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Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance (GVPTA)

Programs + Initiatives

Conference

Since 2000, GVPTA has produced the annual Making a Scene conference, which has been essential to building and maintaining a community that fosters support, understanding and a common goal of strengthening the local theatre industry. Through presentations, working sessions and opportunities for social gathering, the conference has offered attendees the chance to delve into discussions with colleagues, friends and new acquaintances, all of whom are passionate about theatre.

Making a Scene typically happens in person each spring. Whatever your connection is to theatre, you are invited. Whether you are an arts administrator, thespian, artist of any kind, designer, technician, critic, educator, student, volunteer, or theatre enthusiast – you are ALL invited. 

Visit the other tabs below for recent conference archives. 
2024
2023
2022
2021
2019
2024
2023
2023 Making a Scene Conference, co-presented by GVPTA and SFU Woodward's Cultural Programs (SFUW)

2023 Making a Scene Conference: (re)connection


The 2023 conference took place with two components: Online (June 19) and In-Person (June 26)
  • June 19, 2023 - Online (Zoom webinar), 11:30am–5:00pm; three sessions throughout the day. Free to attend.
  • June 26, 2023 - In person (SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 West Hastings Street, Vancouver), 11:00am–4:00pm - activities, conversations, brainstorming, reflecting, and a hot lunch. Sliding scale registration. Presented in partnership with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs (SFUW)

Participants could register for one or both dates.
The 2023 Making a Scene Conference acknowledges the support of the following organizations and funders:

Monday, June 19, 2023

All three sessions online using Zoom. Each 90-minutes. Free to attend.

Online Session 1
11:30am-1:00pm 

Session 1: Facilitating Community Discussion Through Art: Neworld’s Critical Futures
This interactive session will include a presentation on Neworld Theatre's Critical Futures program – a training program for emerging BIPOC theatre reviewers – followed by a conversation with attendees about the role, impact, and contributions reviewers have for their or their company's arts practice.
  • Shanae Sodhi
  • Angelica Schwartz
  • Vivian Li
  • Angie Rico
  • Reham Cojuangco 
Online Session 2
1:30pm-3:00pm 

Session 2: Fatphobia and Body Diversity in the Theatre Sector
This panel will discuss the ways in which the theatre sector has historically engaged with artists in larger bodies, and how that may or may not be changing as we move forward. The conversation will touch on implicit and explicit biases that fat artists encounter throughout their careers, and ways in which the sector can reexamine our assumptions.
  • Cheyenne Rouleau
  • Layla Cameron
    Dr. Layla Cameron is a Lecturer at the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University where their teaching and research is grounded in fat studies and queer cultural studies. In addition to their work in academia, they explore issues pertaining to fatness through film, printmaking, and other creative practices. 
  • Pedro Chamale
  • Steffanie Davis
    Steffanie Davis (she/her) is a professional actor, singer and dancer. This year she was one of ten plus-size artists from across Canada chosen to participate in the first ever Leading Players Project in Toronto with EveryBody On Stage. Select theatre credits include: The Killer Queen in We Will Rock You (Theatre Under The Stars); Cabaret (Raincity Theatre); Grease (Chemainus); Stile & Drewe's The Three Little Pigs, Velveteen Rabbit, Go, Dog.Go! (Carousel Theatre); The Best Laid Plans (Patrick Street Productions). Next up: Isabelle in the world premiere of Someone Like You on stage at the BMO Theatre with the Arts Club Theatre Company this October. After that catch her playing Belle in this year's East Van Panto! IG: @Steffwithanff
Online Session 3
3:30pm-5:00pm

