We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andre Newell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Andre thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

We created the Toronto Monologue Slam in 2011 to give local actors a consistent space to develop skills and showcase their talent. The concept was based on the Manhattan Monologue Slam, in New York. New York is the mecca of acting, and in addition to a robust and flourishing artist community, has a variety of events for creatives to hone their craft and build community. We felt that this event would foster a more competitive and collaborative environment in Toronto and help move the industry forward. Our goal from the beginning was consistency. At the Monologue Slam, actors have a regular platform to prepare material, work on it, perform publicly, received feedback from industry professionals, and more importably, to fail and get up again.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Co-Founded by Canadian Actor/Producer Oluniké Adeliyi and Executive Director Andre Newell, Monologue Slam launched in 2010 as part of a church youth theatre program. Focusing on youth engagement and training, the event continued to evolve to meet the various needs of up and coming artists.

The Toronto Monologue Slam officially launched in 2011, and has grown to become Canada’s largest showcase and networking event for actors, attracting the industries top casting directors, agents, producers, and of course, actors.

In 2014, Monologue Slam launched the Jamaica Monologue Slam at the Redbones Jazz and Blues Café, in Kingston, Jamaica. The event was part of an acting retreat, which brought actors from Canada and the U.S. to study in Jamaica and engage with local artists. This included a two-day workshop at the Edna Manley School of the Arts, Jamaica’s top performing arts school.

In 2017, Monologue Slam launched in Vancouver at Café Deux Soleils. The inaugural event brought in a capacity crowd and provided a much needed platform for Vancouver actors.

In 2018, Monologue Slam opened in both Ottawa and Montréal during a weekend tour, at Live on the Elgin and Montréal Improv respectively. In each city, the event brought together local actors, casting directors, agents, and acting coaches. These events would become quarterly additions to the Slam schedule.

In March of 2020, the Monologue Slam closed its live events, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and moved online. The virtual edition included weekly workshops, live streams, and engaged actors Canada wide, with a record 5,000 actors, 40 casting directors, agents, coaches, and producers participating. We also crowned an unprecedented 80 gold, silver and bronze champions in four categories.

After the pandemic, Monologue Slam returned to its new home at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

Monologue Slam Canada is a supportive, passionate, and diverse community that promotes inclusion and free expression through the performing arts. We believe having a safe, nurturing and consistent space to perform is vital for the growth of Canadian talent.

In addition to producing a monthly showcase, we offer development programs, mentorship, and resources to anyone looking to pursue acting for television, film, or theatre. We aim to provide opportunities and foster relationships that enrich the actors’ journey.

We engage with other arts organizations, unions, and community groups, in order to promote and develop and advocate for initiatives that create a more vibrant, diverse, and dynamic industry in Canada.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

For a lot of new actors entering the industry there can be a lot of misinformation, confusion and isolation, which makes the journey that much harder. We hope that be providing information, acting as a resource and just connecting actors at different levels of their journey we can help demystify this industry.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Monologue Slam Canada believes in Canadian artists and that with the right support, we can achieve incredible things. There is a desperate need for more investment in the creative industries, and more importantly, a tangible return on investment when Canadians artists succeed at a high level. It is clear that a society needs art, created by human artists, to not only survive, but to flourish and experience the full expression of our shared human existence.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.monologueslam.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monologueslam
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonologueSlamCanada/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/slamcanada