Team

Artistic Producer

Keshia Palm (she/they) is a storyteller seeking to spark connection and conversation through live, shared experiences in thoughtful and inclusive art/spaces — as Actor, Director, Dramaturge, Producer and Playwright, depending on the day. They have developed and performed new works with theatre companies big and small from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, and are particularly interested in developing theatre with highly integrated design in collaborative, joyful spaces. Her work often centres poststructural, postcolonial and queerfeminist perspectives, on and offstage. They were the Online Content Producer for ArtistProducerResource.com from 2018-2021 — a wiki for producing independent live performance in Canada hosted by Generator. She is the Interim Program Director for Nightwood Theatre’s 23/24 Write from the Hip script development program. Keshia is honoured to be the Artistic Producer of the Paprika Festival since 2021, celebrating the work of young and emerging artists across Tkarón:to and beyond. keshiapalm.com

General Manager

Julia Dickson (she/her) is an arts manager, producer, and educator currently based in Tkaronto, the place in the water where the trees are standing. Her practice centres around the idea of creating supportive spaces that prioritize the artists and their working experience, which includes examining the systemic challenges in place within the arts sector and working to remove barriers both for audiences and for artists to experience live performance. Across her practice, she has worked with companies such as 1s1 Theatre, SummerWorks Festival, Why Not Theatre, Studio 180 Theatre, Young People's Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Shakespeare in Action, and County Stage in Prince Edward County. She has a post-graduate certificate in Arts Administration and Cultural Management from Humber College, and a Bachelor of Education with a focus on Artist in the Community Education from Queen's University.

julialeighdickson.com

Communications Producer

Juliet Jones-Rodney (she/her) is a singer, writer, actor, and producer born and raised in Toronto. As a Black woman, she allows her history and perspective to inform her work and looks to centre identities of Blackness in her pieces. Juliet was a part of the Playwright’s Unit in the 2021 season of the Paprika Festival in which her play Forest for the Trees debuted. Currently she is a part of the Write from the Hip Playwright’s cohort at Nightwood Theatre. 

Outside of theatre, Juliet is an emerging singer/songwriter who released her debut single Free Falling in January 2022. She is also the founder of the Grounded Concert Series, a set of intimate concerts designed to highlight local Toronto artists and connect them over good food, good music and great cannabis. As a Paprika alumni, Juliet is excited to take on the role of Communications Producer and assist other artists as they explore their artistic expressions. 

Production Manager

Aaheli Mukherjee (she/her) is an aspiring arts manager with a professional background in education and healthcare. While she is currently based in Toronto, her South-Asian heritage as well as being born and raised in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia & Oman respectively) informs her identity and appreciation for all expressions of art. In addition to working at Paprika, she is also currently the Technical Director for Eastbound Comedy Theatre. In the past, Aaheli has worked extensively with Leigha Lee Browne Theatre (LLBT) and TEDxUTSC at the University of Scarborough from 2016-2020. Significant projects with the LLBT include stage managing for "The Circle", "The Shell" and "We Are Proud to Present". Aaheli is passionate about working alongside other emerging artists to support the development of new and innovative work that is inclusive and accessible for diverse communities to engage with. She has a Bachelor of Science – in Mental Health and International Development from the University of Toronto.

Associate Festival Producer

Amanda Lin 林美智 (she/her) is a queer Taiwanese-Canadian theatre artist who specializes in writing, performing, directing, facilitating, and producing. She is a graduate of Queen’s University, where she studied social psychology, theatre, and business. She is interested in using art and storytelling to cultivate compassionate and dynamic communities. Amanda is an alumni of Nightwood Theatre’s Innovators Program and fu-GEN Asian-Canadian Theatre’s Kitchen Playwriting unit. She has worked with companies such as Nightwood Theatre, Cahoots Theatre, Why Not Theatre, the Paprika Festival, and Young People’s Theatre, and has appeared on panels and participated in juries with the Toronto Fringe, Against the Grain Theatre, and the Ontario Arts Council. Her first full-length play, Between a Wok and a Hot Pot premiered with Cahoots Theatre in January 2023 and received 6 Dora nominations in the Independent category, including Outstanding Performance for Amanda and Outstanding Production. Amanda enjoys lying on the floor.