Diaspora Dialogues

Supporting new fiction, poetry, and drama

Donate

Social Links Widget

Upcoming Events

DD-TD Black Playwrights Mentoring Program presents: Crossing Into Lullaby April 23, 2:00 PM online presentation by Obsidian Theatre

by

Join us on April 23 at 2pm for the online presentation of Crossing Into Lullaby written by Dian Bridge, presented by Obsidian Theatre.

Register for FREE here.

About the Play

Crossing into Lullaby revisits the telling of a true-to-life family story of a mysterious undiagnosable childhood sickness, that binds the living to the dead. In a creative exploration of the space between history and myth, creator Dian Marie Bridge combines voice-work and electronic soundscapes to look into the desperation that can come with knowledge of how closely we live with death, and its impacts on  the bindings of unspoken fears, attempting to lay them all to rest.

Bio

Dian Marie Bridge is an award winning theatre maker, writer, director and creative producer.  She is currently the Associate Artistic Director at Luminato Festival Toronto, Artist in Residence at Necessary Angel Theatre. She holds a degree in Theatre Arts and Dramatic Literature from Brock University, and attended the University of Minnesota’s Theatre and Dance program. Two decades of practice has afforded Dian work with arts organizations nationally and internationally. 

Dian is the recipient of the inaugural Strombergs Family Realization Fund, through Nightwood Theatre, the Stratford Festival’s Elliott Hayes Guthrie Award for Playwriting, and SummerWorks’ RBC Professional Award. Dian was also a part of the Stratford Festival’s inaugural Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction. Her mentorship experience includes the Paprika Festival, AMY Project, Speak Sudan, B Current’s RaizinArtz, Only One You workshops, and the Boys and Girls Club of Vancouver. 

Credits

Crossing into Lullaby was made possible with the support of 

The Strombergs Family Realization Fund, through Nightwood Theatre

Ontario Arts Council

Toronto Arts Council

Canada Council for the Arts

Diaspora Dialogues Presents the It Begins with a Book Literary Salon. March 31, 7:00 PM.

by

As the world around us has gotten more intimate in the face of this unprecedented pandemic, DD looked to spark travel of the imagination through the exploration of global fiction. With the help of our community of diverse writers/artists, we held a contest to choose one book of fiction from a contemporary writer in Africa, Asia or Australia that had a positive impact on it’s community.

Join us for a presentation of new artistic works based on It Begins with a Book winner, An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon. Works will be presented by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia, Thea Lim and Helen Knott, as well as a musical composition by Lucas Haneman.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/it-begins-with-a-book-literary-salon-tickets-301218381287

DD Playwrights Mentoring Program presents: Mno Bimaadiziwin. March 26, 7:00 PM ONLINE AND IN PERSON

by

Join us on Saturday, March 26th at 7pm for the online presentation of Mno Bimaadiziwin by Ziigwen Mixemong, presented by Theatre by the Bay

Mno Bimaadiziwin, meaning “A Good Life,” tells of the resiliency of love, healing, and community in the face of collective trauma. It takes place as the characters prepare to enter a sweat lodge ceremony on their journeys to wellness.

Theatre by the Bay will also present a public reading of Mno Bimaadiziwin at The Theatre Centre in Toronto on Saturday, March 26th at 7pm.

Tickets to this public reading are free, but capacity is limited. The reading will run for approximately one hour.

IN PERSON REGISTRATION: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mno-bimaadiziwin-a-public-reading-tickets-292553163387

COVID-19: The Theatre Centre is continuing to require proof of vaccination for all in-person events at this time. Patrons must show proof of vaccination and ID at the door and masks are required throughout the reading.

VIRTUAL OPTION: For those unable to attend in person, a livestream option will be available. Visit the link below to register for the livestream: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_05J95760Q5e-g2hoKjRKRQ

CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:

Written by Ziigwen Mixemong

Directed by Herbie Barnes

Jordan M. Burns as Nisheemaas

Pesch Nepoose as Dawnis

Brianne Tucker as Imogen

Trina Paula Moyen as Zhawen

John Roldan as Conductor & others

Mno Bimaadiziwin was originally produced by Theatre by the Bay in September/October of 2021 with the support of the City of Barrie and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the McGuire Trust.

