Sarah Conn Receives The 2018 Pauline McGibbon Award

Ottawa-based theatre director Sarah Conn is the recipient of the 2018 Pauline McGibbon Award. Sarah received the award yesterday at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, presented by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts at Toronto's Winter Garden Theatre.

Sarah produces award-winning theatre and live art projects using an interdisciplinary approach. She collaborates primarily with people from outside the theatre world - from visual artists and urban planners to everyday community members.

Her most recent work, Trophy, has been presented at major festivals in Canada and beyond, including the SummerWorks Performance Festival, One Yellow Rabbit's High Performance Rodeo and the Dublin Fringe Festival. Trophy has empowered more than 2,000 people to share stories of transformation and change.

Sarah is currently the Artistic Associate for the National Arts Centre's National Creation Fund, which is paving the way for a new model of creation in Canada's performing arts. Previously, she was the Artistic Producer of the award-winning theatre company STO Union.

Sarah received the 2016 Siminovitch Protégé Prize in Directing. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Ottawa.

"Sarah is a uniquely talented theatre creator at the forefront of the field," noted the jury. "She is forging a new path that links community-based arts and experimentation. We are excited to follow along on this journey, knowing that it's being led by Sarah."

About the Pauline McGibbon Award

Established in 1981, the award honours former Lieutenant Governor Pauline McGibbon for her support and patronage of the arts. It includes a $7,000 prize and a medal designed by Dora de Pédery-Hunt.

The award is presented to an Ontario-resident professional artist in the early stages of their career who has contributed to the well-being of Ontario's theatre community, displays unique talent and has the potential for excellence.

The award is cyclical in nature: the first year of the three-year cycle, the award goes to a designer, the second year to a director, and the third year to a production craftsperson.

The award is given each year by the Province of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and is administered by the Ontario Arts Council.. See a list of past recipients.

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