b current Performing Arts

b current Performing Arts (often styled BCurrent) is a Black-centred performing arts company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1991 by ahdri zhina mandiela, it was created to give Black artists space to train, experiment and challenge mainstream theatre. Over more than three decades the organization has grown from those roots into what it describes as a national force for Black-centred creation, while also widening its scope over time to include Brown and intersectional creators. Its stated mission is to manifest magical, joyful and innovative art that expands the possibilities of Blackness for national audiences, and its vision is to lead a new wave of Black-centred creation that is bold, experimental and unafraid to reimagine what performance can be. The company presents and produces theatre and multidisciplinary performance, runs artist-development and mentorship programs, and partners with cultural institutions, arts organizations, charities, non-profits and communities. Its programming is organized around themes it summarizes as empowering stories, artists and talent; producing imaginative and innovative work; and collaboration in motion. A flagship artist-development opportunity, B SEEN, is described as a paid development program for Black multidisciplinary artists in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), offering a $6,000 artist fee plus up to $4,000 in project funds, with applications closing October 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The company's public programming has included productions such as The Fishermen, an award-winning adaptation by Gbolahan Obisesan of Chigozie Obioma's novel, scheduled for March 2–28, 2027, and events such as Desiree Mckenzie @ the BCurrent Brand Relaunch. b current Performing Arts is a not-for-profit-style arts organization rather than a commercial entertainment corporation; it is not publicly listed and no parent company or owner is identified in the available evidence. Its leadership team includes Executive Director Kira Allen, Executive Assistant Carina Morris, Associate Producer Oprah Lemorin, Finance Lead Natasha Qureshi, Creative Marketing Lead Aashana Dhingra and Digital Marketing Lead Abdullah Jamal. Its Board of Directors includes Chair Beverley Neblett, Vice-Chair Sofia Harriott and Directors Tomi Salami and Nayra E. Otinkorang. The organization states that it has just completed a transformative capacity-building journey and is implementing a bold three-year vision through five strategic initiatives, and it actively invites community members to join its board and support its work.

b current Performing Arts was founded in 1991 by ahdri zhina mandiela in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. According to the company's own account, it was created to give Black artists space to train, experiment and challenge mainstream theatre. Over time, this vision grew to include Brown and intersectional creators, and the organization says it nurtured a generation of internationally recognized artists and works. From those roots, BCurrent describes itself as having evolved into a national force for Black-centred creation, continuing to redefine how stories are shared and experienced in Canada. The company's work is framed as honouring the past, thriving in the present and looking boldly toward what is next. Its vision is to lead a new wave of Black-centred creation that is bold, experimental and unafraid to reimagine what performance can be, while cultivating spaces where stories become worlds and audiences become participants. Its mission is to manifest magical, joyful and innovative art to expand the possibilities of Blackness for national audiences. The values it lists are imagination, integrity, joy, collaboration and legacy. By the mid-2020s the organization was presenting itself as a national arts company with a public program of theatre and multidisciplinary work, an artist-development pipeline and partnership activity. Its website highlights three broad areas of activity: empowering stories, artists and talent through mentorship and creative development; producing imaginative and innovative work; and partnering with cultural institutions, arts organizations, charities, non-profits and communities. It also states that it has just completed a transformative capacity-building journey and is now implementing a bold three-year vision through five strategic initiatives, and it invites people to join its board. Public programming in this period includes The Fishermen, Gbolahan Obisesan's award-winning adaptation of Chigozie Obioma's celebrated novel, scheduled for March 2–28, 2027, described as following two Nigerian brothers who relive the moment their family was irrevocably fractured after a dangerous prophecy. The company also lists Desiree Mckenzie @ the BCurrent Brand Relaunch, indicating a brand relaunch phase. Its B SEEN program is presented as a paid artist development opportunity for Black multidisciplinary artists in the Greater Toronto Area, offering a $6,000 artist fee plus up to $4,000 in project funds, with applications closing October 4, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Leadership in the available evidence includes Executive Director Kira Allen, Executive Assistant Carina Morris, Associate Producer Oprah Lemorin, Finance Lead Natasha Qureshi, Creative Marketing Lead Aashana Dhingra and Digital Marketing Lead Abdullah Jamal. The Board of Directors includes Chair Beverley Neblett, Vice-Chair Sofia Harriott and Directors Tomi Salami and Nayra E. Otinkorang. The organization is based in Toronto and operates as a not-for-profit-style arts company rather than a listed commercial enterprise.

• 2026

  B SEEN applications open for Black multidisciplinary artists in the GTA, with a $6,000 artist fee plus up to $4,000 in project funds; applications close October 4, 2026.

• 1991

  Founded by ahdri zhina mandiela in Toronto to give Black artists space to train, experiment and challenge mainstream theatre.

• The Fishermen, Gbolahan Obisesan's adaptation of Chigozie Obioma's novel, scheduled for March 2–28, 2027.

A Black-centred, nationally oriented performing arts company known for bold, experimental and joyful storytelling, artist development and collaboration.

• The Fishermen

  An award-winning adaptation by Gbolahan Obisesan of Chigozie Obioma's celebrated novel, following two Nigerian brothers after a dangerous prophecy.

• B SEEN

  A paid artist development opportunity for Black multidisciplinary artists in the GTA, offering a $6,000 artist fee plus up to $4,000 in project funds.

1. 1BCurrent Performing Arts | Explore, Engage, Support Black Artsbcurrent.ca
2. 2About Us | Discover Black Arts — BCurrent Performing Artsbcurrent.ca
3. 3b current Performing Artswikidata.org