Wayne Fairhead, NTS Festival Executive Director
Wayne Fairhead had an illustrious career in education for 38 years, teaching and advising at all levels-elementary, secondary and tertiary. He retired from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) in 2004. Wayne has been a member of several Dora Mavor Moore and Chalmers Awards juries for Theatre for Young Audiences, including the inaugural juries for both Awards. He Co-chaired the Arts Education Expert Panel for the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training that reviewed and reinvigorated Arts Education at that time.
Wayne was the Executive Director of the Sears Ontario Drama Festival from1991 until its recent transition into the National Theatre School (NTS) Festival. He instigated equivalent Festivals in BC and Atlantic Canada a decade ago. All are now NTS Festivals. During his leadership with the Festivals he has partnered them with SummerWorks, IATSE and Playwrights Canada.
Publications include: DRAMA VOICES (Editor); “Establishment or alternative: Two Canadian models” in Learning Through Theatre (Author); “Empowerment and the changing curriculum” in the Australian drama education magazine ADEM (Author); “Drama in Education: Canada” in Contemporary Canadian Theatre: New World Visions(Author);TYA5: Theatre for Young Audiences, Playwrights Canada,1998 (Co Editor); and Festival Voices Playwrights Canada Press, 2010 (Co Editor).
Wayne is a Lifetime Member of the Council of Drama in Education (CODE), an inaugural member of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Theatre Museum and a former member of the Board of Theatre Direct Canada. In 1996 and 1998 respectively he was the recipient of the MAGGIE BASSETT AWARD (administered by Theatre Ontario) for outstanding contribution to theatre and the FABIAN LEMIEUX AWARD (administered by the Ontario Arts Council) for his sustained and outstanding support for Arts Education. Wayne was given a HAROLD AWARD (2008) for his outstanding contribution to theatre in Toronto.
As the Congress Director for the International Drama/Theatre and Education Association’s (IDEA) Fifth Congress (IDEA2004) held in Ottawa in early July 2004 Wayne welcomed delegates from 70 countries to Canada. Two Sears Ontario Drama Festival productions (one each in English and French) were presented for the 1000 delegates.
Contact Wayne


Erin Brubacher, NTS Festival Director
Erin Brubacher is a director, multidisciplinary artist and educator. Recent projects include: Director/co-creator for Kiinalik: These Sharp Tools (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre); co-creator/performer for 7th Cousins, (Nightwood Theatre); director for Noor (Generous Friend at the Aga Khan Museum); and co-director/producer for Concord Floral (Brubacher/Spooner/Tannahill at The National Arts Centre, Canadian Stage, The PuSh International Performance Festival and others). Erin holds a BA in Fine Arts from Mount Allison University; a BEd from Memorial University of Newfoundland; and an MA, with distinction, in International Performance Research jointly from the University of Warwick and University of Amsterdam. www.erinbrubacher.ca
Contact ErinProvincial Showcase
Coordinator: Keira Lynas (Brantford CI) keira.lynas@granderie.ca
with Jan St. Denis JAN.STDENIS@granderie.ca and Catherine Guida
Dates: May 8-11
Location: Brantford CI
Adjudicator: Keith Barker — Artistic Director, Native Earth Performing Arts
The Ontario Festival includes six regions: Central, East, North, South, Toronto and West. Each region has a varying number of districts as follows:
Central REGION (3 districts)
Regional Coordinator: Laura Moniz (Brampton Centennial) laura.a.moniz@gmail.com
Regional Dates: TBD
Regional Location: City of Brampton TBD
Regional Adjudicator: TBD
Peel North
Coordinator: Laura Moniz (Brampton Centennial) laura.a.moniz@gmail.com
District Festival Dates: TBD
District Festival Location: TBD
Adjudicator: Christian di Staulo
Peel South
Coordinator: Laura Moniz (Brampton Centennial) laura.a.moniz@gmail.com
District Festival Dates: TBD
District Festival Location: TBD
Adjudicator: Autumn Smith
York
Coordinator: Mike Halfin (Retired) michael-angela@rogers.com
District Festival Dates: February 19 - March 1
District Festival Location: TBD
Adjudicator: Donna Michelle St. Bernard and Evan Weber
East REGION (5 districts)
Regional Coordinator: Jim Malyon (Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary) jimmalyon@hotmail.com
Regional Dates: TBD
Regional Location: Thousand Island Playhouse
Regional Adjudicator: TBD
Durham
Coordinator: Shera Eales (Sinclair SS) shera.eales@ddsb.ca
District Festival Dates: March 19-23
District Festival Location: Whitby Courthouse Theatre
Adjudicator: TBD
Kawartha
Coordinators: Barb Russel (Lindsay CVI) Barbara Russell barbara.russell@tldsb.on.ca and Lindsay Curran lindsay.curran@tldsb.on.ca
District Festival Dates: March 18-22 (exact dates TBD)
District Festival Location: Academy Theatre in Lindsay
Adjudicator: TBD
Kingston St Lawrence
Coordinator: Kevin Fraser (Kingston CVI) and Adrian Black (Perth District CI) adrian.black@ucdsb.on.ca
District Festival Dates: TBD
