ThisGen Fellowship 2024

Why Not Theatre, in partnership with the National Arts Centre, is excited to launch the 2024 edition of ThisGen Fellowship. This national initiative is an accelerator for IBPoC (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour) women and non-binary* performing arts professionals that provides paid training and mentorship opportunities with world-class artists, national residency gatherings, and peer connection. 

The program offers a unique opportunity that equips participants with the skills, networks and resources to expand the kind of work seen on Canadian stages, as well as reimagine the process of making it.

*ThisGen Fellowship is a Trans-inclusive program.

ThisGen  Fellowship 2024

In 2024, ThisGen Fellowship will focus on the collaboration between directors and designers, with eight artists selected for the cohort.  Selected from applicants from across Canada, the ThisGen 2024 Directing Fellows are Arthi Chandra, Lisa Karen Cox, Roshanak Jaberi, and desirée leverenz. The ThisGen 2024 Design Fellows are Ashley Au, Samay Arcentales Cajas, Meghan Cheng, and Sarah Uwadiae.

This year’s program starts with an online paid training intensive led by internationally renowned artists, followed by an in-person residency at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa from June 10 to 14. The fellowship will culminate in a two-week hands-on lab in Toronto where the Fellows will apply their learnings in an exploratory setting.

“The connections I made both in Canada and internationally through ThisGen Fellowship were invaluable.  That, coupled with the practical knowledge and skills passed on from the faculty and shared within our cohort made the experience truly singular and transformative. I am so grateful for my time and my learning with this program. It has truly evolved my directing practice and inspired new artistic goals.”
Vanessa Sears, 2022-23 Fellow, Directing

About Why Not Theatre

Founded in 2007, Why Not Theatre is a Toronto-based theatre company with an international scope. Why Not has established a reputation for inventive and cross-cultural collaborations. Over 15 years, Why Not has developed 55 new works with 81 tour stops to 40 cities and 11 countries, including the world-wide hit A Brimful of Asha, performed more than 300 times globally, and the critically-acclaimed Mahabharata. Led by Co-Artistic Directors Miriam Fernandes and Ravi Jain and Executive Director Karen Tisch, the company has an international reputation for creating innovative, cutting-edge theatre, and providing opportunities for artists to be seen across Canada and around the world.

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