A local theatre company is calling on the community to help them cross the finish line for a fundraising campaign that aims to invest in Black talent for years to come.
With just 30 per cent left to go in its ambitious $250,000 OTC25 fundraising campaign, the Obsidian Theatre Company – one of Canada’s leading voices in Black theatre – is making an urgent appeal for support.
Founded 25 years ago, Obsidian has become a cornerstone of Canadian theatre, dedicated to amplifying Black stories and voices.
The OTC25 campaign, launched to mark the company’s milestone anniversary, aims to strengthen Obsidian’s legacy by investing in training, mentorship, and the creation of new works.
Michael Sinclair, Obsidian’s general manager, says the campaign represents more than just a funding drive. It’s a long-term investment in Canada’s cultural landscape.
“Obsidian is a very artist-based company. We strive to forward the work of Black artists in this city and in a country as need be. At the very beginning… we didn’t see our stories on the stage,” Sinclair explained to Now Toronto.
“[Since Obsidian] Black artists had a platform to expand their work, do something that they can relate to, and that they understand, And now the whole population can appreciate that there is merit in Black art.”
Funds raised through OTC25 will directly support Obsidian’s programs, including “Young, Gifted and Black,” a professional development initiative for emerging Black artists, and the “Playwrights Unit,” a paid opportunity which helps writers bring new stories to the stage.
The campaign will also support the development of new productions, creating space for stories that reflect the Black experience in Canada.
However, Sinclair notes that the company still faces significant challenges, particularly in securing a permanent home. Despite its national reputation, Obsidian has operated without a dedicated venue and often relies on staging productions at other local theatre companies such as Soulpepper and Crow’s, a situation that limits both artistic growth and sustainability in the hub according to Sinclair.
“It would be great to have our own venue, and we have been working on this over the last seven or eight years,” Sinclair said. “We don’t have a performance space. We don’t have a rehearsal hall. We don’t have a space where we can put on our plays.”
Sinclair says there’s significance in sustaining Black theatre, and not only for the purpose of preserving the company, but to continue to enrich diversity in the arts nationwide.
“Canada boasts itself to be a multicultural country, and if we can expand and tell all the stories it gives, it gives the opportunity for people to appreciate what brought us to where we are today,” he said. “If we can step this up, so that everybody has an opportunity to be able to view the first offerings that our sort of multicultural society is offering, then I think we as a country and as a city are much better for it.”
As the campaign enters its final stretch, Obsidian is calling on both longtime supporters and new allies to contribute financially if they can, but also by spreading the word, attending performances, and championing Black artistry.
“Donation is an important part, but giving the physical support matters too,” Sinclair said.
