GIVE WRITERS VOICE - TYK’S PLAYWRIGHTS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM!

“I see the one who has already begun to write a world into which their children and mine will be born and will have to learn to live.” - Jill Carter, Indigenous (Anishinaabe/Ashkenazi) Toronto-based theatre practitioner-scholar

Hi! I'm Ethan Persyko, Artistic Director of Theatre Ya Knowww, and we're looking for funding to help produce staged readings for the Playwrights-in-Residence (PiR) Program!

What is Theatre Ya Knowww?

Based in Vaughan, Ontario, we are revitalizing the local arts landscape by holding space for Black, Indigenous, racialized, queer, and trans artists to create boldly and belong deeply. In places where our stories are often erased, TYK reclaims visibility, presence, and joy.

TYK is a collective-driven company creating decolonial, transformative performance spaces where care is a practice, not a performance. We make room for risk, reciprocity, and reconciliation—especially in stories shaped by cultural inheritance, systemic trauma, and collective healing.

We are not here to produce—we are here to become.

Through fluid collaboration, care-based process, and a deep ethic of accountability, TYK reimagines power in the creative process and builds artistic communities grounded in tenderness, trust, and truth-telling.

What's the Playwrights-in-Residence (PiR) program?

Theatre Ya Knowww’s PiR Program is a unique space where playwrights push boundaries of storytelling by integrating visual arts, playwriting, and production design. This residency provides an opportunity to craft and stage readings of new plays, using a variety of visual arts techniques, including drawing, collaging, and set design, all as building blocks to the playwriting process, as well as other DIY materials.

We encourage creative exploration, where the visual elements of a play are not just complementary but integral to the writing process. This residency fosters a dynamic, multi-disciplinary environment where theatre and visual art merge to create immersive, boundary-pushing performances. Much like Elinor Fuchs’ Visit to a Small Planet, where the world of the play is physically manipulated and explored through the tactile experience of crumpling a paper ball to find nuances of space and time, we believe the physical world of a play can be redefined and reshaped through active engagement with visual materials. By sculpting, building, and experimenting with unconventional materials, we give playwrights and artists the freedom to discover hidden layers of meaning within their stories.

Why Vaughan?

We are rehearsing and performing in Vaughan because we recognize that in order to truly meet people where they are, we need support. We need support from individuals such as yourself, but also from organizations that understand both the unique challenges and possibilities of the performing arts. Gallanough Library has already been instrumental in supporting our growth, providing audition, rehearsal, venue and workshop spaces that have allowed us to strengthen our offerings and grow our community in sustainable ways.

While Theatre Ya Knowww is based in Vaughan, our rehearsal location is just 10 minutes from Finch Station, ensuring strong accessibility for commuting Toronto / GTA artists.

Our goal is not to compete with Toronto’s vibrant indie scene, but to offer something complementary: to revitalize the arts in Vaughan and bring that renewed energy into the Toronto / GTA landscape. We aim to build bridges—between neighborhoods, between disciplines, and between communities—and your support will most definitely enrich our artistic goals.

Donating to TYK’s PiR Program would be an important step in building the long-term infrastructure needed to make that vision a reality.

Where is your money going?

Your donation goes towards the costs of putting on staged readings for the 7 playwrights involved in the residency. Costs include:

When you pledge to our cause, you're helping us give invaluable (PAID) experience to dozens of new emerging artists!

Why should I donate?

Your donation will help support a brand new local arts collective. We're not some giant corporation with thousands of employees; we're a handful of passionate artists looking to make a difference in the theatre arts scene.

Help us bring new stories to life. Donate now!