Theatre Projects Manitoba (TPM) is located in the heart of downtown Winnipeg on Treaty One Territory. Manitoba is a region of isolation, and for thousands of years, a meeting place. These lands also hold the territory of Treaties Two, Three, Four and Five. We are grateful to the knowledge keepers, storytellers, artists and makers from all first peoples of this land including the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Anishininew, Dakota and Dene and the Red River Métis Nation, for their ongoing relationship with these lands and waters that support and sustain life on these plains, forests, and tundra.
All peoples are encouraged to enter into the treaty covenants which set out the rights and responsibilities to right relationships between our nations and the lands we inhabit. We acknowledge settlers have often failed to uphold our part of these treaties intended to foster peace and friendship and we at TPM strive to be better neighbours, partners, and co-stewards as we move forward.
TPM strives to create a point of synergy where art and community meet; generating artistic experiences that invite people to view our world through a curious, enthusiastic, and fearless lens. The theatre we do is intimate, provocative, and artistically driven. It is our strong belief that professional theatre, created in partnership with a community and its artists, can inspire awe, wonder, and meaningful discourse. We all prosper when the community develops the imagination and compassion of its citizens by providing a forum for their stories and creative expression. Our goal is to build creative worlds and communal experiences that speak to and for all the people in our community.
Theatre Projects Manitoba belongs to adventurous theatre goers, to the artists, and to an emergent audience who believe that high quality homegrown theatre is necessary to the health of the local and national culture.
Values
DIVERSITY & PLURALISM – All Manitobans deserve a voice. We strive to represent the diverse social fabric of this province and the communities within it by providing a platform for theatre artists to express themselves and tell their stories their way.
We seek to host a holistic imaginative dialogue about the world through art, and to have as many different people feeding that discussion as possible. We do this by facilitating diverse creative expression that fosters exchange and ongoing conversation in and with our many intersecting communities.
OPPORTUNITY – In the process of creating opportunities for theatre artists to practice their craft, we are guided by the intention to reduce existing barriers so that the field for creation is equal, and open to all. To realize our intention, we will make extra effort to listen to our audiences and artistic community, particularly those from underserved communities.
RELATIONSHIPS – Strong relationships based in respect, trust and collaboration can create beauty. We prioritize people first and approach the artists, audiences, partners, supporters, and the communities in which we work with respect, trust, and open minds.
INNOVATION – We believe that creative risk is an essential ingredient in creative innovation. We strive to create spaces and processes that promote innovation by safeguarding an artist’s right to take risks and inviting audiences to meet us in a spirit of adventure and celebration.
TRANSFORMATION – We acknowledge the need to adapt and transform our work to reach beyond existing traditional boundaries which are oftentimes invisible. The best way to accomplish this is to respond to the ideas and needs of our artists and the communities we serve in a flexible, open, and nimble fashion. We strive to challenge the status quo and embrace positive change in both our organizational and creative practices.
Mandate
- To operate as a non-profit company, in the production and public presentation of theatre and drama in the Province of Manitoba.
- To serve the citizens of the Province of Manitoba by providing them and their communities with opportunities to experience and engage in professional theatre.
- To promote public interest in the performance and appreciation of live theatre, seeking out partnerships when possible to this end.
- To engage with theatres and organizations on a national level and participate in the growth and health of the Canadian Theatre industry.
- To develop and promote the skills of Manitoba writers, directors, actors, designers, technicians and craftspeople by presenting theatrical works of local origin or local relevance.