Artist Residencies: Welcoming Ian Kamau, Nikki Shaffeeullah, and Lisa Codrington
Please join us in welcoming three artists in residence at Why Not: Ian Kamau, Nikki Shaffeeullah, and Lisa Codrington. We’re excited to be developing unique working models with each of our artists in residence, including a salaried, co-residency model for Ian Kamau, in partnership with the Theatre Centre, developed in collaboration with Shaista Latif.
ian kamau
Loss
In partnership with The Theatre Centre, we welcome Residency artist Ian Kamau into a salaried position. This co-residency model, developed in collaboration with artist Shaista Latif, will see Kamau in a part-time role stretched across two years where he can focus on creating his latest work, Loss, a live-arts multimedia performance exploring mental health in Afro-Caribbean communities.
“My intention is to launch the projects I’ve been developing, to bring collaborators into the process in order to move the work beyond what I am personally capable of, and to have people experience what’s mostly been in my head. I’ve been working on developing my practice and process but have struggled with the responsibilities of day to day life, time, and resources. The ability to carve out time every week that is dedicated to my creative life is what I’m most excited about.” — Ian Kamau
nikki shaffeeullah
Betty’s House
“I’m undertaking an artistic research project that uses archives, oral history, embodied exploration, and community-engaged processes to explore Indo-Caribbean histories and legacies of indentured labour. “This research is feeding multiple creations, the primary of which is my new play, Betty’s House. Betty’s House weaves together the stories of three non-consecutive generations of women, in three different lands impacted by colonization, in three different states undergoing major political shifts, across 200 years: Rabia, on an indentured labour ship departing Calcutta, India in 1853; Betty, in Guyana as it begins to undergo the messy process of decolonizing from Britain in 1953; and Zahra, a queer activist in Tkaronto in 2056, navigating a Canada that has just legally abolished prisons.” — Nikki Shaffeeullah
lisa codrington
DEBT
“I’ve always been interested in lotteries. Why they’re held, why people buy tickets and what happens if you win. In my play DEBT, I explore themes of racism, wealth and debt by taking a satirical look at a world gripped by a mysterious affliction that causes people to dance for hours, days, weeks and even months at a time. A lottery has been created by the richest of the rich to bring hope (aka distraction) to the masses. Dollar for dollar they promise to match ticket sales raising the prize to over 300 billion dollars. To his surprise, Theophilus Forde, a Black delivery man days away from retirement beats the odds and draws the lucky numbers, making him the wealthiest person on earth. The thing I’m most curious about exploring with this play is what debt you owe the world, yourself and your community when you become the richest of the rich – especially in a time of global crisis.” — Lisa Codrington
Stay tuned and sign up for our newsletter to find out first about developments on these works as these artists continue in their residencies.