Session 3: Questions I'm Asking Myself: Introspective conversations with leaders and practitioners
Following the model of the series produced in 2020, this session will include leaders within the theatre community to delve into the questions rather than the answers. This is not a workshop. This is not an "expert" panel. This is a conversation to explore our deep curiosities of the now.
  • Boomer Stacey
    Boomer first joined PACT in 2010 and, after serving the organization in a variety of positions, transitioned to the role of PACT’s Executive Director in 2019. As he is currently the outgoing ED at PACT, he is also Artistic Producer at Boca del Lupo and an Artistic Advisor at the New Victory Theater in New York City. Boomer has also provided leadership for the International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) based in Philadelphia, PA, as Executive Director, as well as Artistic Director of the Milk International Children’s Festival of the Arts at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. Boomer exhibits nomadic tendencies, is a social introvert, loves to cook, excels at gazing into campfires and lives to explore the coastlines of the world.
  • Kenji Maeda
    Kenji’s experiences are diverse and grounded in his passion for the arts, education, and building community, and influenced by his Uchinanchu heritage. In addition to his role at GVPTA, Kenji is the Project Director for SEARA (Sector Equity for Anti-Racism in the Arts), and an arts and culture consultant. He currently sits on the board of Mass Culture, a national organization where research and the cultural sector intersect, and an alum of the Banff Centre's Cultural Leadership Program. He loves spreadsheets, chewy chocolate chip cookies, and his husband, Alan.
Monday, June 26, 2023

11:00am–4:00pm - In person



Location: SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (World Art Centre), 149 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

Programming
Our in-person event on June 26 focused on the theme of (re)connection. As our first in-person conference since 2019, the content centred rebuilding and building upon the relationships that exist within the community.

Through activities, conversations, brainstorming, reflecting, and a hot lunch, attendees (re)connected with each other, looked toward the future of the theatre community, and offered/received ways to leverage our collective knowledge, skills, resources, and relationships, to strengthen each other and our sector.
Registration Details
Registration for the June 26 in person event was offered with two options:
  • Sliding scale pricing (from $0–$75+GST) to accommodate a range of financial needs and reduce barriers to participation. Fees go toward financially supporting other theatre artists and workers to attend the conference. (Registration has closed)
  • Up to 20 individuals were paid $200 each to attend the conference, and offer a brief post-conference reflection to GVPTA. 
    • Priority given to individuals who require financial support in order to attend the conference. 
    • The names of those selected will not be shared publicly.
    • Initial closing date to submit an application will be 4pm, Thursday, June 15, as initial batch of invitations will be sent out on Friday, June 16.
    • Applications will be accepted after June 15, if spots are still available.
    • Questions can be directed to executive director Kenji Maeda at kenji@gvpta.ca.

Conference Accessibility
  • Masks: Masks recommended for the in-person event but not required. Attendees who preferred to sit at a table with other attendees wearing a mask could make that request in the registration form. 
  • Wheelchairs:  SFU's Goldcorp Centre for the Arts is wheelchair accessible. 
  • ASL interpreters 
    • June 19 (online) - In attendance for all online webinars.
    • June 26 (in-person) -  Available upon request by 4pm, June 15 through the registration form.
  • Captioning: Auto-captioning provided for the Zoom webinar component on June 19.
  • Recording: The online sessions on June 19 were recorded and shared online. The in-person event on June 26 was not recorded.
  • Financial:  We offered both a sliding scale registration fee ($0–$75+GST) as well as an offer of $200 to be paid to up to 20 participants who required additional financial support in order to attend the June 26 event. 
  • Scent-reduced: We ask attendees to refrain from using and wearing scented products at the conference, in order to respect and include individuals who may have allergies or sensitivities to common chemicals and fragrances.

Co-presented by:

GVPTA logo

Making a Scene 2023 Sponsored by:

PACT logo
Actsafe Safety Association logo
CUPE BC
Visit the tabs above for archival information about past conferences. 

Note that there was no conference in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022

Pan-Canadian virtual conference:
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Cultural Sector: The Role of Cultural Organizations 

Online June 15–16, 2022  |  FREE 
https://ediconference.ca (Presentation materials online)

Along with our co-hosts at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), GVPTA presented a FREE, virtual conference to bring together artists, arts practitioners, and cultural workers as well as researchers interested in EDI within the arts, culture, and heritage sector throughout Canada. 

