Black Theatre School celebrates transformation

It was truly a visually stimulating, emotionally inspiring and spiritually uplifting experience as the Watah Theatre and Black Theatre School celebrated artistic excellence, community and the launch of a new literary work.

Founded by d’bi.young anitafrika, Watah Theatre has been nurturing Black artists since 2008. The Black Theatre School, which grew from this longer tradition of arts education and community-building, offers an immersive professional theatre training residency guided by the Anitafrika Method.

The evening also celebrated the 20^th anniversary production and literary publication of the multi-award-winning classic The Sankofa Trilogy. The trilogy has had a significant impact on the theatre community and has been recognized with multiple awards and nominations. Its 20^th anniversary production was presented by Watah Theatre at The Theatre Centre in 2025.

An internationally acclaimed dub poet, playwright-performer, director-dramaturge, activist-scholar and author, d’bi. young anitafrika has played a pivotal role in developing Black theatre and arts education in Toronto and beyond. They have served as faculty with Soulpepper and Obsidian Theatre and have led work connected to the national Black Womyn in Theatre Digital Archive project.

The celebration of the Black Theatre School was timely. Its work speaks to the continuing need for spaces where Black artists can develop without having to separate artistic practice from identity, history, community and lived experience. The school is rooted in African diasporic philosophies, including Ubuntu, Sankofa and Iwa Pele, and is grounded in Black feminist thought.

The current Black Theatre School is a nine-month immersive residency. Its emphasis on practitioner-centred learning, ensemble integrity and Critical Dub Pedagogy creates an environment in which artists are encouraged to examine what they create, how and why they create it. The school is presented as a space for transformation, creative expression and community embodiment.

According to its website, the school supports multi-hyphenate theatre makers working across writing, devising, dramaturgy, directing, design, producing, stage weaving and performance. With biomyth monodrama and pantodub theatre at its creative core, the school aims to cultivate holistic artists prepared to generate original work and take on multi-leadership roles within contemporary theatre ecosystems.

d’bi.young anitafrika’s doctoral research also centres Black woman’s theatre and explores the epistemological, ontological, cosmological, ethical, aesthetic and somatic emancipation of the oppressed self through storytelling. This research informs the broader practice and pedagogy that shape the school.

The power of the program was reflected in the testimonials shared by artists who experienced it.

Josemar described the experience as deeply spiritual and life-transforming, saying it grounded them in purpose and sharpened their focus. KayGeni recalled that participants “Cried together, laughed together” and experienced the school as “A coming home.” Kabrena Robinson described the experience as fertile ground to grow as a multidisciplinary artist and reconnect with the roots of her voice, while developing a decolonial, Black feminist approach to creation.

These reflections speak to the school’s broader purpose: not simply to train artists, but to create space for artists to discover, strengthen and share their voices within the community.

The testimonials also reveal the emotional dimension of this approach. Josemar spoke of purpose. KayGeni spoke of belonging. Robinson spoke of reconnecting with the roots of her voice. Together, their reflections suggest that the school’s impact extends beyond the stage and into the artists’ understanding of themselves and their communities.

It was a celebratory occasion that gave fellow artists, supporters of the Black Theatre School and community-minded individuals an opportunity to show their appreciation for the ongoing significance of this unique institution and its future.

For those interested in learning more about the work of Watah Theatre and the Black Theatre School, visit their official websites: watahtheatre.ca.