MANDATE

Paprika Festival is a youth-led professional performing arts organization where emerging artists and arts administrators access paid opportunities, mentorships, and hands-on labs to develop their artistic practices and gain professional experience in production and arts management. 

• We run year round professional training programs that culminate in a performing arts festival of new work by young artists.

• We provide a space where young people (18-30) are able to take the lead while they learn and grow in their artistic work, in their careers, and in their communities.

VALUES

YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND EMERGING ARTISTS: 

To us, this means being an entirely youth-run organization where people early in craft, developing, or transitioning practices create the training and mentorship opportunities they need and want for themselves.

COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION: 

To us, this means connecting participants to their peers, mentors, and future collaborators in the local or national theatre ecology, and further encouraging participants to take artistic and personal risks within the safe and supportive environment provided by Paprika’s programs, facilitators, and staff.

ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT:

To us, this means honouring young people’s right and responsibility of being treated like professionals, and emphasizing the learning, experimentation, and development process over the final product. For Paprika, it also means being willing to continuously reflect, audit, and adjust programming to meet the needs expressed by participants and the sector.

ACCESSIBILITY:

To us, this means continuing to provide all programs and events free-of-charge, aspiring to be inclusive to all equity-deserving groups, and creating a space where all voices are heard and valued equally.

GOALS

• To create opportunities for young people to connect with their peers in an authentic way in the creation of the performing arts.
• To create meaningful connections with artistic mentors who are invested in the future generation of young professionals.
• To empower young people with the confidence, artistic freedom and leadership skills necessary to grow and succeed in the arts.
• To generate a supportive yet rigorous community that inspires young people to create the highest caliber of artistic work.
• To bring a generation of young leaders into our cultural industry as practitioners, social entrepreneurs and advocates for social change through art.