The event aimed to foster communication between researchers and practitioners in order to generate new knowledge about and actions toward improving equity, diversity, and inclusion in cultural settings, and specifically within cultural organizations. The dialogue was intended to provide cultural organizations with tools and to offer researchers a better understanding of experiences in the field. This compendium of experiences and research results will contribute to the development of new knowledge rooted in the practice of EDI within our industry.
Session themes included:
  • Organizations: Initiatives and case studies that explore equity, diversity, and inclusion
  • Communities: Understanding community context to strengthen the sector
  • Governance: Strategies for rethinking equitable and impactful policies and practices

Click the Learn More button below to be routed to the conference website for further information, or read the programming overview below. 

Programming Overview

Click the session titles below to open the session description, presenter details, and related interpretation information (including French, English, ASL, LSQ, and captions). Sessions presented via Zoom webinars.

Wednesday, June 15
Thursday, June 16

Acknowledgements

This project was supported in part by funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
SSHRC logo

Additional support for this conference was provided by the Province of British Columbia and the BC Arts Council. 

This conference is organized by representatives of Université du Québec en Outaouais and the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance. 

UQO logo
2021

2021 Making a Scene Forum: Seizing Opportunities

The Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance's annual conference was re-imagined for 2021 as a digital forum to discuss what post-pandemic, post-now can look like for the theatre industry. Knowing what we know now, after more than a year of reacting, how do we step into possibilities and opportunities with intention? ASL interpretation and Zoom auto-captioning were provided.

View Session Recordings

Sessions were recorded and are viewable through GVPTA's YouTube channel. Click the links below to access each session's recording.


If you missed registering for the conference, but have found the recordings valuable, please consider making a charitable donation to GVPTA to support our efforts to produce more learning opportunities.

  • Humour and Laughter in Storytelling and Community, with Cheyenne Rouleau, Debbie Courchene, Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, and Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg. Moderated by Jivesh Parasram. View the recording.
  • Live + Live-Streaming: Hybrid Performance for Hybrid Audiences and the (@#$%^ Exciting!) Future of Vancouver Theatre with Adam Grant Warren, Christine Quintana, Derek Chan, and Keely O'Brien. View the recording.
  • Sharing Power, Sharing Leadership with Anjela Magpantay, Anoop Gill, and Sean Guist. Moderated by Chelsea Haberlin and Fay NassView the recording.
  • Community Caring for Community with Lisa Cooke Ravensbergen, jaye simpson, and Shanique Kelly. Moderated by Siobhan Barker. View the recording.
  • Access Needs: A conversation for all of us with Adam Grant Warren, Ladan Sahraei, and Siobhan Barker. Moderated by Amy AmanteaView the recording.
  • Performing Arts Town Hall on BC’s Restart Plan with Haley Miller, Office of the Provincial Health Officer, BC Ministry of Health); Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, Vancouver Coastal Health; Don Parman, Actsafe Safety Association; and Lisa Houle, WorkSafeBC. Moderated by Kenji Maeda. View the recording.
  • The Future of Dramaturgy with Daniela Atiencia, Davey Samuel Calderon, Jessica Schacht, and Renae Morriseau. View the recording.
  • Theatre Marketing in the Digital World with Rick Chung and Sophia Cheng. View the recording.
  • Gesturing Beyond the House Modernity Built with Dr. Vanessa Andreotti, Azul Carolina Duque, and Kyra Royo. View the recording.

The Making a Scene Forum microsite contains session descriptions and speaker bios, social media links, and more.


