Generously supported by the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), the Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators is a fantastic opportunity for Obsidian to fund new theatrical works in development. Obsidian is passionately dedicated to the exploration of the Black Artists voice in Canada, and it is one of our top priorities to support the development of the work of Black artists from every intersection. This program provides successful applicants with funding that is geared towards the creation and development of new work, with amounts between $1000 and $3000 dollars. Please note that this money cannot be used towards a production of a play.
WHO DO WE SUPPORT?
We look for projects that are by Black artists. We put no limits on the content of the work, the work does not necessarily need to be about a particular Black community or issue. Rather, we are looking to support self-identified Black artists with the honing of their artistic craft. We look at projects that are closely related to our core as a company dedicated to lifting up the Black voice in Canadian theatre.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for a Recommender Grant you must submit the application through the OAC’s online system, Nova. View a step-by-step guide on how to register and submit an application. Application requirements and guidelines are found there as well.
Submissions are currently closed.
23/24 RGTC RECIPIENTS
Michael Ayres
Velveteen
If “Fake It Until You Make It” is a universal truth, do we become the things we pretend to be if we pretend long enough, whether we intend to or not?
Andrea Carter
All The Hope I Have
Exploring generational family dynamics, this play reveals the impacts of substance abuse in a joyous and loving relationship between a mother and daughter. This personal story is being created to provide a voice for other Black artists and individuals dealing with addiction within their families.
Troy Crossfield
Iron Sharpens Iron
Black men have been seeking a safe space. The Space on the Danforth has been a sacred space that has encouraged men to share their inmost deepest thoughts. This play is based on the men from that group, and how they have overcome some of their hardest challenges together.
Sedina Fiati
22
3 generations of women, a friendly psychic neighbour and ancestral spirits are stuck in an apartment during the blackout of 2003. The ancestors seize another opportunity for intergenerational healing.
Nickeshia Garrick
Find Your Rhythm
A work that explores the socio-political, cultural and artistic influences of Black Performance Art from the 1960s to now across Turtle Island. I question the ideas of "what art is", which is the inquiry at the core of this project.
Alicia Payne
When It Matters Most
Told from an AfroCentric perspective, When It Matters Most is an interdisciplinary story about a daughter helping her ailing mother navigate the health care system. Ancestors witness and at times intervene as familial relationships reconfigure. Theatre, dance, drumming and mask will be integral to telling this story.
Lennette Randall
Under the Mango Tree
Twyla-Angel and Jacob fight over a tree overlooking their school campus. By the tree, Twyla tells African folklore and navigates a personal loss and Jacob escapes from technology and parental expectations. The conflict leads to a clash of culture, nature and technology, friendship, betrayal, and the responsibility of reconciliation.
Tonjha Richardson
I Raised a Black Woman
In "I Raised a Black Woman", a mixed race woman from Scarborough grapples with colourism, raised by a White mother who shields her from racial identity. Battling mental health and addiction, she uncovers her ancestry, discovering a lineage of Virginia tobacco slaves. Empowered, she embraces her Blackness, raising a talented Black son destined for the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, weaving a narrative through storytelling, spoken word, contemporary and African dance, and experimental music.
Makambe K. Simamba
Meet NALU
"Meet NALU: A 24-year-old African Canadian woman, whose current interests include masturbation, cow hooves, and doing everything she can to escape that little thing we call existential dread. A traditional solo show turned on its head, Meet NALU is a tender, raunchy and surprising journey of a young woman taking control of mental health and possibly, stepping into the person she didn’t know she could be."