Mentoring
We are always excited for opportunities to engage with young artists and creators. We offer opportunities for High School and Post-Secondary students though our Beautiful Young Students Program.
Scroll down to learn more about our other current mentoring program, the Beautiful Young Artists.
Beautiful Young Artists
OYR's multi-year commitment to supporting the next generation of creation artists
Supported by the RBC Foundation Emerging Artist Program and Calgary Arts Development
OYR Ensemble member Denise Clarke established the Summer Lab Intensive In 1997. The Lab offered hundreds of national and international artists an opportunity to explore creation work using the methodologies employed by the OYR Ensemble.
While the Lab was study-based, OYR's Beautiful Young Artist (BYA) program grew out of a creative experiment in rehearsal structure and performance in the late 1990s.
Interest in the Summer Lab program began to wane in the late 2010s. Clarke found herself wanting to spend more time committed to working with younger artists on creating performance opportunities.
In the late fall of 2020, Clarke worked with Calgary artist Kunji Ikeda, who has participated in both programs numerous times, to design a new model that provides a combined training and performance opportunity for local pre-professional theatre artists. Alumni of the earlier iterations of OYR's mentorship and training programs have acknowledged how participation in these programs contributed to the foundation of professional careers.
The re-vamped program, designed as a three year commitment, provides emerging artists with a contract involving an annual three week training Lab and paid performance opportunities. Artists who find themselves with professional engagements may resign their position after one year, in which case another artist will be brought on board, allowing for a permeable and sustainable program to develop.
It is our desire to see that these programs remain relevant for the next generation. The current evolution provides an opportunity for the training and development of young artists through the appreciation of the history and methodology of One Yellow Rabbit.
The Summer Lab Intensive remains "on hold" at this time.
Maezy Reign
Maezy Reign (she/they) is a young emerging artist, born and raised in Calgary. For her whole life, she's been raised with art and an urge to create. They have explored many different mediums and ways of expressing emotion through art. She has a preference for writing, but truly loves any art form!
Performance and Creative Credits include Shark Bite (Lunchbox Theatre), Hay Coloured Houses (Paprika Festival), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Alchemy Festival), Hang In There (Chromatic PLU), This isn’t home (fear the festival), Psychotic Bitch (Ignite Festival), Revolution or Slumber (WCHS with HPR), Donut Diaries (Ignite Festival)
Sarah Ord
Sarah is a Theatre Artist and Drag King who hails from Mohkinstis. Sarah has been performing since they could walk, but focuses mainly on Acting, Singing, Writing, and Drag. Sarah still lives and creates in their hometown, and is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful group of beautifulyoungartists! Select Credits Include: The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare by the Bow/Theatre Calgary), Zoo (Reckless Daughter Creative), and Queenpins of Ponoka (Tightrope Improv).
Donna Ng
Based in the traditional territories of the Treaty 7 Nations and Metis Nation of Alberta, Region 3, Donna Ng has moved between working in international development and performing in the Calgary arts scene over the last few years. She holds a BA in Communication and Media Studies and a minor in drama from the University of Calgary. As well, she has studied improv at The Second City and is RCM certified in piano. Donna most recently played the lead role in the upcoming short film, The Re-Membering. Other credits include (Taylor’s Version) (Untold Physical Theatre), Like Tom Cruise Loves Running (observationOne), and Rhinoceros (University of Calgary).
Lauren Brady
Lauren Brady is a multidisciplinary artist born in Calgary, Alberta, on Treaty 7 territory. Lauren began her artistic journey training in various dance styles at age 3. In 2021 she graduated from the BFA in Acting program with distinction at the University of Alberta and entered the Edmonton and Calgary arts community. Performance credits include: InterWEBBED (Nextfest Festival), East of Berlin (University of Alberta), The Comedy of Errors (Theatre Calgary), Imperfect Symmetry (Jupiter Theatre), The Birds, Dracula, The Secret In The Wings (Studio Theatre), do not DISTURB (Play the fool), LOST IN CONNECTION (Fluid Fest), and Conduct (University of Calgary).
Other works include clown and choreography for, The Nextfest Festival, Fluid Festival, The Common Clown Festival, Play the Fool, and various self-produced projects.
Ado Nkemka
A.N. is a pop-rock musician and multi-disciplinary writer (playwriting, poetry, journalism) based in Calgary, AB, on Treaty 7 territory. She holds a Bachelor of Sociology from Mount Royal University. She has written for CBC, Avenue Magazine, Summit Magazine, artsUNITE, Best Health among other publications. Her writing explores identity development, neurodivergence, and arts and culture. She is an Artist-in-Residence at Mount Royal University’s Trico Changemakers Studio, working with The Alcove Centre for the Arts, to increase accessibility to the arts. She is also a part of Arts Common’s 2023-2024 TD Incubator program cohort. Through this program, she’s developing her interdisciplinary artistry and performance prowess. She’s currently in album promotion mode in anticipation of her first 7-track project titled I’m Not Afraid to Die Anymore(INATDA). This project is expected to be released in full by summer 2024. In November 2023, she released the first song off INATDA called BRAIN ON.
