ahdri zhina mandiela and Brigitte Poupart:
Recipients of the 2025 Gascon-Thomas Awards from the National Theatre School of Canada
Montreal, March 18, 2025 – The National Theatre School of Canada (NTS) is proud to announce the recipients of the 32nd edition of the Gascon-Thomas Awards. This prestigious event recognizes outstanding artists who have made a lasting impact on the performing arts landscape in Canada and beyond. This year, NTS is celebrating two major figures in theatre and multidisciplinary arts: ahdri zhina mandiela and Brigitte Poupart.
ahdri zhina mandiela, a pivotal figure in Canada’s artistic landscape, is the recipient of the 2025 Gascon-Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement. Poet, theatre producer, and artistic director, she has played a key role in the rise of Afro-Canadian theatre while mentoring and shaping generations of emerging artists across the globe.
Brigitte Poupart, a multidisciplinary artist, director, actress, and filmmaker, is the recipient of the 2025 Gascon-Thomas Award for Innovation. This award acknowledges her bold and groundbreaking approach that transcends artistic boundaries. Her work, merging theatre, dance, film, and performance, demonstrates profound artistic sensitivity and a steadfast commitment to innovation and diverse forms of expression.
« NTS is honored to present the 2025 Gascon-Thomas Awards to ahdri zhina mandiela and Brigitte Poupart, two visionary creators whose commitment and boldness shape the artistic landscape. Their outstanding contributions embody the very essence of theatre: an engaged, vibrant, and ever-evolving art form. Their careers inspire our students, illustrating how creativity, innovation, and dedication can leave a profound mark on the world of performing arts. » – Fanny Pagé, CEO of NTS.
ahdri zhina mandiela
— RECIPIENT OF THE GASCON-THOMAS AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
ahdri zhina mandiela
Engaged in political movements from a young age, ahdri zhina mandiela made her mark on the cultural scene as a poet, giving readings, performances, lectures, and workshops worldwide. Based in Toronto, she founded and led b current performing arts for 23 years. Among her many personal projects, she pioneered dub theatre with her work dark diaspora…in dub (1991) and launched the rAiz’n the sun training program (1999), while also organizing the rock.paper.sistahz festival, a key event in Canada’s multicultural artistic scene.
Following in the footsteps of pioneering theatre artists from the 1970s, such as the women of Black Theatre Canada, her work continues to inspire her creative vision. Today, mandiela explores new documentary projects in emerging media, including blackstage too, a sequel to her 1990s film on.black.stage.women, while also developing new theatrical and literary creations.
Brigitte Poupart
— RECIPIENT OF THE GASCON-THOMAS AWARD FOR INNOVATION
Brigitte Poupart
Multidisciplinary artist Brigitte Poupart has been performing on local and international stages for over three decades. She has acted in more than thirty theatrical productions and toured in Australia, the United States, Europe, and Africa. In 1991, she co-founded the company Transthéâtre, where she created notable works such as Cérémonials, What’s Next, Until we die (a multidisciplinary show blending dance, circus, theater, and electronic music), and Anatomy of a Suicide by playwright Alice Birch. In addition to her theatrical work, she directed Ciel à outrances, co-produced with the Phi Centre, and collaborated with Moment Factory on Ode à la vie, a multimedia show projected onto the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
A renowned director, she has led large-scale productions, including Luzia by Cirque du Soleil, and created performances for prestigious events such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Festival d’été de Québec. In film, she has starred in award-winning movies such as Les Affamés by Robin Aubert, which earned her an acting award at the Gala Québec Cinéma in 2018, as well as Monsieur Lazhar by Philippe Falardeau, an Academy Award nominee. As a filmmaker, her documentary Over My Dead Body received international acclaim, and her second feature-length documentary, À travers tes yeux, is set for release in 2025. Through her bold and innovative projects, she continues to push the boundaries of artistic creation.
— THE GASCON-THOMAS AWARDS
Created in 1990 in honor of Jean Gascon and Powys Thomas—two iconic figures in Canadian theatre and founders of NTS—the prestigious Gascon-Thomas Awards celebrate their 32nd edition in 2025. Presented annually to one Francophone and one Anglophone artist, the awards recognize visionary talent that has made a significant impact on the performing arts. The 2025 Gascon-Thomas Awards ceremony will take place at the Monument-National in Montreal on March 21, 2025, at 6 p.m.
Ceremony
Friday, March 21, 2025, at 6 p.m.
Monument-National, at the Ludger-Duvernay Theatre
1182 St-Laurent Blvd, Montreal, H2X 2S5Reservations by email: [email protected]
The ceremony will be followed by a cocktail reception.
— About the National Theatre School of Canada
Founded in 1960, the National Theatre School of Canada is widely recognized as the country’s premier theatre training institution. It offers unparalleled, high-level training to artists from diverse backgrounds in all areas of the performing arts, in both French and English. With over 2,000 graduates among Canada’s most active and versatile artists and designers, NTS’s influence extends across the country and beyond.
