7 Black Artists to Support This Black History Month

SIERRA HAYNES (she/her) is an emerging, multiple Dora Mavor Moore Award winning, multi-disciplinary artist from Treaty 4 (Regina, SK), now establishing herself in Toronto, ON. Working primarily in theatre across the country, some of her recent credits include: BAD HATS NARNIA (Soulpepper/Crows/BadHats); directing & devising THE RAFT (Studio 58); MISS CALEDONIA as Peggy Ann Douglas and music director (Globe Theatre); A TONIC FOR DESPERATE TIMES (Theatre Gargantua); THE DROWNING GIRLS as Asst. Director and Composer/Sound Designer (Guild Festival Theatre).

She was the Apprentice Dramaturg at the Banff Centre’s 2024 Playwrights Lab & recently concluded an internship in Dramaturgy and Producing with Nightwimming funded by the Metcalf Foundation. Sierra released a podcast commissioned by the Globe Theatre, STAGE WRITE: The Playwright’s Podcast, where she facilitated conversations between some of Canada’s most exciting playwrights in discussion about their craft. Sierra is a series writer on both seasons of AMI-tv network’s Canadian Screen Award nominated scripted sketch-comedy series, THE SQUEAKY WHEEL: CANADA.

She holds a certificate of project management from The University of Toronto and is a proud graduate of Studio 58 Professional Theatre Training Program.

Uche Ama is a Black Queer theatre arts and vocal performer born on the stolen Indigenous land Tkaronto. Deeply passionate about cathartic art that intrigues, creates discomfort and makes you ask questions, they are an anti-oppression facilitator, writer, director, 3 time Dora nominated performer and an alumni of the prestigious 'Broadway Theatre Project'.

You may have seen their work in 3 Fingers Back (LemonTree Creations), Sweeter (Cahoots Theatre), 21 Black Futures (Obsidian Theatre with ‘CBC Gem),The Negroes Are Congregating (Piece Of Mine Arts) & Obeah Opera (Asah Productions)

Alongside direction credits for Apology, My By Kieth Barker (New Harlem Productions, & VUKA 24/25(Theatre Passe Muraille , They also have an assistant director credit of Women Of The Fur Trade @ The Globe Theatre.

Uche is a performing arts educator and a creator who is always looking to inspire brave spaces of exploration while hungrily exploring the many pathways that are available in their artistic practices.

Stephon Smith A.K.A Spliffon is an actor, rapper, songwriter, producer, and sound designer born in Toronto. Inspired by the sounds of Hip Hop, RnB, Reggae, and Dancehall music.

Stephon has created sound and music for numerous Theatre productions.

Select credits include: Scadding (2019 Fringe) and Mandem (Paprika Festival 2021). B Current’s Wheel of the Year Walks (2022), Panoptikon (New Harlem Productions, 2025 Tremors Festival in Vancouver), LULU (The Walking Griot, 2025), The Sankofa Trilogy (2025 SummerWorks Festival)

As a founder of the musical collective “The Blacksmith Society”, Spliffon has released 2 musical projects to the public. His first solo project “The Spliff Tape” (A collection of revised freestyles) was released in 2021. Prior to that, he released “The Remedy”. A collaborative mixtape with his brothers “Shaman Nostra” and “Von Blanco” released in 2020.

Kanika Ambrose is a two-time Dora Award winning playwright, opera librettist, and screenwriter. Her plays “our place” and “Truth” both earned Dora Awards for “Outstanding New Play” in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

She is a graduate of Canadian Film Centre’s Bell Media Primetime TV Program (2022-2023).

Other notable works: Plays: The Christmas Market (Crow’sTheatre/Studio 180/bcurrent, 2025), Moonlight Schooner (Necessary Angel/Canadian Stage, 2025), Opera: "Of the Sea" (2023) with composer Ian Cusson (Tapestry Opera/Obsidian Theatre).

Kanika is Associate Artistic Director of Necessary Angel Theatre Company.

Kemi King (she/her) is a director, dramaturg, writer, and producer. She is the Artistic Director of Yikes Co, and executive Producer with the Digital Development Project. Working within her practice, Theatre of Critical Care, Kemi emphasizes relation and exploration in her work. This work takes from abolitionist principles in care and disability justice in order to resist formal exclusion. She believes in a rewilding of the arts ecology, allowing for true liberation within the institutionalization of the arts.

Over the years she has worked and collaborated with several arts organizations such as Tarragon, Black Theatre Workshop, New Harlem Productions, Intermission Magazine, and Outside the March. She currently is working as the Associate Access Producer at Theatre Passe Muraille.

Kemi loves experimental work and different interpretations on what theatre and the performing arts can be.

Jewell Bowry is a professional at playing pretend, dabbling in writing, movement, and singing (when the mood strikes). Coaxed into the arts by her mom, this Brampton native of Kittitian descent has been in love with performing since she was 11 years old.

Early on, Jewell spent weekends at theatre intensives such as Brampton Music Theatre’s Youth Troupe. She has since exclusively attended arts schools, culminating in a post-secondary degree in Theatre and Drama Studies from the University of Toronto Mississauga.

Recent credits include: April in Crow’s Theatre and Obsidian Theatre’s co-production of FLEX, Plato in Lucian, Plato and the Secrets of the Pussy in the Toronto Fringe Festival and Vanessa in Carousel Player’s Simone Half and Half.

Jewell’s art is inspired by a deep love for humanity and self-exploration. She is interested in hard questions and consistently aims to leave her audiences a little better than she found them. With optimism fueling her creative journey, she looks forward to where these values will lead her.

Juliet Jones-Rodney AKA JULIET (she/her) is a singer, songwriter, actor, creative producer and digital marketing professional. In 2022 she released her first single "Free Fallin" and since then she has been building a catalogue of raw tracks that give listeners a glimpse into her inner world. 

She’s shared her voice across the GTA, performing with organizations such as Urban Arts, Nia Centre for the Arts, Living Hyphen, and University of Toronto — building community through every stage she performs on. 

In 2022 Juliet founded the Grounded Concert Series, an intimate showcase of Underground Toronto talent. She is also a member of the Blacksmith Society, a music collective based in the GTA.

Outside of art, Juliet is a digital marketing professional. You may have seen her work as the Communications Producer for the Paprika Theatre Festival. She has also worked with SummerWorks Performance Festival, Lakeshore Arts, Adornment Stories and Toronto’s Union Station,

You can stream her music on wherever you listen to music.