Thursday, November 27, 2025
7:30 PM | Aki Studio
The Curse of Stolen Seeds by Jillian Morris
How Bono Saved my Life (Three Times) by Sonya Ballantyne
$15
Followed by:
Conversation: Breaking Molds
W38 Creators connect and chat about navigating storytelling from a multidisciplinary lens and "breaking molds" in creative processes, inspired by the wide array of artistic backgrounds of our W38 artists.
Featuring panelists: Sonya Ballantyne, Jillian Morris, Montana Summers, and Jessica Zepeda
Presentation
The Curse of Stolen Seeds
by Jillian Morris
The Curse of Stolen Seeds is a dramatic theatre short set in 2004, inspired by the report of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights - The Scars that We Carry: Forced and Coerced Sterilization of Persons in Canada - Part II, July 2022. It explores the complexity of the mother, adult daughter relationship. It is about deep wounds and shallow understandings, resented estrangement and unexpected returns. It is about forgiveness and peace seeking after the emergence from dark places brought about by colonization.
Creator: Jillian Morris (Kanien’kehaka and a band member of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory)
Mentor: Ange Loft
Performers: Celeste Sansregret, Richard Comeau, PJ Prudat
Other Showing: November 30
Jillian Morris, Creator
Jillian Morris is Kanien’kehaka and a band member of Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, currently residing in Collingwood. She has a BA in Public Administration and Indigenous Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University. She spent 13 years as a federal public servant before moving into freelance & volunteer work related to the arts and storytelling.
Jillian recently wrapped up her term as Poet Laureate of the town of Collingwood. She has also established her presence in the community as a columnist, having published articles with Collingwood Today and other local publications. She writes works that contribute to fostering healthier relations among people and the natural world. She believes that art is an impactful medium to build bridges between cultures and worldviews.
Ange Loft, Mentor
ANGE LOFT (Kanien’kehá:ka, from Kahnawà:ke; lives in Toronto, ON, Canada) is an interdisciplinary performing artist, who works blend arts based research, voice, wearable sculpture, and Haudenosaunee history, guided by her background in community theatre, community art and Indigenous theatrical creation methodologies. In recognition of her craft, Ange received the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Indigenous Artist Award in 2023.
With Native Earth, her dramaturgy work at Weesageechak includes: As the Ice Floats By with Montana Adams and Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way by Vancouver Moving Theatre with Renae Morriseau. Ange’s recent roles include: Artistic Lead in the Co-creation of Stone and Bone Spectacular, as Indigenous Artist in Residence at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre (2022-24). Multi-disciplinary installation Visibly Iroquoian and Carrying our Bones, as the inaugural Indigenous Research Fellow at the Centre for Canadian Architecture (2023). Instructor in Story Creation with the Centre for Indigenous Theatre (2021-23). Artistic Lead of the Talking Treaties initiative with Jumblies Theatre + Arts (2017-24). Artist in Residence, University of Toronto OISEE and Jackman Humanities Institute (2021-22) and the Barker Fairley Distinguished Visitor at the University of Toronto’s University College (2023/24).
Presentation
How Bono Saved my Life (Three Times)
by Sonya Ballantyne
Each time writer and supernerd Sonya Ballantyne sets her mind on ending her life, something at the last second would pull her back from the ledge. And it was usually something to do with the band U2. This oral story told by Sonya uses music as another character who is part of the story.
Creator: Sonya Ballantyne (Swampy Cree)
Mentor: Olivia Shortt
Other Showing: November 27
Sonya Ballantyne, Creator
Sonya Ballantyne (she, they) is a Swampy Cree writer, filmmaker, and speaker based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her work explores contemporary and futuristic portrayals of Indigenous women and girls. Her award-winning projects include the documentary Nosisim (2024 Barry Lank Award) and the graphic novel Little by Little (In The Margins, 2025 Top Ten Title). Sonya is also the author of the children’s book Kerri Berry Lynn, contributor to anthologies such as Pros and (Comic) Cons and Women Love Wrestling, and co-director of The Death Tour, which was screened at Cannes in 2023 with a world premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2024.
Olivia Shortt, Mentor
Olivia Shortt works as a multi-disciplinary artist in music, theatre and video art. Shortt is an Anishinaabe off-reservation member of Nipissing First Nation and of Irish descent through their mother. They were named by the CBC as one of "6 Indigenous composers you need to know in 2024". Iconic moments include appearing and playing saxophone on CBC Kids' 'Gary the Unicorn', performing in Atom Egoyan’s 2019 film ‘Guest of Honour’ and lending their voice off-screen in Stephen King's film 'In the Tall Grass' and Season 3 of 'Chucky'. As a sound designer they have worked with Olivia C Davies (Ottawa), All My Relations Collective (NYC) and Ange Loft (Centaur Theatre - Montreal). They were Artist-in-Residence with the Jackman Humanities Institute, University of Toronto (2023-2024), Carlton University (2024), and is the inaugural 2025-26 Artist-in-Resident at the Indigenous Creation Studio, University of Toronto Mississauga. Shortt is a graduate of Dartmouth College. www.oliviashortt.com .