History

Founded by Anthony Furey in 2002, the festival runs for two weeks every March in the Studios at Tarragon Theatre. Over the past six years, the Paprika Festival has received submissions from over 200 young artists from across the GTA, and programmed over 250 participants under the age of 21.
In October 2001, Anthony Furey approached the Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre, Urjo Kareda, with an idea for creating a festival that showcased work created entirely by young people. Urjo was passionate about supporting youth arts and determined to make the festival happen. When Richard Rose took over as Artistic Director, after Urjo's passing, he continued to generously provide the necessary venue and artistic support to make Paprika a success.

In March 2002 the first Paprika Festival opened in the Studios at the Tarragon Theatre. Five new plays created by youth under 21, premiered and ran for one weekend. Over the next two years, the festival was extended to two weeks, selling out the 60 seat upstairs studio. With funding from the TAC, Furey discovered, developed and presented bold new work by young people. He created a festival that aimed to challenge and stimulate Canadian theatre.

In April 2004 Natasha Mytnowych began her three-year term as Artistic Producer. Under her leadership she aimed to connect the festival’s young artists to theatre professionals, extend the development period, and provide a more rigorous training and support structure. In June 2004 the Paprika Festival incorporated as a not-for-profit and established a Board of Directors and Artistic Advisory comprised of artistic leaders, educators, artists and youth workers. That year the festival affirmed a commitment with the Tarragon Theatre as a home for the festival.

While productions of new plays have always been a part of Paprika, Mytnowych expanded the festival’s activities to include a number of different programs. In 2005 the first Playwright in Residence, Daniel Karasik, begin work on a new play Dances Through Disaster, Nova Scotia youth Lee-Anne Poole developed a new play as the inaugural Inter/national project, and the first Paprika Playwright’s Unit was established. The following year, Paprika started the Artist’s Lab program. In February 2006 Paprika celebrated its Fifth Anniversary at the Elgin Winter Garden Theatre. In November 2006, Paprika started its Oasis Alternative Artists Lab and the After-School Artists Lab for at-risk youth. The Sixth Annual Paprika Festival in March 2007 was Mynowych’s final festival before Tessa King began as Artistic Producer in April 2007 with the aim of expanding the festival to include multi-disciplinary work and extend development time for new work in the festival.

In 2007, Tessa King began an all new Creator’s Unit which brings together young artists from diverse backgrounds and artistic disciplines into a theatre-making unit that presents a number of works-in-progress in the festival. She has continued the rigorous training and support structure with monthly Training Days and ongoing mentorship from professional artists for the new plays that are presented as part of the Productions stream.

Paprika Festival alumni include a number of theatre artists who continue to create for the stage, including Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman, Emily Sugerman, Vanessa Shaver, Frank Cox O’Connell, Mitchell Cushman, Bethany Jillard, David Rendall, Daniel Karasik, Michael Albert, Naomi Skwarna, founder Anthony Furey, and Natasha Mytnowych.

“As a young artist attempting to launch a career in the theatre, I can attest that there are few opportunities  for those my age as rewarding as the Paprika Festival. It is the first place I point to when asked by a peer how to get involved with theatre in this city.  The structure of the Festival itself is intuitive and encouraging. My writing improved immeasurably, and all the staff at the Festival were supportive,  helpful, and genuinely excited to nurture young talent.”

- Daniel Karasik, Playwright-in-Residence

“There’s no better venue for training young theatre artists than the annual Paprika Festival”

-          NOW Magazine

“The opportunity to nurture the future theatre artists of Canada is an important, valuable undertaking.  I’ve always believed that it is our responsibility and obligation--as seasoned theatre practitioners in this country--to connect, share, impart and pass on our knowledge, experiences, life lessons and inspirations to talented emerging theatre artists.  They hold the key to our theatre’s survival, longevity, prosperity and evolution.  In their work lies the promise, the potential, the messages in progress integral to the creation of rich, diverse and powerful stories that make up great Canadian drama.”

-          Nina Lee Aquino, Paprika Festival Professional Artist Trainer