4th Annual
Decolonise Your Ears
New Play Reading Festival

Is a theatre researcher, artist, and playwright. She is an Assistant Professor at the Department of English at York University in Toronto. Her research revolves around  South Asian theatre and politics, South Asian diasporic theatre in Canada, and Indigenous theatre in Canada. She has also worked in professional, community, and protest theatre in the state of Karnataka, India.

Born in Guyana, South America and affectionately known as Sincerely Shyy is a Black Caribbean storyteller whose narrative is intricately woven from a lineage of West African and Afro-Indigenous heritage. As the visionary director of The Coven, Shiann has cultivated an interdisciplinary sanctuary—a contemporary rite of passage—where the Black voice is centred, explored, and liberated through mediums spanning wellness, activism, jazz, and theatre. With a profound passion for amplifying marginalized voices, Shiann's work transcends boundaries, weaving narratives that inspire and empower. Her journey as a student of journalism and digital media fuels her commitment to leveraging the power of storytelling for social change and advocacy.

website: thisisthecoven.ca 

is an ACTRA Actor, Playwright, and Comedian. They are pursuing a BFA in Playwriting & Devised Theatre in York University’s Theatre program. Shaharah was part of this year’s cohort for Nightwood Theatre’s Innovators Program, as well as Tarragon Theatre’s Young Playwrights Unit. They've graduated from Second City Training Centre’s Conservatory Program, and they perform Sketch & Stand-up comedy around Toronto. Shaharah recently finished a full run of their solo-show “What Can Indian Look Like? Can It Look Caribbean?” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, receiving The Neurodiverse Review’s Birds of Paradise Theatre Emerging Talent Award. They've recently finished a 5 city tour of Kidoons' “Jungle Book”, and made their television debut playing the character of Noor in Season 3 of CBC’s Run the Burbs. Shaharah is so grateful to be part of the 4th Annual DYE Festival!!"