Education and Mentorship
Litmus Theatre was born over 10 years ago thanks to the support and energy of the indie arts community in Toronto. The company began its life as a scrappy new kid on the block – asking for guidance and standing on the shoulders of innovators who came before.
Since those early days, the Co-Artistic Directors of Litmus have explored various corners of the performing arts industries in Canada, and in recent years have begun investing in the next generation of creative voices in this country.
How we can help
Please get in touch with us at any time to chat.
Adriano has been active in nurturing Toronto’s Theatre community since 2009. Adriano and Maddie Bautista started Theatre Amihan out of a yearning to celebrate, explore, and share Filipinx-Canadian stories with a broader community. He co-produced Tales from the Flipside in 2020 for Carlos Bulosan Thare, a 3-day new play festival from Filipinx playwrights across the country. As an acting teacher, Adriano taught two First Year Acting courses at York University and has been a mainstay on Shakespeare in Action’s roster of educators since 2012. His production experience with Litmus and as GM of Theatre Smith-Gilmour make him a natural for leading Grant Writing Workshops, including past stints with: Sony Centre for the Performing Arts as part of Ontario Ministry of Education’s Specialist High Skills Majors Certification, Generator, and City of Brampton.
Matthew is a full time faculty in the Acting Program at Dalhousie University’s Fountain School of Performing Arts (Halifax). He specializes in devised creation with particular interest in site-responsive work. He has led ‘space-first’ workshops for numerous companies, festivals and educational institutions between Ontario and Nova-Scotia. In doing so, he seeks to help emerging artists see the creative potential in the spaces that surround them.
Claire is actively involved in the mentorship and stewardship of 1,100 indie artists a year, as part of her role as Communications Manager at the Toronto Fringe. Claire supports the “Fringe 101” producing pathway that festival artists embark on each year, offering hands-on support to artists in the fields of marketing, outreach, publicity, communications, producing, and time-management. Claire also co-designed the Fringe/TDSB partnership program for high school students, called “Pathways to Theatre.” A strong advocate for systemic change for caregivers in the arts, Claire sits on the Steering Committee for Theatre Direct’s Balancing Act program. Through her work with Toronto Fringe, Claire is committed to reflecting the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in theatre communications practices, as well as the highest standards for accessibility and adherence to the AODA.
Workshops the Company Offers
Please feel free to get in touch with us to discuss how the following workshop(s) can be tailored to suit your needs. Contact info@litmustheatre.com.
Starting with the Space
High school and University Level
A hands-on workshop that takes participants on a journey through a non-traditional performance site, investigating the space with an eye to how architecture, space, found items and practical lighting can inspire dynamic site-specific theatre events. Through simple exercises we will train participants how to see a space through new eyes and uncover its hidden creative potential. This workshop was first offered during the premiere run of Birth of Frankenstein and has since been brought to the Devised Theatre program at York University, the MFA Directors at University of Ottawa, and the Acting Program at Dalhousie University.
