2025 Equity & Access in the Arts grant recipients
November 6, 2025
The Equity & Access in the Arts program is one of the many ways the Edmonton Arts Council pursues our commitment to increasing support for artists and arts professionals from Indigenous and equity-seeking communities. The program invests in a thriving and diverse arts community by supporting Edmonton-based artists and collectives from communities that face barriers to access. This includes, but is not limited to, groups whose members are treated differently because of systemic barriers that disadvantage people based on their Indigenous heritage, racialized backgrounds, identifying as Deaf or having a disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, and/or immigration status.
In 2025, 45 applications were recommended for funding, for a total investment of $579,950.
STREAM 1: EXPLORATION & EXPERIMENTATION
Stream 1 supports an individual artist to work on creation, experimentation, or research activities. In this cycle of the program, 19 artists were recommended for Stream 1 funding, for a total of $95,000. Learn more about the Stream 1 recipients below:
Aidan Collins will dedicate time to pursue and experimental dance practice exploring trans and queer embodiment through sound — using live/manipulated recordings of breath, skin, and motion to compose a score entirely from the dancers’ own bodies.
Alexis De Villa will research and create puppets designed for Deaf theatre, exploring how ASL expression can shape puppet forms that support Deaf-led performance.
Amy Fox will research, experiment, and develop their skills in applying modern lifecasting materials to the lost wax bronze process, such as skin-release silicon and support structures.
Angela Welch will engage in the research of Caribbean traditions and folklore surrounding death/afterlife, delving into cultural narratives/practices to deepen her understanding and enhance her skills as a storyteller and researcher.
Braxton Garneau will explore and experiment with the carbonizing of natural materials, including sugarcane and bones, to make charcoal and black pigments to use in his drawing, painting, sculpture and installation.
Brent JT Allison will explore multi mediums, particularly oil and acrylics, to master the skill of creating depth and naturalism.
Dali Mwanza will explore the various patterns, colours, and forms of Zambian and South African pottery traditions found digitally with the goal of expanding his art practice and culture.
Dwayne Martineau will explore and research new concepts for public art. The goal is to expand his practice beyond two-dimensional works; developing land-based and freestanding concepts to feasibly pursue a broader range of public art opportunities.
Erica Olavario will work on writing the emotional narrative and cultural development of a script for a short fiction film, including interviews with a Filipino immigrant psychologist to inform the character’s inner world.
Harper Oud will write, research, and develop a new transfemme play exploring rage, intimacy, and embodied protest.
Jason Purcell will write the last draft of his novel Every Time a Little Less about the impositions of Crohn’s disease and sex on the queer body.
Jyn-Ting Ying will build upon their strong acoustic music foundations and continue their experimentations with electro-acoustic works. This exploration will use candid sound recordings of Edmonton, transforming them into music through audio processing and granular synthesis.
Keith Rempel plans to dedicate time to sharpen his technique and engage in creative exploration on the bass.
Kija Lado will create Search For Enough, a nine-track album about living a life without resolve, blending Soul, Jazz, Canadian and South Sudanese Folk music.
Kiona Callihoo Ligtvoet will explore photography as an artistic medium to capture her paintings in the land that inspired them – the former reserve of Michel First Nation.
Maryam Lary will create experimental string art (often integrating Arabic calligraphy) on mixed-media surfaces, combining thread, paint, leather, and collage to explore language, identity, and narrative through bold contrasts and tactile invention.
Natesa Medlicott-Kappo will create a three-dimensional sculpture project made completely out of glass beads.
Salem Zurch will experiment with 16mm film to create seamless, looping moving portraits that blur stillness and motion, bridging experimental film and visual art.
Tae Uk Bark will create and design creative picture book that naturally sparks children’s interest in ‘time’ and ‘numbers’ as they read it.
STREAM 2: SKILLS & CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Stream 2 supports receiving mentorship, attending a residency, or other forms of professional development for artists and arts professionals. Projects may be individual or collective. In this cycle of the program, 8 artists were recommended for Stream 2 funding, for a total of $66,593. Learn more about the Stream 2 recipients below:
Asal Andarzipour participated in the Type Design intensive course (TDi) at the University of Reading. With this masterclass, she will take a new direction, extending her years of independent practice and research in other design disciplines, including industrial design and graphic design for non-commercial purposes.
Charlie Peters and Josh Languedoc will undertake a series of training intensives with mentors who will help them develop the skills needed to create a show together.
David Jay the Spaniard undertook a mentorship and online learning opportunity focused on transforming his analog, pedal-based live-looping guitar setup into one using the software “Ableton Live,” enabling automated transitions, advanced routing, and lighting synchronization.
Elsa Robinson will attend the Black August Arts Residency which provides Black artists rest, and investigation into their practices. Through dedicated studio time, artist talks and curatorial engagements with works, artists will work to identify their creative visions.
