We are thrilled to introduce the mentors for the Artist-Producer Lab's 2024 season. These knowledgeable individuals are pillars of the Toronto arts ecology, bringing invaluable expertise to our cohort. They will work one-on-one with participants to shape their research questions, fostering innovative thinking and exploration.
Mpoe Mogale (they/them) reigns from Lebowakgomo, South Africa and splits their time between amiskwaciywâskahikan and moh’kínst’sis, in the colonial state of Canada. They hold a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political Science, and a wealth of expertise in community-based research, facilitation, and arts administration.
Mpoe’s primary art-making form is dance, with a curiosity in the place of Blackness in spaces that deny it, as explored through their ongoing project “Rediscovering our Place-Ancestors in
the Prairies” (produced by Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre).
Mpoe has taken up positions to facilitate the creation of better and abundant workplaces for artists and arts workers, where nourishment, imagination, and joy abound. Their EDIA-based
restructuring work at Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre has inspired the development of shared leadership models in other arts organizations. They met Nikki Shaffeeullah through this process,
who invited Mpoe to be a collaborator on “Stages of Transformation” and “Producing Spectrum,” projects that seek to create new patterns and possibilities for the theatre sector
using a transformative justice framework.
Rachel Penny (she/her) is a creative producer working in theatre, dance and community-engaged arts. Rachel supports new work creation and centres relationships in her work. Rachel has worked with a diverse range of organizations including Harbourfront Centre, The Luminato Festival, Young People’s Theatre, Volcano Theatre, Peggy Baker Dance Projects, The AMY Project, The Theatre Centre and adelheid dance projects. Currently, Rachel works as Producer at Factory Theatre and as a freelance producer for a variety of mutidisciplinary projects.
Born and raised in Ottawa, ON, Victor Pokinko is an award-winning arts leader, producer, and theatre-creator who is committed to carving out and supporting space for new, inventive, multidisciplinary work to be developed, explored, and shared, bringing a keen creative eye to the work he produces. As Executive Producer at Bad Hats Theatre, he has stewarded the growth of the company from a small collective to a leader in Canada’s Family Programming Sector.
He has produced with companies across the country such as Bad New Days, J Mar Electric, The Cultch, Soulpepper Theatre, Luminato Festival, ARC, Globus Theatre, Theatre Rusticle, Pea Green Theatre, among others, having the pleasure of collaborating with renowned artists like Candy Palmater, Martha Ross, John Millard, Tomson Highway, Kent Monkman, Jeremy Dutcher, Colin Mochrie, and Buffy Ste Marie.
Donna-Michelle St. Bernard aka Belladonna the Blest is an emcee, playwright and agitator. Her main body of work is the 54ology: The First Stone, Give It Up, The Smell of Horses, Diggers, Cake, Sound of the Beast, A Man A Fish, Dark Love, Roominhouse, Salome’s Clothes and Gas Girls. She collaborated on the creation of The Only Good Indian and They Say He Fell (Pandemic Theatre), Forbidden and Oubliette (Tapestry Opera), The House You Build (Gordon Tootoosis Nekaniwin Theatre) and 501: Toronto in Transit (Theatre Passe Muraille). DM also contributes to the creative ecology as a director, dramaturge and arts administrator. She is currently an associate artist at lemonTree Creations and artistic director of New Harlem Productions.
Born in Albania, Indrit has made Tkarón:to his home since 2000. He is the Founding Artistic Producer for lemonTree creations and Artistic Producer for Theatre Passe Muraille. Previous to this Indrit was also the Associate Artistic Producer at Cahoots Theatre. lemonTree creations focuses on queer works, and Indrit has produced, acted in, choreographed and directed several critically acclaimed and award winning productions, including a national tour for MSM [men seeking men].
As the Artistic Producer of Canada’s original alternative theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Indrit continues to develop exciting new theatrical voices while also focusing on national and international touring for the company.
As a performer, Indrit has had the privilege to work with many talented writers, directors, designers and companies in a myriad of projects that more often than not are interdisciplinary in nature making use of both his ability with movement and text. Most notably he is a company member of the award winning dance theatre company CORPUS. Through Corpus he has helped develop and premiere two new works (Machina Nuptialis, House Guests) and continued touring other repertoire to North America, Europe and Asia. He’s an Acting graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, a 2018 Harold Award Winner and a 2020 Dora Nominated performer and choreographer.
Michelle (she/her) is an international producer and arts leader with diverse experience working for theatres, festivals, dance companies and entertainment agencies both at home and abroad. As a general manager and producer, she has also toured work across Canada, China, the U.A.E, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with venues ranging from children's hospitals and abandoned buildings, to the Barbican Centre and the Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts. Michelle is passionate about mentorship, values-based producing, accessibility, and community building, and she is always excited to plan international collaborations or nerd out about organizational behaviour. She holds a Masters in Arts Administration from Indiana University, a postgrad in digital marketing from University of Arts London, and a B.A. in theatre from Queen’s University. Michelle is currently Producer for the National Arts Centre, Indigenous Theatre and a proud Board Member of the Paprika Festival.
