03/11/2024
Congratulations to our beautiful client Warona Setshwaelo for winning this prestigious prize. We're so proud of you!!!!
Huge Congratulations to Warona Setshwaelo, our 2024 Recipient of The Gina Wilkinson Prize!
“I come from a family of activists. Raised on the philosophy of Each One Teach One.
Though rewarding, it can also be relentless and sometimes darkness almost prevails.
For me, that light always comes from communing with those who did the work before me and those who continue the work beside me.
I am humbled and delighted to be in the company of all the recipients and finalists of Gina’s Prize. Not just for the recognition, for which I am incredibly grateful to the committee and Gina Wilkinson, herself, but especially for the community.
To be acknowledged in this way is a unique privilege and honour, and a refreshing reminder that the light is always all around us, we have but to look and connect.
Enormous gratitude to Quincy Armorer for his incredibly generous nomination. This award is dedicated to my parents, who always lead by example.”
Warona Setshwaelo is a Tio’tia:ke (Montreal) based artist, with Tswana and Zulu roots.
She moved to Canada on a whim. The decision was made in a few weeks, and a couple of months later she landed here with 2 suitcases, $450, a poor grasp of French and zero knowledge of the theatre communities around the country. It was 3 weeks before her 30th birthday. It's been 17 years and she is extremely proud of the community she has built and that has embraced her.
Warona has sat on the boards of the English Language Arts Network as a theatre representative and the Quebec Drama Federation as Vice-President. She was Co-Manager of the Artist Mentorship Program at Black Theatre Workshop for 8 years. She is a META nominee and Award recipient, as well as the Montreal ACTRA Woman of the Year (2023) and Victor Knight Community Leader award (2021). Warona has led classes at Concordia University and the National Theatre School. She is also Co-Owner of MW Mentorship.
Some acting credits in TV and film include: The Disappearance, 19-2 and Quantico,Death Wish, On the Basis of S*x and White House Down and video games; Assassin’s Creed Origins, Valhalla and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon to name a few. Her first love, the stage, still features prominently in her life and she has been fortunate to work with companies such as Imago, Centaur, Segal Centre, BTW, Teesri Duniya, Scapegoat Carnivale, RMTC, The Belfry, Tarragon, Repercussion and Prairie Theatre Exchange.
