The Centre for Indigenous Theatre is a non-for profit theater educational institution located in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario. It focuses on performance art from an Indigenous cultural foundation.

History

James H. Buller founded the Centre in 1974 as the Native Theatre School with the Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts. Buller was a noted opera and

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

singer. While earlier in the

Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...

before founding the school, Buller competed as a popular

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

known as "Gentleman Jim". He wanted to see aboriginal actors, playwrights and directors flourish across Canada and create a network of Aboriginal theatre companies. The School changed its name to the Centre for Indigenous Theatre in 1994. The Centre first offered a one-year program which was expanded to a two-year program. By 1998, the program offered an additional, and optional, third year.

Goal

"The Centre's goal is to develop and implement educational programs that promote and foster an understanding of Indigenous Theatre while providing the highest caliber arts training to Indigenous students from across Canada."

Funding

All levels of government fund the Centre. The Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Management Board, The McLean Foundation, Molson Companies Donation Fund and the Toronto Blue Jays also provide monetary support to the Centre.

Students

Students must be over the age of eighteen and of Aboriginal descent. Notable graduates *

Gary Farmer Gary Dale Farmer (born June 12, 1953) is a Canadian actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his role as Nobody in the films ''Dead Man'' (1995) and '' Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai'' (1999), and for his role in '' Smoke Signals'' (1 ...

– 1974 *

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

– 1974 *

Billy Merasty Billy Merasty (born 1960) is an Aboriginal Canadian actor and writer of Cree descent. Early life Merasty was born in Brochet, Manitoba, Canada. He is the ninth of fourteen siblings born to Viola and Pierre Merasty, and a grandson of Joe Highway, ...

– 1984 * Tina Louise Bomberry – 1988 *

Jennifer Podemski Jennifer Podemski (born January 1, 1974) is a First Nations (Canadian) film and television actress and producer. Her acting credits include starring roles in the television series '' Tin Star'', ''The Rez'', '' Riverdale'', ''Moccasin Flats'', ...

– 1992 * George Leach – 1996 *

Lucie Idlout Lucie Idlout (born Tatanniq Lucie d'Argencourt, 1972/1973) is a Canadian singer/songwriter from Iqaluit, Nunavut. She is the daughter of Leah Idlout-Paulson and granddaughter of Joseph Idlout. After the release of several EPs, Idlout's first full ...

– 1997

Faculty

Notable faculty include: *

Columpa Bobb Columpa C. Bobb (born 1971) is a Canadian photographer, actress, playwright, poet and teacher of Coastal Salish descent. She has been performing, writing plays, and teaching for 20 years. Career Bobb, who is originally from Vancouver, has writ ...

Margo Kane Margo Gwendolyn Kane (born August 21, 1951) is a Cree-Saulteaux performing artist and writer known for her solo-voice or monodrama works '' Moonlodge'' and '' Confessions of an Indian Cowboy'', as well as her work with Full Circle First Nations P ...

Jani Lauzon Jani Lauzon (born September 29, 1959) is a Canadian puppeteer and musician of Métis heritage from East Kootenay, British Columbia. She is a three-time Juno Award Nominee with Muppet Show credits that include additional puppetry on ''Follow ...

David Ley David Frederick Ley is a geographer and a professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia. Ley was born in Swansea, Wales, earned his B.A. at Oxford University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. at Pennsylvania State University. He is known for ...

Lee Maracle Bobbi Lee Maracle (born Marguerite Aline Carter; July 2, 1950November 11, 2021) was an Indigenous Canadian writer and academic of the Stó꞉lō nation. Born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, she left formal education after grade 8 to tr ...

– cultural director 1998–2000 * Muriel Miguel *

Daniel David Moses Daniel David Moses (February 18, 1952 - July 13, 2020) was a First Nations poet and playwright from Canada. Moses was born in Ohsweken, Ontario, and raised on a farm on the Six Nations of the Grand River near Brantford, Ontario, Canada.Colin Bo ...

Drew Hayden Taylor Drew Hayden Taylor (born 1 July 1962) is a Canadian playwright, author and journalist. Life and career Born in Curve Lake, Ontario, Taylor is part Ojibwe and part Caucasian. About his background Taylor says: "I plan to start my own nation. Bec ...

* Paul Thompson * John Turner (

Mump and Smoot Mump and Smoot are a Canadian clown duo created by Michael Kennard and John Turner, and directed by Karen Hines. Also referred to as 'clowns of horror', they've produced interactive, improvisational plays aimed squarely at adult audiences."After an ...

) *

Tomson Highway Tomson Highway (born 6 December 1951) is an Indigenous Canadian playwright, novelist, and children's author. He is best known for his plays ''The Rez Sisters'' and ''Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing'', both of which won the Dora Mavor Moore ...

David Calderisi David Calderisi (born 21 June 1940) is a Canadian actor with a career in both Canada and the United Kingdom. Early life and education Calderisi was born in Montreal and attended McGill University. Career After training as an actor in Lo ...

August Schellenberg August Werner Schellenberg (July 25, 1936 – August 15, 2013) was a Canadian actor. He played Randolph in the first three installments of the ''Free Willy'' film series (1993–1997) as well as characters in '' Black Robe'' (1991), ''The New Wor ...

James Buller Awards for Aboriginal Theatre Excellence

The award, established in 1995, "recognizes the work of Aboriginal people in the arts".

References

External links

* {{authority control First Nations theatre First Nations education Drama schools in Canada Theatre in Toronto Universities and colleges in Toronto