Gloria Mitchell-Aleong and Victor Philips award can lead to bigger things
Rosie Awori
The Black Theatre Workshop is issuing a call for nominees for their Young and Emerging Artist Awards, which will be presented at the Annual Visions Celebration Gala on February 2, 2019.
The financial incentives include the Gloria Mitchell-Aleong Award and the Victor Philips Award the latter was named in honor of the
Described as the father of Black theatre in Montreal, Phillips dedicated three decades to the promotion of the art form in the city, and was one of the founders of the Negro Theatre Guild. The award has been sponsored by Toronto Dominion (TD) bank since 1992.
It grants $2000 to an artist under the age of 20 who excels both in academics and in the performing arts (theatre, music, dance, spoken word or interdisciplinary arts.)
Mitchell-Aleong is noted a long-standing benefactor of the theater company, encouraging youth participation and creativity.
The award was launched in 2002 and is sponsored by Dr. Stanley Aleong and Family. It provides $1000 to an emerging professional artist between the ages of 20-35 who demonstrates exceptional ability in the performing arts (theatre, music, dance, spoken word or interdisciplinary.)
The awards are aimed at giving a boost and encouragement to keep creating to local artists many of whom face widespread obstacles in acquiring funds for their projects.
Kym Dominique-Ferguson, who is the Outreach and marketing coordinator of the Black Theatre Workshop encourages as many as possible to apply: “Remember, nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
Many past awardees continue to excel in the industry including Letitia Brookes (Gloria Mitchell-Aleong Award 2014) and Tristan D. Lalla (Gloria Mitchell-Aleong Award 2005), who recently won META awards for their performance in the Mountaintop, where they were the first ever husband and wife duo to bag the award.
Renee Jordan (Victor Phillips Award 2001), is another notable awardee and she is a respected radio personality at CKUT 90.3 FM.
Vlad Alexis who excelled in the recent Centaur production of Choir Boy won the Gloria Mitchell-Aleong Award in 2016.
More recently ballerina, Meaghan Desmond and the pioneer of “Canadian Krumping”, Vlad ‘7-Starr’ Laurore, snagged this years’ Victor Philips and Gloria Mitchell-Aleong award respectively.
Applications can be mailed as a hard copy to: Black Theatre Workshop #432-3680 rue Jeanne Mance Montréal, Québec H2X 2K5 or emailed to: info@blacktheatreworkshop.ca with the subject line “Awards & Grants”.
Submission Deadline is November 20, 2018.
Image credits: Tristan Brand
