languages
jamaica nation language
english
spanish
unions (in canada)
equity
actra
training
professional development menorship – ahdri zhina mandiela 2007-2009
b current rAiz’n the sun ensemble 2001-2003
(dance) collective of black artists african/caribbean bakari/charmaine headley 2000
ahdri zhina mandiela artist mentorship 1994-1997
(dance) conscious step one step ahead gumboot/west afrikan sophia daley/zelma badu 1994-1996
fresh arts summer program – theatre in the rough with amah harris 1993-1995
jamaica school of drama (summer programs) 1983-1993
(dance) jamaica school of dance (summer programs) jazz/afrikan 1983-1993
post secondary studies
mcgill university theatre 1997-2000
concordia university theatre 2000
university of guelph ma theatre 2009-2010
plays written
word! sound! powah! – sankofa trilogy part 3 – 2010
she 2010
benu – sankofa trilogy part 2 – 2009
domestic 2007
androgyne 2006
blood.claat 2005 – sankofa trilogy part 1
yagayah: two.black.womben.griots 2003
solitary 2001
residencies
tarragon theatre playwright-in-unit 2010
canstage theatre playwright-in-residence 2009-2010
canstage theatre bash program 2008-2009
canstage theatre playwrights workshop july 2007
soulpepper theatre academy 2006-2007
nightwood theatre write from the hip 2005
theatre passé muraille playwright-in-unit 2003
commissioned works
poem 2009 toronto 175th heritage toronto
benu 2008 sankofa trilogy part 2 la chapelle theatre montreal
word! sound! powah! 2007 sankofa trilogy part 3 soulpepper theatre toronto
poetic review 2006 the handmaid’s tale opera canadian broadcasting corporation
blood.claat: one womban story 2003 sankofa trilogy part 1 hiphop theatre festival new york city
theatre
sankofa trilogy 2011 blood.claat, benu, word! sound! powah!, tarragon theatre toronto (upcoming)
word! sound! powah! 2010 sankofa trilogy part 3 free word centre london uk, summerworks theatre festival, toronto fringe festival, canadian stage theatre
she 2010 labyrinth trilogy part 1 femfest winnipeg, psi theatre festival toronto, the rhubarb festival toronto
benu 2009-2010 sankofa trilogy part 2 la chapelle theatre, mtspace theatre kitchener, summerworks theatre fest, sisterhood celeb. vancity
blood.claat 2005-2010 sankofa trilogy part 1 university of the western cape south africa, firehall theatre vancity, gctc ottawa, magnetic north theatre festival van, uno festival victoria, black theatre workshop mtl, theatre passe muraille
have you seen zandile 2008 zandile african theatre ensemble
three sisters 2008 olga soulpepper theatre
3 penny opera 2008 ballad singer soulpepper theatre
da kink in my hair 2001-2007 stacey-anne/claudette hackney empire london, san diego repertory theatre california, princess of wales theatre toronto, theatre passé muraille, toronto fringe festival
androgyne 2006 mudgu buddies in bad times theatre
anowa 2003 badua artword theatre
stuck 2002 womban black theatre workshop
yagayah 2002 mary black theatre workshop
3 parts harmony 2002 body tarragon theatre
girls in their sunday dresses 2001 mime artword theatre
film & television
yesno by dennis lee – film with leonard cohen, margaret atwood, michael andaatje – brian johnson 2009
kicking aids out – documentary narrator – arlene moscovitch 2006
borderless – documentary narrator – min sook lee 2005
sunday afternoon – lead – kaveh nebation 2004
blood.dub.and the matriarch – documentary subject – leda serene films 2004
blood – documentary subject – jusiblood productions 2003
playwrights & screenwriters – playwright actor – bravo television 2003
lord have mercy – series regular crystal – leda serene films 2002
zed tv – dubpoet – canadian broadcasting corporation 2002
cuerda viva – dubpoet – cuba vision television 2002
discography
lp
wombanifesto. canada council grant. 2010
ep
when sisters speak live. 2008
animal farm single. zoobone records. 2005.
blood demo. canada council grant. 2003
xperimentin dub with manana reggae band. canada council grant. 2002.
xperimentin dub with dub trinity reggae band. 2001
when the love is not enough. 2000
spoken word and poetry compilations
love equality freedom revolushun. cbc poetry faceoff 2004. canadian broadcasting corportion radio canada. 2004
blood and animal farm. lost tribes of the sun: renewal. canada council grant/ independently released. 2003
ain’t I a woman (in dub). ribsauce: words by women. wired on words. 2001.
revolution. la vache enragee. planete rebelled. 1998.