View the session descriptions: https://mas.gvpta.ca/2021#/agenda?lang=en

Read speaker bios: https://mas.gvpta.ca/2021#/speakers?lang=en

2021 Making a Scene Forum was supported by the following sponsors and funders:

PACT logo
Actsafe logo
IATSE Local 168
BC Arts Council & Province of BC logo
City of Vancouver Cultural Services logo

2019

2019 Making a Scene Conference

Over 200 individuals from the theatre community took part in conference activities at SFU Woodward's Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (May 28, 2019) and The Post at 750 (May 29 & 30, 2019).


Primary programming included a range of engaging, honest, and challenging panel discussions, presentations, breakout sessions and networking opportunities. Many participated in conversations that were at times difficult, uncomfortable, and made you vulnerable, and we are grateful to all of those who took part and enabled these discussions to take place within a safe space. We look forward to continuing to work together with you all to explore these important issues further, and to support and strengthen our community and our sector. 
Standalone workshops included Intimacy Direction with Siobhan Richardson and Beginner's QLab.


The closing event was Ephemera 2: An Archiving Party, presented in partnership with Rumble Theatre, Theatre Replacement, and SFU Library, to help create a time capsule for the performing arts that is now housed in SFU Library's Special Collections.

The 2019 event was co-hosted with SFU Woodward's Cultural Programs and sponsored by PACT, Front Row Insurance, and Ecclesiastical Insurance

Photo credit: Alisha Weng

Primary Conference Programming

Tuesday, May 28, 2019 | SFU Woodward's Goldcorp Centre for the Arts

The conference kicked off with a keynote by director, playwright, and actor Kim Senklip Harvey from the Syilx, Tshilqot'in, Ktunaxa and Dakelh Nations. Kim has posted her full keynote to her blog hereConference programming featured a diverse range of breakout sessions, workshops, and presentations, bringing up questions, conversations, and learning relevant for the theatre community. 

A handout was provided at the panel "Working with Designers: Strengthening the Relationship Between Designers and Producers". Didn't get a copy? Download the Working With Designers Tips Sheet here


Following afternoon programming, appetizers were provided (courtesy of GVPTA) at the Charles Bar, prior to evening programming in the theatre. Yours, Mine, and Ours: Much Ado About Something (When Storytelling and Copyright Collide), was a panel discussion presented in partnership with Artists' Legal Outreach. Theatre artists Erin Pike and James Long (Theatre Replacement) were joined by lawyer Martha Rans and moderator Jivesh Parasram (Rumble Theatre) for a discussion on navigating art, copyright, and the threat of legal action. 

Intimacy Direction Workshop with Siobhan Richardson

Add-on / standalone workshops


Wednesday, May 29 - Directors & Choreographers - 6-hour session (FULL); 9:30am–4:30pm

Thursday, May 30 - Broadly open to directors (theatre, film & television), choreographers, actors, dancers, teachers - 4-hour session; 9:30am–2:30pm

Participants gained a greater understanding of the role of an Intimacy Director and learned how to begin to incorporate best practices in rehearsal.

Beginner's QLab Workshop 

Add-on / standalone workshop

Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 10:00am–12:00pm | The Post at 750
Facilitators: Candelario Andrade, video designer; Mishelle Cuttler, sound designer 

This interactive session introduced participants to the fundamentals of QLab software to run sound and video in theatre. Facilitators covered all the basic functions of the software, then create a showfile from scratch as they illustrate some of what is possible with this powerful tool. For beginners. All theatre artists, including designers, directors, performers, stage managers and technical directors welcome. 

Conference Delegate Rate: FREE | Standalone Workshop Rate: $20 | ADC / PGC / Equity / PACT / GVPTA Member Standalone Workshop Rate: $15
Subsidy options available.

Ephemera 2: An Archiving Party (Closing Event)

Ephemera 2: An Archiving Party (Closing Event)

Thursday, May 30, 2019 (FREE) | The Post at 750
                                                                

Performance is unique and ephemeral, to be experienced in the moment. But once it has passed, what remains? What can we do with the material detritus that represents the path and process of our creative works, from initial idea to development to performance?  Following their successful event in 2018, Rumble Theatre and Theatre Replacement with Simon Fraser University partnered with GVPTA to present Ephemera 2: An Archiving Party. 

