The MENASA Initiative

PGC member Makram Ayache has collaborated with PWM, Tarragon Theatre, Modern Times Stage Company, to create, The MENASA Initiative, which aims to bring about sectoral change in theatre for and with artists from Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (MENASA) communities, on and offstage.

Decidedly, the first step to take in this important initiative was holding facilitated consultations with MENASA artists in Montreal and Toronto in Spring of 2024, and share an essay reflecting on the experience with the theatre community. These meetings focused on MENASA representation (or lack thereof), the term “MENASA” itself, the artists’ professional experiences and relationships within the theatre community including with arts organizations, and their hopes for the future of Canadian Theatre. 

The conversations, reflections, and questions were framed in an essay written by Makram, titled: All We Are and All We Could Be.

In some ways, the term MENASA orients the entire conversation. Who is included? On what basis? Who is excluded? Why? The Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian lands are massive – the cultures are pluralistic, the ethnicities and races are far ranging, the languages just as vast… So, how does this vast and multivariable community come together under one limited umbrella? In what context? Can we?

-Makram Ayache

The next big step for this initiative is to expand the conversation to other cities across Canada with creators and arts organizations, in order to grow the network of MENASA artists and aide in the goal of creating sectoral change in theatre nationwide.

You can read Makram’s full essay HERE.