johnny. wordlife: tales of the underground griots. revword. 1998.
international festivals & cultural events (selected)
observatory festival of arts cape town 2010
winnipeg femfest calgary 2010
ronnie scott’s upstairs verse jukebox london uk 2010
oakland california slam 2010
manifesto jamaica festival of artical empowerment 2010
manifesto toronto hip hop festival 2010
badilisha poetry x-change – city hall cape town south africa 2010
when sisters speak – st.lawrence centre toronto 2006-2010
canwest cabaret festival – young centre for the performing arts toronto 2008 & 2009
vancouver folk festival – jericho beach park vancity 2005 & 2009
toronto 75th – city hall toronto 2009
chicago ywca-she speaks volumes – chicago illinois 2008
poets in unity – kingston jamaica 2008
calgary int’l spoken word festival – calgary 2007
2nd & 3rd international dubpoetry festival – toronto canada 2004 & 2005
25th calgary folk music fest – princes island park calgary 2004
10th annual international hip hop festival – havana cuba 2004
suoni per il del popolo jazz festival – la sala rosa montreal 2004 & 2005
1st 2nd and 3rd international reggae festival – havana cuba 2002-2004
hbo def poetry jam lll – broadway new york city 2003
conferences
psi theatre performance conference 2010
united black students conference 2009
tedx conference toronto 2009
festival of ideas and creation canstage 2009-2010
eVOCative festival university of saskatchewan 2008
HERstory conference 2007
int’l aids conference 2006
tours
2010 international wombanifesto tour – canada, u.s.a, the caribbean, europe, africa
2008 national blood.claat tour – canada
2006 national animal farm tour – canada
1998 north america slam poetry tour – canada and u.s.a
artist education – program design & facilitation (selected)
sketch working arts – dubtheatre program 2009
expect theatre – dubtheatre program 2009
warden woods centre – dubtheatre program 2009
artstarts – creative workshop facilitation 2008
griffin centre – workshop facilitation 2008
gabian way – dubtheatre program 2008
toronto community housing – dubtheatre program 2008
contact alternative school – confronting homophobia 2007
private workshop – ain’t I a womban: writing as a healing tool 2007
private workshop – dubtheatre program 2007
private workshop – womben and self recovery 2007
risk life – dubtheatre program 2007
private workshop – litany for survival 2006
artstarts – dubtheatre program 2006
toronto women’s bookstore – riddim, rage and revolushun 2005
medina writing group – writing for revolushun 2004
university of toronto – bridging gaps: feminism in community 2004
york school – dubpoetry 2004
university of toronto – community and creative writing 2004
university of toronto – black feminist thought 2004
ralph thorton centre – afrika folk tales and creative writing 2004
other work
director/facilitator – urban griots dub theatre 2007
rosie douglas coordinator – concordia university 2000
editor – we the students! we the people! – concordia university 2000
research assistant – black theatre workshop 1999
animator – youth in motion 1999
creative facilitator – fresh arts theatre 1997
producer/host-u-talk – ckln 88.1 fm toronto 1995-1997
anti-racism trainer – government of ontario 1995-1996
mentors & inspirers
anita stewart | ahdri zhina mandiela | mikey smith | jean binta breeze | tracy chapman | amah harris | dave austin | che kotari | donisha prendergast | weyni mengesha | amina alfred | jay pitter | jacqui alexander | trey anthony | angela rebeiro | iris turcott | layne coleman | laszlo marton
grants
ontario arts council international residency grant ($7500) 2010
canada council for the arts travel grant ($2500) 2010
canada council for the arts theatre creation grant ($10000) 2010
ontario arts council playwright residency ($10000) 2009
ontario arts council theatre creators reserve grants ($5000) 2009
ontario arts council writers reserve grants ($6500) 2009, ($5000) 2010
toronto arts council writers grant ($8000) 2007
ontario arts council professional development grant ($10000) 2007
canada council for the arts career development grant ($16000) 2007
canada council for the arts spoken word grant ($16000) 2001, ($13000) 2003, ($12000) 2006
ontario arts council writer’s reserve grants ($5000) 2003, ($8000) 2007
ontario arts council artist-educator grant ($11000) 2004, ($7500) 2009
awards
women’s health in women’s hands resiliency award 2010
outstanding performance word! sound! powah! now magazine (summerworks theatre festival) 2010
km hunter theatre award 2010
outstanding performance – benu – now magazine (summerworks theatre festival) 2009
outstanding design – benu – now magazine (summerworks theatre festival) 2009
toronto mayor’s arts council emerging artist award 2007
