Bilguisa Speaks Up

“The Black Widow of Burlesque is an Afro-Indigenous, 2Spirit, Queer and Transcendent multidisciplinary art maker, curator and empowerment storyteller.  Her work is rooted in abolition and expressed through movement theater, political education, cultural research, DEI consultancy, and many forms of disability justice. She is a Canadian Best Selling Author (Until We Are Free),  received the Stratford Festival mid career artist award 2021,  named Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada recipient of 2021, and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee 2021 (with Black Lives Matter). Ravyn has lectured widely on topics such as abolition, art & activism, accessibility, LGBT inclusion, leadership, policy, and land-based informed policies at Deloitte Canada, University of Virginia Dept of Anthropology, UCLA School of Architecture and Urban design, McMaster University, University of Toronto School of Law Faculty, Faculty at the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic School Board, and Canada’s National Ballet School.

Nicci Pryce (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in passion, vulnerability, and social justice. Their ever-evolving practice has them cycling through the titles of writer, director, and performer. With a BA in Media Production from TMU, they contributed to creating a wide array of projects ranging each with a definitive focus on amplifying underrepresented narratives. Nicci is currently developing new work as a part of Nightwood Theatre’s Write From The Hip program.  Their recent practice has included the direction of workshops including Auction Block (Obsidian/Theatre Aquarius) and Widows Speak (Obsidian) as well as assistant direction for Lost Scribe (Tarragon).

Other Select Credits: Ritual of Return (Performer, WhyNot Theatre), ANANSI v. GOD(s) (Director, Paprika Festival), Panoptikon (Performer, New Harlem Productions).

Donna-Michelle St. Bernard aka Belladonna the Blest is an emcee, playwright and agitator whose work has thrice been nominated for the Governor General’s Literary Award. She has taken the stage for PEN Canada, Guluwalk, Capital Slam, NXNE, CMW and a lot of lovely libraries. Her playwriting is focused in the 54ology, which includes The First Stone, Diggers, Give It Up, The Smell of Horses, Just Now, Click Click, Cake, Sound of the Beast, A Man A Fish, Salome’s Clothes, Dark Love and Gas Girls. As a dramaturge she has collaborated with Charlie Petch, Keith Barker and Makambe K Simamba.  She is co-editor with Yvette Nolan of the Playwrights Canada Press anthologies Refractions: Solo and Refractions: Scenes, as well as editor of Indian Act: Residential School Plays. DM is currently an associate artist at lemonTree creations, and artistic director of New Harlem Productions.