One of the many things we value most is being able to use money from our Foundation to support people and organizations that may not otherwise have access to traditional funding sources and the Siminovitch Prize is just that. This year our donation went towards d’bi.young anitafrika’s contribution to the arts in the form of playwrighting. While they didn’t win Canada’s top theatre prize this year we are honoured to know they made the finalists list and their K.M. Hunter Artist Award (2010) will go towards further propelling their career.
As a queer artist of colour and a renowned Canadian playwright, activist, and theatre scholar, d’bi.young anitafrika, is celebrated for transformative theatre practices advocating social justice. A nonbinary African-Xaymacan-Tkarontonian womxn, their work, including the acclaimed Sankofa, Orisha, and Ibeyi Trilogies, demonstrates an unwavering commitment to Black queer feminist theatrical forms while rupturing colonial-systemic oppression. Accolades include three Dora Awards and numerous nominations, a KM Hunter Theatre Award, and a Global Leader in Theatre and Performance Award from Arts Council England.
Beyond writing, as Founding Artistic Director of Watah Theatre, d’bi.young has mentored hundreds of emerging playwright-performers into industry leaders. They conceived The Anitafrika Method, a decolonial performance praxis, nationally and globally applied in spaces like Soulpepper Theatre and the United Nations.
Presently a PhD candidate, d’bi.young is completing the first monograph on the transformative pedagogies of Black womxn theatre-makers in Canada.
Beginning in March, d’bi.young’s documentary that K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation supported will be available domestically and internationally on all Air Canada flights. This will provide an enormous profile for d’bi.young and Canadian theatre in general.
Want more d’bi.young? Visit their website here.