Nauzanin Knight attended two professional development programs in which she was invited to participate: 1) the Hot Docs-CMF Sunny Side of the Doc Delegation and 2) the CineFAM Cross-Continental Forum.
Sandra Olarte will Integrate theatre and dramaturgy into her aerial practice through mentorship with circus artists professionally trained in theatre to create performances driven by narrative and physical storytelling.
Seeka Sings will attend an immersive mentorship experience in Jamaica to study traditional music, dance, and storytelling, bringing cultural depth and artistry to children’s music content for Edmonton’s young audiences.
Tiffany Sparrow will participate in a music production mentorship in Ableton Live with cultural guidance to build the skills and cultural knowledge needed to represent, preserve, and share Métis musical heritage through original, interactive sound.
STREAM 3: ARTIST-DRIVEN MAJOR PROJECTS
Stream 3 supports artistic projects ready for implementation, production and/or presentation. This can include support for creation, subsistence, travel and/or mentorship. In this cycle of the program, 18 artists were recommended for Stream 3 funding, for a total of $418,357. Learn more about the Stream 3 projects below:
AJA Louden will create a new monumental tapestry, Spring’s Debate. Measuring over 10 x 10 ft, this will be AJA’s largest textile work to date.
Danielle LaRose will gather Edmonton-based Métis musicians at Métis Crossing where they will explore musical themes for Danielle’s play, The Poisoner’s Daughter, record a proof-of-concept album, and share with Métis community members.
Deviani Andrea will produce and present “Casa Adentro”, a new Contemporary dance piece, as part of Mile Zero Dance’s Zero Lab Program in September 2026.
Diana Taylor will create, produce, and present three stop motion animation music videos for the three movements of one of her recent compositions, titled “Unspun” (flutes, fixed media).
Emily Chu will write and illustrate a graphic novel memoir about the century old house in Chinatown, a story of Asian migration to the prairies in the early 90’s.
Emily Riddle will complete, edit, and submit a manuscript of poetry for publication about lost lakes, thunderbirds, and the fluidity of the future.
Ereni will present the live concert Eternal Love: A Mariachi Tribute for Dia de Muertos, featuring Edmonton-based Mariachi musicians and dancers, celebrating Mexican heritage at the ATB Financial Arts Barn.
Eric Awuah will participate in the MZD ZERO Lab Residency from March 16 to 29, 2026, which will culminate in a public presentation of new work titled Well,.. —a piece that explores the fractured gestures, internal hesitations, and cultural reckonings that reside in the silences between speech, memory, and movement.
Garfield Morgan will create ten oil and mixed media paintings on canvas ranging from 18″ x 24″ to 48″ x 60″ exploring the richness and complexity of human identity, culture and heritage.
Jameela McNeil will hold a production workshop (Fall 2025) and première production (March 2026) of Ms. Pat’s Kitchen in partnership with SkirtsAfire and Common Ground Arts Society.
Jeannette Sinclair will write a book for publication with guidance and mentorship from writers, Elders and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, drawing on family stories, community voices, poetry and song.
Mannie and collective members Emmanuel Boakye, Aliya Logun, Garfield Morgan, Jamal Okunbor, Semi Aro Bamidele, Muheburayo Jehovanis, Ellen Adjei, and Raz Ray will produce Sickle Scars, an art exhibition uniting Edmonton artists from diverse disciplines to share stories of sickle cell through visual and literary storytelling, centering voices directly impacted by the disease.
Mpoe Mogale will create, produce, and present The Lineage Project: Tracing Black Dance Forms Across Time, a multi-phased dance initiative leading to an Inter-School Dance Festival that brings together young artists to première original works rooted in Black dance forms.
Next Generation will create “Aruba and Curaçao” a Queen Costume that is a display of colour, music and history, that will allow the viewer to be visually taken to the Guyanese Mashramani folklore but within the streets of Edmonton’s festival culture. The Queen, which will stand an astonishing 7 feet tall, and 10 feet wide, will serve as a canvas for a story and a colourful work of art.
Nuela Charles will undertake a dynamic marketing campaign for her upcoming album, featuring new photos, digital marketing, and an official music video for the lead single, “LIFE.”
Rebecca Campbell will produce Hell on Wheels, a raw, intimate documentary following Brian MacPherson, a disabled advocate approved for MAID, as he navigates autonomy, pain, and legacy with courage, humour, and honesty.
Riwo will complete the production and marketing of Beauty, Live-Off-The-Floor, a live, acoustic reimagining of Beauty: a 4‑track EP of gratitude and awe, which pairs stripped-down performances with visuals that invite deep reflection through vivid, faith-rooted storytelling.
Tokunbo Adegbuyi will create and produce a multidisciplinary variety show with improv, stand-up comedy, music, and video segments where racialized diasporic artists explore joy and cultural memory by reimagining public broadcasting through theatre, storytelling, and community-building.