Guided by Melissa Sarlin, Head of Special Collections and Rare Books at the SFU Library, members of the performing arts community were invited to a collective time capsule, a paper trail contributing to a physical repository which will be incorporated into SFU’s Special Collections. As a group, we organized, structured, catalogued, and preserved detritus of past performances, celebrating our shared memories and our history.

2024 Making a Scene webinars & gathering

GVPTA's annual Making a Scene programming offers attendees the chance to listen, learn, and delve into discussions with colleagues, friends and new acquaintances, all of whom are passionate about theatre. 


This year, we shifted from a traditional conference format in response to the evolving needs of our community:

  • Monday, June 17 - An online day of industry panels and conversations based on the theme of taking care (links to recordings now available below);
  • Monday, June 24 - An in-person gathering focused on the theme of restoration and nourishment for the theatre community at the BMO Theatre Centre in Vancouver. 

​Making a Scene Online: taking care (webinars, June 17)

2024 Making a Scene Online: taking care, June 17 webinars, registration now open
  • Cultivating Joy & Care In Our Practice (10am–11:30am PDT)
    with Maiko Yamamoto,  Derek Chan (陳嘉昊)Fay Nass, & Shawn Macdonald
  • Care and Creation in the Face of the Climate Crisis (12pm–1:30pm PDT)
    with Vicki Stroich, David Geary, Jodi Lammiman, & Pedro Chamale
  • Practices of Care When Working With Challenging and Provocative Material (2pm–3:30pm PDT)
    with Omari Newton, Aryn Mott, & Paige Louter

FREE. ASL interpretation and auto-captioning were provided.

Recording links can be accessed below.

Webinar 1: ​Cultivating Joy & Care In Our Practice

Headshots: Maiko Yamamoto, Derek Chan, Fay Nass, Shawn Macdonald
(Pictured above, L-R; see bios below:)

A discussion focused on ways to build joy and fun into our rehearsal and creation spaces, despite the many challenges inherent in the theatre industry and in the world today.
About Maiko Yamamoto
Maiko is a co-founder and the Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Theatre Replacement. Known internationally for her work, her practice draws upon her love of formal inventiveness and exploration, conceptual play, creative research, artist-centred processes and experimental and multidisciplinary practice. Maiko often collaborates with intergenerational artists, individuals and family members in making work that searches for playful, immediate and authentic ways of bringing audiences and performances together.

In addition, Maiko teaches performance making and mentors artists for a range of different companies, organizations and individuals, both in Canada and abroad. 

She holds a BFA in Theatre from SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts and a MAA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. 
About Derek Chan (陳嘉昊)
Derek Chan (陳嘉昊) grew up in colonial Hong Kong and currently lives and works on the unceded, stolen, and ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, colonially known as Vancouver. An award-winning multilingual playwright, director, translator, and performer, he is the Managing Artistic Director of Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre. Derek was an artist in residence at the National Arts Centre English Theatre Department in the 2019/20 season. He was also part of the 2021 & 2024 Banff Playwrights’ Lab. Derek was the co-recipient of the 2021 Simon Fraser University FCAT Young Alumni Award for his work at rice & beans theatre.
About Fay Nass

Fay lives on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.

Fay is a community-engaged director, producer, art manager and educator. They are the Artistic Director of the frank theatre company and the founder/Artistic Director of Aphotic Theatre.

Fay has over 17 years of experience in text-based and devised work deeply rooted in inter-cultural and collaborative approaches. Fay’s work often examines questions of race, gender, sexuality, culture and language through an intersectional lens in order to shift meanings and deconstruct paradigms rooted in our society. Fay’s work celebrates empathy and blurs the line between politics and intimate personal stories.

