Newcomer Youth Theatre Project

Over the past thirteen years, the MT Space (in partnership with YMCA of Three Rivers, Immigrant Services) has worked with hundreds of immigrant and refugee youth from high schools in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge, to gain confidence and build community through the Newcomer Youth Theatre Project.  

Don’t Miss the ECI Students’ Performance! 

We are thrilled to invite members of the Waterloo Region community to attend a public showcase of the Newcomer Youth Theatre Project–this time the culmination of a session that ran at Eastwood, March through May of 2023! 

Hearing about NYTP for the first time? 

The Newcomer Theatre Project (NYTP) is an after-school program facilitated by MT Space in partnership with YMCA of Three Rivers for high school-aged newcomers in Waterloo Region.  

This free 10-week program offers introductions to multi-disciplinary arts education in a welcoming environment, guided by local arts professionals and leaders, and will end with performances showcasing the youth’s creative work.  

By developing skills in performing arts, leadership, language, and collaboration, the youth work together to explore their own artistic voices while developing the skills and confidence to tell their own stories and build community.   

Newcomer Youth Theatre Project (22-23)

About this Session (March 13, 2023)

A one-day Newcomer Theatre workshop facilitated by MT Space in partnership with ‘YMCA of Three Rivers, Immigrant Services’ for high school aged newcomers in Waterloo Region. 

We would like to thank the incredible work of the facilitators for this one-day camp/workshop, Lily Gyamfi-Kumanini and Nada Abusaleh. 

“It impressed me all day, just how much the youth were committed to working on themselves and building their confidence. It was such a pleasure to work with young people who wanted to be there and saw the value in the program”. 
~ Newcomer Youth Theatre Program Instructor, Lily Gyamfi-Kumanini 

Facilitators

This session (March 13, 2023) was facilitated by:

LILY GYAMFI-KUMANINI 

Whether in the arts, athletics or academics, Lily always knew that performing was for her. And with a deep passion for entertainment & storytelling, at a young age, Lily recognized the stage as a medium for social change. 

A former Executive for The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), Lily is a creative soul who has been acting and studying art for almost 30 years. Her training includes: the 5 major Acting Methods & Techniques, and On Camera, Film & TV by industry professionals from New York, L.A., and Florida. Having appeared in a variety of film, television & theatre productions, voice-over & radio commercials, as well as ads for The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, her film credits include Daybreak, a BET.com Top 10 Film of 2010. More recently she performed in We Could Be, a theatre production by Green Light Arts in Kitchener, during the summer of 2021. 

Alongside her love of performing, Lily enjoys her role as a Speaker, Holistic Healer and Coach. A dedicated lover of dance & you will often find her taxing her 3 children to lessons & competitions if she’s not dancing herself. Lily is also the President of the Board for The Registry Theatre. 

NADA ABUSALEH 

Nada Abusaleh is a theatre artist and core member of Cosmic Fishing Theatre, an experimental project-based company based in the Waterloo Region. She’s a performer, creator, and artistic producer, and the current Apprentice Artistic Director with MT Space. She enjoys taking a physical approach to performance and performance creation and often engages with new, devised works.   

Newcomer Youth Theatre Projects acknowledges:

This session of the Newcomer Youth Theatre Project was funded by / is a partnership of: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenmeté Canada, YMCA of Three Rivers, MT Space, Waterloo Region District School Board, Waterloo Collegiate Institute

Newcomer Youth Theatre Project (22-23)

About this Session

The Newcomer Youth Theatre Project (in partnership with YMCA of Three Rivers) is an after-school program facilitated by MT Space for high school-aged newcomers in Waterloo Region.

This free 8-week program offers introductions to multi-disciplinary arts education in a welcoming environment, guided by local arts professionals and leaders, and caps off with performances showcasing the youth’s creative work.

By developing skills in performing arts, leadership, language, and collaboration, the youth work together to explore their own artistic voices while building the skills and confidence to help them build confidence to tell their own stories.

What participants have had to say:

“I loved how it was a non-script theatre. Everything was uniquely and made from scratch”
– NYTP Youth participant

“I learned to be more open-minded and that it is still possible to do an amazing job without following the rules, without needing theatre decorations or costumes.”
– NYTP Youth participant

“We laughed, cried, and were moved by this incredible piece from Newcomer Youth Theatre Project!!” – NYTP Youth participant.

Facilitators

This session (Fall 2022) was facilitated by:

Raechele Lovell

Raechele Lovell is a passionate Choreographer, Artistic Director, Dramaturg, Producer, Dance Instructor, Coach, and Performing Artist specializing in multiple disciplines of dance, as well as dramatic arts and vocal music. She is a proud graduate of Eastwood Collegiate’s Integrated Arts Program, Dance Adventure Inc (In Loving Memory of Brooke Myers), and The Randolph College for the Performing Arts where she studied extensively as a ‘triple-threat’.

Beginning her studies in dance, music, and acting at the age of 3 and professionally at the age of 8 in her father’s touring steel drum band, Raechele has dedicated her life to a career in the arts. Raechele has worked across the industry to gain countless credits in live theatre, film & tv, corporate and commercial settings. She is a former choreographer for the Mini Pop Kids and a known choreographer in the indie-theatre scene. She has acted in independent films streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime and has been in commercials for Rogers and Metrolinx. After becoming a young mom, Raechele took a step back to focus on her new family and switched her career focus to teaching and choreographing children & youth during this time. Now, Raechele is a recognized Acro Dance specialist, having become fully certified with Acrobatic Arts and is a Founding Member of Acro Dance Adjudicators. She is also a Founding Member of the RCPA BIPOC Alumni Committee and is a member of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists and Dance Ontario.

Known for her musicality, keen technical eye, and attention to detail – Raechele has a passion for sharing her love of the arts and inspiring our next generation of artists.

Recently, Raechele has taken on the role of Founder & Artistic Director of the new professional dance company DiverseWorks Dance Co. As the Founder of DiverseWorks, she is growing an Afrocentric dance corporation for the future, engaging not only in presenting new works of art – but also in presenting classes & workshops and an apprenticeship program for her community. In addition to her role with DiverseWorks, Raechele regularly works as a dance coach and guest choreographer with companies and studios across Canada, although mostly focused in SouthWestern Ontario. Additionally, she still regularly performs as a guest artist with various established arts companies. Most recently, Raechele was in Toronto working on the Equity Workshop of Sugar Plum with Nightwood Theatre, which is slated for its World Premiere in 2023, as well as presenting her inaugural DiverseWorks Choreography and living exploration, Emergent in all of its forms across Turtle Island.

Newcomer Youth Theatre Projects acknowledges:

This session of the Newcomer Youth Theatre Project was funded by / is a partnership of: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada / Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenmeté Canada, YMCA of Three Rivers, MT Space, Waterloo Region District School Board, Waterloo Collegiate Institute

MT Space Young Company 

The Newcomer Youth Theatre Projects feed directly into MT Space Young Company, a more in-depth theatre training program that allows students to further develop their skills as theatre artists while receiving mentorship from local cultural community leaders.  A great continuation of experiences started in Newcomer Youth Theatre Projects or for any youth or young-at-craft artists ‘bitten by the theatre bug!’