naacp award best ensemble cast – da kink in my hair 2007
best solo artist national post 2006
best solo artist eye weekly 2006
best play blood.claat eye weekly 2006
best play blood.claat gayguide 2006
dora award outstanding new play – blood.claat 2006
dora award outstanding female – blood.claat 2006
harold theatre award 2005
summerworks spotlight award – blood.claat 2004
dora nomination outstanding female performance – da kink in my hair 2004
best storytelling actor & dubpoet now magazine 2004
nourbese philip award 2002
artstarts emerging community artist award 2002
john brooks certificate of excellence 1997
mirvish achievement award for young people 1997
queen of england youth achievement award 1997
jarvis collegiate institute ontario scholar 1997
governor general lincoln alexander anti-racism award 1997
young people’s television achievement award finalist-writing 1997
jarvis collegiate institute school spirit award 1996
to be young gifted and black – oakwood collegiate institute 1996
school anti-racism award – ontario secondary schools teachers’ federation 1995
city of toronto anti-racism award – ontario secondary schools teachers’ federation 1995
status of women in leadership award – ontario secondary schools teachers’ federation 1995
excellence in student leadership – ontario secondary schools teachers’ federation 1995
publishing activity of d’bi.young
books
untitled: africanadian plays anthology. ed. toronto: playwright canada press, 2012. (forthcoming)
s is for storytelling: an anthology of biomyth monodrama vol ll. ed. 2011. (forthcoming)
the sankofa trilogy: blood.claat, benu, and word! sound! powah! toronto: playwright’s canada press, 2011. (forthcoming)
s is for storytelling: an anthology of biomyth monodrama vol l. ed. 2009.
rivers and other blackness between us: (dub) poems of love. toronto: women’s press, 2007.
blood.claat: one womban story. toronto: playwrights canada press, 2006.
art on black. toronto: women’s press, 2006.
poetry/essays
love equality freedom and revolushun. theorizing empowerment: canadian perspectives on black feminist thought. eds. notisha masoquoi and njoki wane. toronto: inanna publications, 2007.
dubpoetics and personal politics. notes from canada’s young activists: a generation stands up for change. severn cullis-suzuki and daniel aldana cohen. vancouver: greystone books. 2007.
revolushun lll and letter to tchaiko. wasafiri: queer postcolonial 22. (07): 66-68
dubpoetics and personal politics. talking book. kaie kellough and jason blackbird selman. quebec: cumulus press, 2006.
blood, dub and holy. contemporary verse: the canadian journal of poetry and critical writing 25.2 (2002): 80. cv – cdn magazines publishers assoc.
ain’t I a woman (in dub). a cd/anthology of words by women. eds. alex boutros and kaarla sundstrom. quebec: vehicule press, 2001.
brown skin lady and ainít I a oomaan, sojourner. fireweed: home is where the heart is 73. (2001): 23-27. fireweed inc.
untitled. la vache enragee #2 cd-livre. ed. victoria stanton and vincent tinguely. quebec: diffusion prologue, 1998.
then and now. fireweed: revolution girlstyle 59/60. 1997:22
plays/play excerpts
sankofa from androgyne. outspoken: a canadian collection of lesbian scenes and monologues. ed. susan g. cole. toronto: playwright’s canada press, 2009.
with naila belvett. mary and imogene from yagayah. she speaks: monologues for women. ed. judith thompson. toronto: playwright’s canada press, 2004.
with naila belvett. honouring the word: yagayah (excerpt separation scene). canadian theatre review: african canadian theatre 27.spring (04): 13-14
with naila belvett. yagayah: two.womyn.black.griots. testifyin’: contemporary african canadian drama vol. 2. ed. djanet sears. tor: playwright’s can press, 2003. 349-390.
published interviews
interview (cover story). aesthetics now magazine vol 7. december 2010. aesthetics now (d’bi.young): 54-60.
interview (cover story). alt theatre magazine vol 8 no.1 september 210. holly luhning (accountability, integrity, and ‘benu’: an interview with d’bi.young): 10-17.
interview (cover story). sway: power issue spring 2008. simona said (power to the people: revolutionaries): 42
interview. shameless magazine no. 8. pike wright (one-womban revolushun): 24-27.
interview. obsidian lll: literature in the african diaspora vol 5 no. 2. karen flynn & evelyn marrast (dubbin revolushun: interview with d’bi.young): 35-58.
interview (cover story). horizons: women’s news and feminist views vol. 18 no. 3. sheila nopper (word warriors spark revolushun): 16-18, 45.
interview. impure reinventing the word: the theory, practice, and oral history of spoken word in montreal. eds victoria stanton and vincent tinguely. montreal: conundrum press, 2001.