District Festival Location: TBD
Adjudicator: TBD
Ottawa Carleton
Coordinator: Wendy Gunter-Woods (Woodroffe HS) wendy.gunter-woods@ocdsb.ca
District Festival Dates: March 25-30 (exact dates TBD)
District Festival Location: Woodroffe HS
Adjudicator: TBD
Seaway
Coordinator: Jim Malyon (Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary) jimmalyon@hotmail.com
District Festival Dates: TBD
District Festival Location: Holy Trinity
Adjudicator: TBD
North REGION (2 districts)
Regional Coordinator: TBD
Regional Dates: TBD
Regional Location: Kirkland Lake
Regional Adjudicator: TBD
Nipissing Near North
Coordinators: Alan MacAskill (West Ferris Secondary School), Jeff Graham (St. Joseph’s Scollard Hall), Allison Green (Almaguin Highlands District High School)
allan.macaskill@nearnorthschools.ca
allison.green@nearnorthschools.ca
District Festival Dates: TBD
District Festival Location: TBD
Adjudicator: TBD
Temiskaming
Coordinator: Brent McGillivray (Timiskaming District Secondary) mcgillivraybrent@gmail.com
District Festival Dates: TBD
District Festival Location: TBD
Adjudicator: TBD
South REGION (6 districts)
Regional Coordinator: Carm Iachelli (Westdale SS) ciachell@hwdsb.on.ca
Regional Dates: April 9-12
Regional Location: Westdale SS
Regional Adjudicator: TBD
Brant, Oxford, Haldiman, Norfolk
Coordinator: Janine Pearson (Delhi District Secondary School) janine.pearson@granderie.ca
District Festival Dates: March 4-8
District Festival Location: Theatre Tillsonburg
Adjudicator: Megan Watson, Artistic Associate with the Grand Theatre in London
Hamilton Wentworth
Coordinator: Carm Iachelli (Westdale SS) ciachell@hwdsb.on.ca
District Festival Dates: March 25-28
District Festival Location: Westdale SS
Adjudicator: Claire Calnan
Lambton Kent
Coordinators: Devin Pearson devin.Pearson@lkdsb.net and Allie Tope allie.Tope@lkdsb.net
District Festival Dates: TBD
District Festival Location: TBD
Adjudicator: Trevor Copp
Niagara
Coordinator: Brenna McAllister brenna.Mcallister@dsbn.org
District Festival Dates: April 4-6 TBC
District Festival Location: Wellend Centennial Secondary School
Adjudicator: TBD
Windsor Essex
Coordinator: Kevin Noecker (École secondaire catholique E.J. Lajeunesse) noeckevi@cscprovidence.ca
District Festival Dates: March 25-29
District Festival Location: École secondaire catholique E.J. Lajeunesse
Adjudicator: TBD
Theatre Action April 25-27
Thames Valley
Coordinator: Eric Bernard (Oakridge SS) e.bernard@tvdsb.ca
District Festival Dates: April 2-4
District Festival Location: Oakridge SS
Adjudicator: Megan Watson, Artistic Associate with the Grand Theatre in London
Toronto REGION (4 districts)
Regional Coordinator: Jennifer Burak (Retired) jenniferburak@hotmail.com
Regional Dates: April 10-13
Regional Location: Hart House Theatre
Regional Adjudicator: TBD
Toronto District 1
District Leader: Cate Boutilier (North Toronto Collegiate) catherine.boutilier@tdsb.on.ca
All Toronto Districts Festival Dates: February 25 - March 1 (Various Locations)
District Awards: March 6th (North Toronto CI)
Adjudicator: Arthur Burrows
Toronto District 2
District Leader: Liz Burnip (Forest Hill CI) elizabeth.burnip@tdsb.on.ca
All Toronto Districts Festival Dates: February 25 - March 1 (Various Locations)
District Awards: March 7th (Forest Hill CI)
Adjudicator: Richard Lee
Toronto District 3
District Leader: Kelly Beaulieu (Richview C.I.) kelly.Beaulieu@tdsb.on.ca
All Toronto Districts Festival Dates: February 25 - March 1 (Various Locations)
District Awards: March 7th (Location TBA)
Adjudicator: Teo Dragonieri
Toronto District 4
District Leader: Lynise Reedy (St. Patrick’s) lynise.reedy@tcdsb.org
All Toronto Districts Festival Dates: February 25 - March 1 (Various Locations)
District Awards: March 5th (Senator O’Connor)
Adjudicator: Janet Kish
West REGION (5 districts)
Regional Coordinators: James Brawn and Stephen Bainborough
bainboroughstephen@gmail.com jbrawn@scdsb.on.ca
Regional Dates: April 8 - 13, 2019
Regional Location: Bear Creek Secondary School
Regional Adjudicator: TBD
Georgian Bay
Coordinator: Steven Bainborough (Retired) and James Brawn (Bear Creek SS)
bainboroughstephen@gmail.com jbrawn@scdsb.on.ca
District Festival Dates: February 25 - March 2, 2019
District Festival Location: Bear Creek Secondary School
Adjudicator: TBD
Web Site: https://ntscdfdistricts.weebly.com/
Perth Huron
Coordinator: David Armour (Godrich District CI), Stefanie Webster (Listowel DSS) and Tina Robinson (St Michael Catholic SS)
District Festival Dates: TBD
District Festival Location: TBD
Adjudicator: TBD
Waterloo
Coordinator: Andrew Renner (St Benedict CSS) andrew.renner@wcdsb.ca
District Festival Dates: TBD
District Festival Location: St Benedict CSS TBD
Adjudicator: TBD
Upper Grand/ Wellington
Coordinator: Erin Clutton (Bishop MacDonell Catholic High School) erin.clutton@wellingtoncdsb.ca
District Festival Dates: Feb 18 - 22
District Festival Location: Bishop Macdonell in Guelph, ON.
Adjudicator: TBD
Halton
Coordinator: Marisa Cavataio (Nelson HS) cavataiom@hdsb.ca and Caitlin Ferrone (MMR HS)
District Festival Dates: Feb 26-March 2nd
District Festival Location: Aldershot HS
Adjudicator: Andrew Lamb (TBC)