Fay’s work has been presented at PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, SummerWorks Festival, Queer Arts Festival, the CULTCH and Firehall Arts Centre. Her readings and experimental work have been presented at various conferences and artist-run galleries in Spain, Berlin and Paris. Her co-creation project Be-Longing was part of the 2021 New York international Film Festival, NICE International Film Festival and Madrid International Film Festival.

Her most recent credits include: directing How Black Mothers Say I love you (the CULTCH) and I Cannot Lie to the Stars that Made me (the frank theatre), Directing Art Connects documentary film (Aphotic Theatre), co-creating Be-Longing (the frank theatre), co-directing Trans Script Part I: The Women (the frank theatre and Zee Theatre at Firehall Arts Centre), directing She Mami Wata & the Pussy WitchHunt (the frank theatre at PuSh Festival 2020), co-directing Straight White Men (ITSAZOO productions at Gateway Theatre). Fay holds an MFA from Simon Fraser University. Fay is the recipient of 2022 Gina Wilkinson Prize which recognizes inspirational theatre artists with a demonstrated body of work for their practice, leadership and dedication to their craft.

As an artistic leader and a practitioner, Fay has deep and involved relationships—both creative and organizational—with a wide spectrum of artists across generations and stylistic practices. As an educator and facilitator, their philosophy and pedagogy are rooted in anti-racism and anti-oppression.

About Shawn Macdonald
Shawn has over 30 years of professional experience as an actor, writer, educator, director and leader. He is an award-winning performer and playwright who has worked with most of Vancouver's theatre companies in a variety of capacities. He was the Artistic Associate for Green Thumb Theatre from 2009 to 2016, and was also the Program Leader of the LEAP Playwriting Intensive for Young Writers for 17 years. Shawn is currently the Managing Co-Artistic Director of Realwheels Theatre. Shawn lives on Coast Salish Territory, and respectfully honours the stewardship of these lands by the Squamish, Musqueam and Tseil-Waatuuth First Nations.

Webinar 2: ​Care & Creation in the Face of the Climate Crisis

Vicki Stroich, David Geary, Jodi Lammimam, Pedro Chamale
(Pictured above, L-R; see bios below:)
  • David Geary (Taranaki Māori), playwright, screenwriter, fiction writer, director, LMDA dramaturg and educator;
  • Jodi Lammiman, eco-spiritual director, artist, and community facilitator; founder of Refugia Retreats;
  • Pedro Chamale, director, playwright, performer; Artistic Director of rice & beans theatre.

A conversation digging into how we can create purposeful theatrical work in relation to an ongoing climate crisis, while also taking care of ourselves and our community.
About Vicki Stroich
Vicki Stroich is honoured to live and work on the unceded, traditional territories of the Secwépemc Nation and the Syilx Okanagan Nation in the North Okanagan after joining the Caravan Farm Theatre team as Artistic and Environmental Programs Manager. Vicki is a dramaturg, nonprofit leader and community builder with over 25 years of experience. Designing and hosting creative spaces and fostering collaboration are Vicki’s great passions. Prior to joining Caravan Farm Theatre full time, Vicki was based in Calgary and worked for Alberta Ecotrust and Alberta Theatre Projects. She also works with a range of artists and organizations as a dramaturg and facilitator. She has a BFA Drama from University of Calgary and an Extension Certificate in Social Innovation and Changemaking from Mount Royal University. She is a Board Member for the Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts and Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Vicki has received a Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Achievement for her work on new Canadian plays.
About David Geary
David Geary (Taranaki Māori) is a playwright, screenwriter, fiction writer, director, LMDA dramaturg and educator. He teaches in the IDF Indigenous Digital Filmmaking and Documentary programs at Capilano University and playwriting  in Block A for Playwrights Theatre Centre. He has written three short plays for CCTA Climate Change Theatre Action and on Indigenous Theatre and the Climate Crisis for Howlround. His latest short fiction appears in the Penguin anthology: Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories. He writes haiku on Twitter @gearsgeary.
About Jodi Lammiman
Jodi Lammiman (she/her) is the founder of Refugia Retreats. She lives on Treaty 7 in Calgary, AB. As an eco-spiritual director, artist, and community facilitator, Jodi is dedicated to fostering connection through social and environmental justice, mental health education, and social-emotional learning. Jodi’s facilitation supports people experiencing climate-related mental health impacts such as ecological grief, climate grief, and eco-anxiety. Refugia integrates holistic education, nature-based inquiry, and reflective practices to explore emotional, spiritual, and political dimensions of living well amid planetary crises. Refugia envisions a world where every person has access to rest, community connection, and relationship with the more-than-human world.
About Pedro Chamale
Pedro Chamale (he/him) is a director, playwright, performer and Artistic Director of rice & beans theatre. He was Artistic Resident at Neworld Theatre (2014), guest curator rEvolver Festival (2018), and one of the playwrights in the 2019 Playwright’s Lab at the Banff Centre. Pedro is a co-founder of the Canadian Latinx Theatre Artist Coalition, sits on the Latinx Theatre Commons steering committee. With Derek Chan, Pedro was awarded Simon Fraser University's 2021 Young Alumni Excellence Award for their work with rice & beans theatre. In 2023 Pedro was a nominee for the BC Multicultural and Anti-Racist Breaking Barriers Award.

