DAVID WALKER

David Walker is a writer and theatre artist from Edmonton. His plays include One of Us Must Know (Expanse, 2016), You Can Change Anything Whenever You Want (Major Matt Mason, in development), Wag (in progress) Beware Beware (Edmonton Fringe, 2014), and the libretto for the operetta Little Urban Green (Toronto Laptop Orchestra, 2015). His poetry and criticism have been published in places like The Quietus, Lemonhound and Metatron, and he is the former poetry editor of The Void. David has taught playwriting and improvisation to young people across Alberta. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies.

GIO DIOKNO

Gio Diokno is pursuing his MA in Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto. His research interests include intercultural performance, Indigeneity, postcolonial studies, and queer theory. He holds a Hon.BA with Distinction in Theatre and Film with a minor in English from McMaster University. During his time at McMaster, he acted in Smashing Success (Fall Major 2014); co-wrote, co-directed, and costume designed The Role Players (HPS 2015); and conducted research alongside This is Me, This is Also Me, an art exhibit co-curated by Drs. Janice Hladki and Sarah Brophy for the McMaster Museum of Art. In this project, Gio explores failure and subjectivity within global capitalism.

SONIA NORRIS

Sonia Norris is a Toronto-based director, devisor, writer, performer and teacher working internationally including the Stratford Festival, Birmingham Conservatory, Red Sky Productions, Harare Int'l Festival of the Arts, Royal Conservatory of Music, Disney Productions, Cirque du Soleil, Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre, Mortal Coil Performance, Stellenbosch University S. Africa, Young Africa Arts Zimbabwe, Volcano Theatre, and universities, colleges and professional training programs across North America. She is Artistic Director of The Chaos Factory, an ensemble devising company creating new work merging theatre, cabaret, contemporary circus, mask and clown presenting projects in Africa, the United States and Canada. Upcoming: Movement Director Pericles (University of Toronto), Mask Director for Indigenous Arts Program at The Banff Centre. Sonia trained at Ecole Jacques Lecoq, Ecole Philippe Gaulier, the Dell’Arte School of Physical Theatre in California, Playhouse Acting School and holds an MFA in Directing from York University. She is currently in the PhD program at the University of Toronto, Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies.

FABIEN MALTAIS-BAYDA

Fabien Maltais-Bayda is currently pursuing an MA at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. He holds an Honours BA in English literature from McGill University, and has worked with Montreal contemporary dance presenter Tangente, as well as the International Community of Performing Arts Curators. Fabien regularly writes on contemporary dance and performance for publications including Rover Arts, Grey on Grey, MOMUS, and esse. Forthcoming projects include a chapter investigating the emerging curatorial typology of dance retrospectives, co-written with Joseph Henry, in the anthology Curating Live Arts: Global Perspectives, Envisioning Theory and Practice.