emerging producers festival 2024

August 22-24, 2024

The EPF 2024 ran from Thursday, August 22 until Saturday August 24 in Toronto’s Danforth community at Theatre of the Beat (2174 Danforth Ave.).
Each of the four productions received three showings, with each day of the festival offering all four shows across various time slots, alongside a live music stage, food, and artisans market.

The Emerging Producers cohort included Sivert Das, Sara May Jarvie-Clark, Oprah Lemorin, and Kay Wong, who were paired with one of the following mentors: Indrit Kasapi (Theatre Passe Muraille), Laura McCallum (Outside the March), Daniel Chapman-Smith (Project: Humanity), & Himanshu Sitlani (Native Earth Performing Arts). Throughout their 10-week residency program, they received hands-on training from their mentors regarding the intricacies of arts administration, as well as gaining practical experience in curation, production, and community engagement from established theatre-makers and facilitators in order to learn how various theatre companies create and produce work.

In the second phase (festival phase), Emerging Producers gained invaluable experience in every aspect of production. The 2024 cohort each chose a Canadian playwright and commissioned a new play. Final productions included staged readings, works in progress, and fully realized one-act shows that showcased the creativity of new voices in Canadian theatre. These producers curated and produced a multidisciplinary theatre festival, hiring musicians, vendors, caterers, as well as presenting original works on themes of social justice and community impact. They collaborated to plan and implement the festival, while also working independently to produce their own work.

 

But First, Let Me Breathe by Peace Akintade-Oluwagbeye, Produced by Sara May Jarvie-Clark,

7pm Aug. 22, 8pm Aug. 23, & 3pm Aug. 24.

 

Jealousy, My Brother by Roselyn Kelada-Sedra & Suchiththa Wickremesooriya, produced by Sivert Das,

4:30pm Aug. 22, 4:15pm Aug. 23, & 7:15 Aug. 24.

 

Soufflé by Nina Katz, produced by Oprah Lemorin,

5:45pm Aug. 22, 3pm Aug. 23, & 6pm Aug. 24.

 

With Fervor Burning by Revan Badingham III, produced by Kay Wong,

8:15pm Aug. 22, 6:45pm Aug. 23, 4:15pm Aug. 24.

 

MEET THE 2024 COHORT

Click on their names to read their bio!

oprah lemorin

Producer

Kay Wong

Producer

SIVERT DAS

Producer

a word from 2024’s Emerging Producers

thank you

This opportunity is made possible with the generous support of Canada Summer Jobs and the Canada Arts Presentation Fund through the Government of Canada.