This program is supported by Native Earth Performing Arts and National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre.
We are not currently accepting new artists into the Indigenous Arts Program. Check back in Fall 2027!
About
The Indigenous Arts Program is a two-year program for emerging Indigenous performing artists of any discipline looking for personalized and flexible training. Two artists who are emerging in their craft are offered space to gather with other Indigenous creatives to develop skills and grow their artistic practice. Mentors and guest artists help connect artists with the community and the Indigenous arts scene in Tkaronto and beyond (including Paprika partner companies, Native Earth Performing Arts and National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre).
In year one, artists received mentorship and a small budget to begin exploring their original piece of performed art (could be theatre, dance, music, poetry, performance art…anything!) culminating in a work-in-progress sharing at the 2026 Paprika Festival. This could look like a conversation, workshop, or sharing pieces in progress.
In year two (this year!), artists are invited to return to fully stage their project, receiving an additional budget to hire collaborators and bring their vision to life alongside mentors and peers. Year two will culminate with each artist receiving a public sharing of up to 60 minutes in length as part of the 2027 Paprika Festival.
Brefny Caribou
Facilitator
Brefny Caribou is a performer, writer, and educator of Cree/Irish-settler descent based in Tkaronto. Holding an MFA in Acting from York University she loves telling Indigenous stories and making people giggle. She has worked across Turtle Island on productions of The Tempest (Theatre Rusticle), Otîhêw (Shakespeare in Action), and completed 3 seasons at the Stratford Festival in Little Women (Beth March), and The Rez Sisters (Zhaboonigan Peterson). Most recently she played Susan Blackbird in the Canadian Stage/Belfry production of 1939. Brefny has worked as an Acting Tutorial teacher at Sheridan College since 2019 and is entering her 3rd year facilitating the Indigenous Arts Program at the Paprika Festival. Her writing has been featured in many festivals including Groundswell (Nightwood Theatre), Brave New Works (Theatre Aquarius) and the Weesageechak Begins to Dance festival (NEPA).
Meet the Returning IAP Artists
Jane-Leigh Jamieson
Jane-Leigh Jamieson is a dancer and choreographer from the Six Nations Reserve. Jane-Leigh has always been passionate about the arts, specifically dance. She enrolled in various dance classes at different studios in her area growing up. She took many classes related to her field of interest in high school while obtaining her stage and screen SHSM. She then moved on to graduate from the George Brown College Dance Performance Preparation Program in 2023. In 2025 she participated in the Paprika Theatre Festival in the Indigenous Arts Program and showcased her work titled Forget Me Not. In August 2025 Jane-Leigh performed in a crowd funded performance titled Suppers Ready Live! As an ensemble dancer. Most recently Jane-Leigh was the Apprentice Choreographer for Frozen the Musical with Theatre Aquarius. Jane-Leigh is so excited to be able to continue working with the Paprika Theatre Festival and see what she can create.
Kéïta Fournier-Pelletier
Kéïta Fournier-Pelletier is a queer, Métis, Franco-Manitoban artist from Treaty 1 Territory, based in Tkaronto. They are continuously discovering the role these intersecting identities play in their art as a dancer, choreographer and educator. She is the co-founder of the dance collective, Tendre Effort, with her collaborator Barbara Simms. Moving with care, sensitivity and community is at the forefront of how Kéïta creates. Their works are collaborative and tied to their identity and values. She is interested in creating interdisciplinary works in ways that question power, heteronormativity, and other societal norms that reject her identity. Her work has been presented across Toronto, as well as Hamilton, Kitchener, and most recently Montreal. Her most recent credits include touring her group work, Pillar of You, performing in adelheid’s newest work tender, and touring La Mitchin di Mitchif with Métis dance company, V’ni Dansi. She has studied Flying Low & Passing Through with David Zambrano, in Brussels, Belgium, and continues to develop these techniques in her teaching practice to share with the Toronto dance community.