DIY Theatre is a dynamic, female-founded and female-led collective dedicated to exploring themes of conscience, ethics, and morality through both classical and contemporary theatre. Comprised of semi-professional artists passionate about the performing arts, DIY Theatre is committed to nurturing early-career talent and providing audiences with impactful, high-quality productions. With a deep appreciation for the creativity of performers and behind-the-scenes collaborators alike, DIY Theatre fosters a welcoming and inclusive community that celebrates meaningful artistic expression and the power of storytelling. We caught up with Shelby Reinitz, the Artistic Director of the company, to get a closer look at her efforts.
Describe your charity/non-profit/volunteer work in a few sentences.
DIY Theatre is composed of semi-professional theatre artists who have come together through their passion for the performing arts to foster exceptional talent and provide our audience with a high-quality theatre experience. We strive to foster a community consisting of early-career artists who are equally passionate about creating, exploring and performing. We pride ourselves on being female-founded, female run and open to all.
What problem does it aim to solve?
We hope to be a space for emerging artists to grow, and produce amazing art.
When did you start/join the charity?
We started producing in 2017 but were fully incorporated in 2018.
What made you want to get involved?
I actually started the company! I originally started it as a way of getting my work out there, but the company has really started focusing more on fostering new and emerging artists, particularly female-identifying and non-binary individuals.
What was the situation like when you started?
We were pretty excited to start building audiences and be able to compensate our artists at all, but we definitely knew there was room to grow.
How has it changed since?
Since 2018, we’ve grown the quality of work, and the compensation we are able to give our artists, but there has been a pretty big downturn in funding for the arts, and we are really feeling it.
What more needs to be done?
We are always on the lookout for donors and sponsors! We have different proposals available for sponsors of any size, and we are always ready to work with interested parties on finding a specific package that works for them.
How can our readers help?
Please consider donating or sponsoring DIY Theatre! You can look us up on CanadaHelps.
Do you have any events coming up?
We just wrapped up a Christmas show, and are hopefully running some workshops in the spring, but until then, we are just working on keeping the lights on 🙂
Where can we follow you?
Instagram | Facebook | Website
PAY IT FORWARD: What is an awesome local charity that you love?
The Calgary Humane Society