It included the following artists:

Production Manager: Karen Elizabeth

Technical Director: Claude Labrecque

Stage Manager: Barry Cook

Set & Costume Designer, Regalia Curator: Samantha McCue

Lighting Designer: Echo Zhou

Props Master: Brenda Thompson

Sound Designer & Composer: Mathew Magneson

ASM: Ashley Frederick

Set Builder: Diane Frederick

Cultural Consultant: Kelly Brownbill

Archived Event: Literary Grant Writing 101 with Catalina Fellay-Dunbar

by

With the June 15th TAC Grant for Writers fast approaching, first time and repeat applicants may be wondering what they can do to strengthen their application and what things to avoid. Join Dance & Literary Grants Manager, Catalina Fellay-Dunbar, for a free workshop on literary grant writing tips, as well as advice on what applicants can do to create a strong application for their project.

Catalina Fellay-Dunbar is the Dance & Literary Grants Manager for the Toronto Arts Council, responsible for the management of dance and literary grants programs. Catalina has spent many years as a dance artist, educator and advocate. Her professional dance experience has long focused on a personal heritage in Flamenco and Classical Spanish dance. Catalina has a BFA and MA in Dance Studies at York University, an MA from the Drama Centre at the University of Toronto, and certification in Movement Analysis from the Laban Institute for Movement Studies. As a PhD candidate in Dance Studies at York University, her research examines the intersections between cultural policy and dance arts from fluid, pluralistic perspectives. Catalina comes to TAC after serving as co-chair of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists – Ontario Chapter.

*Video Chat link and recording details will be provided with signup.

Register for FREE via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/grant-writing-101-with-catalina-fellay-dunbar-tickets-299993818587

DD-TD Black Playwrights Mentoring Program presents: FROM BREATH TO AIR. February 24, 7:00 PM online presentation

by

FROM BREATH TO AIR a play by K.P. Dennis, presented by Obsidian Theatre.

About the Playwright:

K.P Dennis a Black, non-binary, multi-disciplinary artist, director, producer, and activist based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. They were the 2016 Youth Poet Laureate of Victoria, the 2017 recipient of the VACCS Community recognition Award, and in 2020 they received the Witness Legacy Award for Social Purpose and Responsibility Through Art. Their work explores future building through a queer afro-surrealist lens, using magic and fantasy to explore what we will have to do, and who we have to become, to liberate our futures.

About the Play:

Esther is a Dream Weaver. Their job is to create new futures for generations to come. But when there are no more stars in the sky, and all paths lead to the same End, Esther and the audience must learn how to create new possibilities beyond anything they have ever done.

FREE registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__SpmXn1LTGqvLOefJuoSNg

DD-TD Black Playwrights Mentoring Program presents: La déception m’a ouvert les yeux. February 12, 2:00 PM online presentation

by

La déception m’a ouvert les yeux, a play by Edwige Jean-Pierre , presented by Theatre Passe Muraille.

About the Playwright:

Born and raised in Ottawa, Edwige Jean-Pierre is a bilingual actor and playwright of Haitian and Congolese descent. A graduate of the University of Ottawa and Vancouver’s Studio 58, she is a past member of Obsidian Theatre and Tarragon Theatre’s Playwriting Units as well as Les Héritières de Toto B. (in collaboration with Théâtre français de Toronto).

She first came on to the scene with her solo show Even Darkness is Made of Light (dramaturgy and direction by Patrick Conner) at Buddies. Other plays she has written include Saint Bitch/Our Lady of Spills, SOS/MS/ ASAP, GOIN4BROKE, The Big Mess and Espoir/Espwa (co-written with Les Héritières de Toto B).

Her plays have been presented at many festivals such as Rhubarb Festival, Edgy Women Festival, Hysteria Festival, rock.paper.sistahz #7 and #11, AfriCanadian Playwrights’ Festival, Summerworks, InspiraTo Festival and Ohio Northern University’s International Playwright’s Festival.

She’s a recipient of Summerworks’ Spotlight Award in 2010 for her performance in Even Darkness is Made of Light.

Edwige’s work focuses on political and social issues. She lives in Toronto with her husband Andrew.

Merlin Simard (she/they/iel/elle) is a performer, playwright, dramaturge, and filmmaker originally from Tiohtiá:ke (Montréal) now based in Tkarón:to (Toronto). Her practice focuses on themes of access, gender euphoria, technology, and multilingual performance. They co-founded and co-run, bigT, a theatre collective seeking to uplift intersectional trans* voices. As a performer, Merlin has worked with Stratford, Crow’s, Outside The March, Buddies In Bad Times, and many other theatre companies across Canada. She has also acted on Grand Army (Netflix) and This Life (CBC). They are developing several projects spanning across theatre and VR with the support of Theatre Passe Muraille (FEAR OF MEN), Théâtre Français de Toronto (ZADDY ISSUES), and Nightwood Theatre (a free britney) amongst others. @hussy4hussy
Attached is also a headshot! 

Register for FREE here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BtW71ZX1RF2FH2k5_w8LKA

Top