Animikiig Creators Unit 2022/23

The first year of the Animikiig Creators Unit culminated in the performance of an excerpt of the proposed work at Weesageechak Begins to Dance 35 in November of 2022. Over the following year, individualized development support was provided. The end result was a more fully realized script, libretto, score or physical performance presented at a dedicated evening at Weesageechak Begins to Dance 36 in November of 2023.

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DANICA CHARLIE

Danica Charlie (she/they) is a mixed Nuu-chah-nulth/settler & queer actor, and 2021 graduate from the Canadian College of Performing Arts. They are based in the stolen and unceded territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, now referred to as “Victoria”.

She is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the 2022-2023 Animikiig Creators Unit, as well as doing playwriting mentorships under Intrepid Theatre’s Indigenous Artist Program, and Puente Theatre’s WorkPlay Residency.

Danica works collaboratively with all-queer devised/physical theatre collective, Extended Space Theatre, as an actor/writer/co-collaborator, presenting their original pieces at SKAMpede and the Victoria Fringe Festival.

When they are not writing, you can catch them performing on the west coast.

Credits include: Sas’qets in Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish (Axis Theatre), Miskozi in White Girls in Moccasins (the frank theatre), Mary Jane in The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito (Kaleidoscope Theatre), Imogen in Cymbeline (GVSF), as well as two staged readings with Kim Senklip Harvey.

When she has time, Danica likes to cuddle with her cat Lily.

2022 Mentor: Frances Koncan

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CALEIGH CROW

Caleigh Crow is a queer theatre artist from Mohkinstsis of Metis and settler parents. Previous playwriting topics include: a talking crow and a grocery clerk, the mass coronal ejection of 1859, the Antifa Supersoldier, the intersection between 12th century Franciscan nuns and Britney Spears, remote viewing, witch revenge, and a landlord musical. She is the co-founder and Artistic Lead of Thumbs Up Good Work Theatre. Caleigh also plays bass guitar in the band Pope Joan. Her work tends towards themes of metaphysics, class struggle, magic, and joy.

2022 Mentor: Tara Beagan

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MONTANA ADAMS

Montana Adams is a theatre creator based out of Akwesasne. She began her theatre career in the indie theatre scene while she was at the University of Ottawa, where she received a BA in Theatre, and currently is working towards her Masters in theatre. In 2019 she participated in the Ottawa Fringe Festival and won the Emerging Artist Award for her play My Good Friend Jay, which was remounted online with the NYC Indian Community House’s Native Theatre Thursdays, and in-person at the 2022 Undercurrents Festival. Currently she works at the Native North American Travelling College, and is a festival producer for the Fresh Meat theatre festival in Ottawa. She has worked with a bunch of productions as either an actor, playwright, a director, mentor, or all of the above. Her hope is to create theatre with culturally informed practices that are specific to the traditions and beliefs of the Akwesasronnon.

2022 Mentor: Monique Mojica

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JENNIFER ALICIA MURRIN

Jennifer Alicia Murrin (she/they) is a queer, mixed Mi’kmaw and settler (German/Irish/Scottish) multidisciplinary artist originally from Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk (Bay of Islands, Newfoundland), now residing in Toronto. She is a two-time national poetry slam champion and collective member of the Toronto Poetry Project and Seeds & Stardust. In 2021, her debut chapbook Mixed Emotions was released and she was also published in Issue 09 of Canthius Magazine and NOW Magazine. They presented their play with the working title Restor(y)ing Identity at the first ever Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival in 2021. An audio version of the play was presented at the Weesageechak Begins To Dance 33 Festival in 2020 and at imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in 2021. Jennifer Alicia recently edited an Indigenous poetry anthology called The Condor and the Eagle Meet, which was released in May 2022 through Kegedonce Press. Find out more about her work at: jenniferalicia.com. 

2022 Mentor: Donna-Michelle St. Bernard

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DYLAN THOMAS-BOUCHIER

Dylan Thomas-Bouchier is a Cree/Dene disabled storyteller from treaty 8. He is living in mohkinstsis. He is a recent graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada in acting. He is so happy to be bringing his new writing to Native earth, somewhere he has always wanted to be. Dylan has had the pleasure of working as a Writer, Actor, consultant in different treaty and unceded territory and is happy to do so in tkaronto.

2022 Mentor: Deneh’Cho Thompson

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LINDSAY LACHANCE (2022 PROGRAM DIRECTOR)

Lindsay Lachance (Algonquin Anishinaabe) has worked as a dramaturg for over a decade and has a PhD from the department of theatre and film at the University of British Columbia. Lindsay’s dramaturgical practice is influenced by her relationship with birch bark biting and the Gatineau River. She is the former director of the Animikiig Creators Unit at Native Earth Performing Arts, which focuses on the development of new Indigenous works.

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IRMA VILLAFUERTE (2024 PROGRAM DIRECTOR)

Irma Villafuerte is a Tkaronto based dance artist, educator, choreographer and first-generation daughter of refugees from Nahuat Territory Kuskatan, post-colonial El Salvador. Irma is a Toronto Arts Foundation 2021 Emerging Artist Finalist and a Dora Nominated artist for her co-created work “Surrendered Spirits”. She’s had the honor to be part of festivals such as Nigh Shift 2020 Presented by the Citadel & Compaigne, Fall for Dance North’s Open Studio, The Rhubarb Festival, DanceWeekend Ontario, Aluna Theatre’s Panamerican Routes Festival, Panamania 2015, 12th Bienal de la Habana 2015, Vanguardia Dance Projects Festival, International Dance Meeting in Guantanamo, CounterPulse Performing Diaspora in San Francisco, etc. She’s been part of works by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Jaberi Dance Theatre, Kaeja d’Dance, Victoria Mata, Aria Evans, Alejandro Ronceria, and Michael Caldwell. Since 2017, she has led a journey nurturing her choreographic development through residencies with Dance Makers, TDT’s Emerging Voices, Kaeja D’dance KAIR and Aluna Theatre; currently developing her important dance work Xilopango. As a Latin American woman, her passion for social justice and human rights, is the driving force for creation in Irma’s choreographic and performance work. Irma is the co-founder of CinnaMoon Collective.