A theatre program changed her life. Now she is in charge
CBC
Saskatoon's Jennifer Dawn Bishop understands the role a youth program can play in changing a life.
In 1999 the general manager of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company came to Bishop's Grade 7 class to promote its new Circle of Voices program.
From her regular spot at the back of the classroom, 13-year-old Bishop felt drawn to the idea of a theatre group for teens.
Her curiosity was rewarded. From her first day with the program, she experienced a sense of belonging.
"I never felt so welcomed in a group of, like, different ages of peers in my entire life," said Bishop. "They were my friends. They were my family at the time."
The Circle of Voices program develops confidence, cultural awareness and professional skills in young theatre artists.
The cultural component was life-changing for Bishop. She discovered a whole different side of herself.
"It was a really big wake-up call in terms of identity and not knowing who I really was and what I represented," Bishop said.
Before Circle of Voices, her Métis identity was a box she checked on forms.
Bishop said her parents chose to not make her culture a major part of her upbringing, partly because so many of those components were stripped from their own lives and partly because they wanted her to form her own beliefs.
"So learning about the smudge, the sweetgrass, the sage, and all these cultural teachings. I was so excited about it," Bishop said.
Bishop became a regular presence at the theatre, which changed its name to Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre in 2015. She continued to develop her skills as an actor, writer and director. She also ran Circle of Voices for three years.
In 2017, Bishop was hired for the top job at the theatre company. She said the journey to becoming the artistic director started with her first year in Circle of Voices.
"It sort of just clicked into place for me and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life," she said.
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