Webinar 3: ​Practices of Care When Working With Challenging & Provocative Material

Omari Newton, Aryn Mott, Paige Louter
(Pictured above, L-R; see bios below:)
  • Moderator: Omari Newton, actor, writer, director and producer
  • Aryn Mott, Queer, non-binary performer, certified mental health coordinator and intimacy coordinator/director;
  • Paige Louter, queer theatre creator and producer; Co-Artistic Producer of ITSAZOO Productions and Operations Manager of Currently Arts.

Inspired by ITSAZOO Productions' webinar earlier this year on the same topic, we'll continue the conversation and explore practical ways to work with material that may be traumatic or otherwise challenging to put on stage.
About Omari Newton
Omari Newton is an award-winning professional actor, writer, director and producer. As a writer, his original Hip Hop theater piece Sal Capone has received critical acclaim and multiple productions, including a recent presentation at Canada’s National Arts Center. He has been commissioned by Black Theater Workshop (BTW) in Montreal to write a companion piece to Sal Capone entitled Black & Blue Matters. Omari and his wife, fellow professional playwright Amy Lee Lavoie, have received commissions from The Arts Club Theatre to co-write a new play: Redbone Coonhound.  A bold and innovative satirical comedy that confronts instances of systemic racism in the past, present and future. Omari is co-directing the first in a series of rolling world premiere at The Arts Club Theatre in October of 2022. The play will then open in Montreal (Imago Theatre) & then Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. The husband and wife duo also just completed "Black Fly," an satirical adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus that centers Aaron and Lavinia. Newton’s work in Speakeasy Theatre's production of Young Jean Lee's The Shipment earned him a 2017-2018 Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor, as well as a nomination for Best Direction. He has recently completed directing critically acclaimed productions of "The Mountaintop" by Katori Hall, and "Pass Over" by Antoinette Nwandu.  Notable film & TV credits include: Lucas Ingram on Showcase’s Continuum, Larry Summers on Blue Mountain State and lending his voice to the Black Panther in multiple animated projects (Marvel). Most recently, Omari has a recurring role as Nate on Corner Gas (the animated series) and a recurring role as Corvus of Netflix’s hit new animated series The Dragon Prince.
About Aryn Mott
A Queer, non-binary performer, certified mental health coordinator and intimacy coordinator/director supporting consent-based, trauma-informed spaces in Western Canada. SAG-AFTRA, UBCP/ACTRA & CAEA recognized, with 300+ hours of Intimacy Training, 2000 hrs on-set, and 800 hrs in rehearsal halls. Over two decades in film and theatre, Aryn champions collaboration, diversity, ethical storytelling, sustainability and consent. Notable credits include Shogun S1 (FX/HULU), Grease (WCT), and Unexpecting (ZeeZee Theatre). Completing a Master's in counselling to advance to a PhD exploring performers' psychological and physiological experiences in performance. A committee member at Actsafe, UBCP/ACTRA and faculty member at Vancouver Film School. 

