The Watah Theatre at Aki Studio Theatre
JUNE / FESTIVAL
Word! Sound! Powah!
Festival
Farewell Fundraiser for d'bi.young anitafrika
Run THURS & FRI June 21-22, 2018 @ 7:00pm
Founding Artistic Director of Watah is off to study World Theatre at Goldsmiths University of London. Join us for two days of celebration featuing alumni + current Watah Artists-in-Residence as we send d'bi off with our blessing and some more funds towards her campaign. The Word! Sound! Powah! Festival is Watah's annual culminating presentation of works by Artists-in-Residence, named in honour of Jamaica's revolutionary Rastafari tradition.
*Presented by The Watah Theatre

BOOK LAUNCHES

TUES Nov 14, 2017 / Black Solo III by Watah Artists-in-Residence
 
FEB 27, 2018 / I Cannot Lose My Mind by Najla Nubyanluv by Raven Dauda
May, 2018 / Addicted by Raven Dauda
THURS June 21, 2018 / Book by Alexandra Sproule

Donors + Funders

The Space

Welcome To Watah Theatre's New Home at The Centre for Social Innovation
Regent Park
We are living in the world as peoples on the move. We have experienced forced migration; migration heralded upon us through systemic economic racism and classism; stolen land. Our movements have made us accomplices in a genocidal plan as we take up space on Turtle Island where the Indigenous have been persecuted through hateful systems of erasure. We are nomadic, practicing creative ways of rupturing a festering colonial project; so we share space with others who are committed to innovating new ways to be caretakers of this land and treat its inhabitants with love and respect, knowing we own NOTHING! Welcome to the 2017/18 Season of Nomads!
Phone: 416.868.9282
Email: gm@watah.org
Full Address
The Watah Theatre
@ CSI Regent Park
585 Dundas St East, 3rd Floor
Tkaronto, Ontario, M5A 2B7
Season
Funders
Space

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