Ausar Stewart
Voice Coach/Actor/Director
Ausar Stewart is one of Canada’s leading Voice, Speech and Communications coaches offering his services through his company Free Your Voice. A sought after arts educator he presently teaches Voice & Speech classes at York University, the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and has coached actors in Stratford Shakespeare Festival’s Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre.
As an actor Ausar has performed on some of the country’s most celebrated stages including the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Shaw Festival. His recent theatre credits include Dan, Strangers Babies; Theatre Panik. Ensemble role in Small Axe, Theatre Centre; The Pastor in Awake, Expect Theatre; Marcus Garvey in I Marcus Garvey, Theatre Archipelago. Ausar’s Film and Television credits include Recurring role on Rogue (Direct TV), Principal roles on Man Seeking Woman, Murdoch Mysteries, (CBC), Nikita (CW) and Covert Affairs (USA Network). As burgeoning theatre director Ausar directed the main stage production of Love’s Labour’s Lost and a studio production of Les Belles Seours at Redeemer University College where he taught acting and performance classes. Ausar served as the assistant director on Obsidian Theatre and Factory Theatre’s Co-production of The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble directed by Philip Akin. He also was the assistant director on Tarragon theatre’s productions of Abyss and Much Ado about Nothing directed by Richard Rose.
Thomas Olajide
Thomas Olajide is a Dora Mavor Moore Award-nominated, Toronto-based actor from Vancouver, British Columbia and a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. His film credits include Inhuman Condition (Nominated for Best Original Program or Series Produced for Digital Media – Fiction in the 2017 Canadian Screen Awards), Mariner (Part of the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival’s Canada’s Top Ten), and Designated Survivor (Netflix). Some theatre credits include: Black Boys (Saga Collectif and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre); Love’s Labour’s Lost, Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Beaux Stratagem (Stratford Festival); Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew and The Winter’s Tale (Canadian Stage); The Whipping Man and Ruined (Obsidian Theatre). In 2014, Thomas received the Stratford Festival’s Peter Donaldson Award for Great Promise in Shakespeare. He is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s CBC Actors Conservatory, and can currently be seen starring in the feature film ‘White Lie’ which recently had its world premiere screening at the 2020 TIFF. Thomas participated in Kick Start Arts’ web series, The Regent Park Project, as both a mentor and an actor in Season 2! Next, Thomas will be playing in the lead role of Thyrone Tommy’s upcoming feature “Learn to Swim”.
Sheena D. Robertson, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed
Director/Writer
When it comes to bringing people together to collaborate in creation and education, Sheena has spent years honing her skills. From Toronto’s inner city neighbourhood of Regent Park, to UofT’s OISE, and in international contexts like El Salvador and Germany – she has over 25 years extensive experience as an artist and consultant. An experienced director, producer, and photographer, with strong roots in the theatre world, her work is grounded in establishing equitable environments where people from all backgrounds feel that they belong, feel heard, and encouraged to develop their own creative ‘voice’. Sheena is also a leader in the Arts Education realm – an experienced educator with deep experience in literacy, youth engagement, and social justice – she is passionate about using the arts as powerful tools to create community, engage participants, encourage critical thinking, spark debate, and express oneself with creative freedom. Sheena has been recognized for her work by her community – she was a finalist for the TAC’s Diversity Award.
Wendy Anderson
The great director, Terry Gilliam, called me the Swiss Army Knife of talents and I immediately saw that as my organizing principle in life. I’m a performer, writer, director, visual artist and designer of immersive events that open the mind to curiosity and authentic expression. I advocate for play and reengaging your sense of childlike wonder as an avenue for healing, connecting to others and invigorating your spirit and art is always a part of the adventure. In my day job, I draw on my creative abilities to enhance the coaching, learning design and training facilitation that I do in the public and private realm.
I once held the position of Executive Director for a Provincial Cultural Organization (The Saskatchewan Sound Recording Industry), where I honed some fierce leadership and project management skills. I was most honoured to bring my hybrid admin-creation skills to bear as the co-producer on The Regent Park Project: Season 1 and continue to support Kick Start Arts and its many virtuous pursuits.
Check out Republic of Wonder and WA Felt Sculpture to learn more about my artistic adventures.