GO RAIBH MAITH AGAT
About Paige Louter
Paige Louter is a queer theatre creator and producer based in so-called Vancouver. She holds an MA in Drama and Theatre from the University of Galway, and is pursuing an intimacy direction practice alongside her work as a dramaturg, performer, and writer. Credits include producing The Café (ITSAZOO/Aphotic) and Sunrise Betties (ITSAZOO), co-producing and acting in The Wolves (With a Spoon/Rumble; Jessie Nomination: Outstanding Production) and performing in The Lonesome West (Cave Canem), Twelfth Night (Tottering Biped) and Coarse: The Brontes (Sarah Deller). Year-round, they work as ITSAZOO Productions’ Co-Artistic Producer and Currently Arts’ Operations Manager.

​Making a Scene Gathering: restoration & nourishment (in person, June 24)

In person, Monday, June 24, 2024
11:00am-4:30pm PDT
BMO Theatre Centre (162 West 1st Ave, Vancouver)

Registration fee: Sliding scale ($25–$100). Financial subsidies available.

GVPTA invited attendees to offer a small reprieve to their mind, body, and soul from some of the weariness or stress they may have been carrying recently, by joining us for some restoration & nourishment on June 24. Our Making a Scene gathering offered the theatre community an opportunity for an afternoon of creative rest and contemplation, together. 

ASL interpretation was provided.
GVPTA 2024 Making a Scene Gathering: restoration & nourishment, June 24, BMO Theatre Centre
GVPTA Making a Scene: restoration & nourishment - A Practice of Landing
GVPTA Making a Scene: restoration & nourishment - Our Collective Medicine
Our day included a nourishing meal and a keynote by Tasha Faye EvansGraphic recorder Adriana Contreras recorded observations throughout the day, reflected back in illustrations. Find the graphic recordings above (click the images to view in large format). 

Creative experiences were crafted for attendees by artists and facilitators Jason Sazinski, Jeanette KotowichKeely O'Brien, and Shizuka Kai:                                                                                                                         
Muppetry 101 with Shizuka Kai
Time to be silly and discover your inner creature! Come learn the basics of Muppetry, do's and don'ts of “speaking”, lip syncing to your favourite songs, and walking without “legs".

Sound Off & Movement Healing with Jason Sazinski and Jeanette Kotowich
A guided experience using intention, intuition, movement, and sound to lead participants through a restorative and nourishing journey of embodiment. Combined with movement and mindfulness facilitated by Jeanette Kotowich, we connect with the natural and Spirit world to explore the four elements (earth, fire, water, air) through movement and expression. Sound Off is an immersive audio experience with the use of wireless, sound isolating headsets. Full details here.

Community Love Notes with Keely O'Brien
In this relaxed, hands-on art workshop, you will use collage and stamping to create a mischievous love note to post in your theatre community! Like random acts of kindness, these love notes have the potential to create meaningful exchanges, connect us to our communities, and spark joy and inspiration in unexpected ways.

Learn more about the programming and speakers, artists, and facilitators at mas.gvpta.ca/2024#/speakers

L-R from top: Tasha Faye Evans, Jason Sazinski, Jeanette Kotowich, Keely O'Brien, and Shizuka Kai. 

Thank you to our 2024 Making a Scene sponsors!

CUPE BC logo
Professional Association of Canadian Theatres
IATSE Local 168 Vancouver Island
CITT ICTS
Opera Mariposa logo with black cursive text and a red swallowtail butterfly

Masks and safety supplies sponsored by Opera Mariposa

Clean Air 604 logo

Air purifiers supplied by CleanAir604