Obsidian Theatre Company

What Obsidian Theatre Company does

Obsidian Theatre Company, founded in 2000 in Toronto, Ontario, is a Canadian non-profit cultural organization and the country's leading culturally specific theatre company dedicated to Black artists. Over 25 years, Obsidian has built a three-pillar portfolio: training (the Young, Gifted & Black four-month paid program for Black production professionals in directing, design, and stage management), development (the Playwrights Unit, an eight-month intensive play development program with individual mentorship), and production (a season of plays from a worldwide Black playwright canon, plus the published 21 Black Futures anthology). It also administers the Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators with the Ontario Arts Council, distributing $1,000-$3,000 grants to Black artists.

Obsidian does not operate its own venue; it produces co-productions with Soulpepper, Nightwood, Tarragon, Buddies in Bad Times, Crow's, Canadian Stage, and Factory Theatre, and sells tickets through partner box offices and its website via Showpass. Distribution and audience development run through the website, an email newsletter, social media, season announcement events, and a CBC Arts partnership that produced the award-winning 21 Black Futures web series.

Revenue is generated through four streams: tiered individual donations (Black Glass up to $99, Red Mahogany $100-$499, Silver Sheen $500-$999, Gold Sheen $1,000-$2,499, Rainbow Sheen $2,500+), ticket sales, operational grants from all three levels of Canadian government (Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts), and corporate sponsorships led by TD Bank Group as Season Sponsor through the TD Ready Commitment, plus program sponsors Scotiabank and Catapult. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Artistic Director Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu (appointed 2020), General Manager Michael Sinclair, Artistic Producer danjelani ellis, and Marketing and Development Officer Cherise Solomon, supported by a core team of six.

Name

Obsidian Theatre Company

Legal name

Obsidian Theatre Company

Website

https://obsidiantheatre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Obsidian Theatre Company is a Toronto-based non-profit founded in 2000 and Canada's leading culturally specific Black theatre company. It trains, develops, and produces Black artists through the Young Gifted & Black program, the Playwrights Unit, co-productions with major Toronto theatres, and the published 21 Black Futures anthology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Theatrical Productions

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Black theatre productions
• Arts training programs
• Play development programs
• Culturally specific theatre
• Theatrical co-productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Obsidian Theatre generates revenue through individual donations at various tiers (Black Glass up to $99, Red Mahogany $100-$499, Silver Sheen $500-$999, Gold Sheen $1000-$2499, Rainbow Sheen $2500+), with corresponding benefits including charitable tax receipts, website recognition, and invitations to rehearsals and opening nights.
2. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single ticket purchases to Obsidian Theatre productions, processed through the company's box office and partner theatre box offices.
3. Government and Foundation Funding: Operational support from all three levels of government (Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts), as well as foundations including the Catherine and Maxwell Meighan Foundation.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Season sponsorship from TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment, and program sponsorships from Scotiabank and Catapult for specific programs like Young Gifted and Black.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Obsidian Theatre Company produces and showcases theatrical works by Black playwrights through mainstage productions, co-productions with partner theatres, and a portfolio of artistic development programs including the Young, Gifted & Black training program and the Playwrights Unit. The company sells single tickets to its productions, accepts individual donations and corporate sponsorships, and delivers paid artist training and play development programs. As a non-profit it generates revenue through ticket sales, donations at tiered levels, government and foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Obsidian Theatre Company is Canada's leading culturally specific Black theatre company, offering a portfolio of programs centered on training, developing, and producing Black artists. The core offerings include the Young, Gifted & Black (YGB) training program for Black production professionals in non-performance disciplines, the Playwrights Unit for developing new Black playwrights, and the Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators (RGTC) funding program for Black artists. The company also produces mainstage theatrical productions, both independently and in co-production with partner theatres (Soulpepper, Nightwood, Tarragon, Crow's), and has published the 21 Black Futures: The Anthology of plays originally created as a CBC Arts web series. The annual Basbousa showcase represents the culminating production of the YGB cohort.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young, Gifted & Black (YGB): A national training program supporting Black artists in non-performance disciplines including directing, design, and stage management.
• Playwrights Unit
• Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators

Products and services

• Young, Gifted & Black (YGB)

Quantifiable outcome

• 21 Black Futures received 2022 Canadian Screen Award for Best Web Program or Series, Fiction
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Soulpepper TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor co-production partner for multiple productions including How to Catch Creation and Three Sisters. Soulpepper provides performance venues and collaborative production resources.
• Nightwood TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing co-production partner, particularly for works involving women and diverse perspectives. Co-produced How to Catch Creation and JAJA'S African Hair Braiding.
• Tarragon TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for a profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (-noun) (North American Premiere) and Definition (World Premiere).
• Buddies in Bad Times TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Bootycandy and ongoing collaborator for queer Black theatre works. Canada's longest-running queer theatre.
• Crow's TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for The Fishermen (Canadian Premiere) and association with BCurrent Performing Arts.
• Canadian StagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Is God Is and Fairview (Canadian premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning play).
• CBC ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 21 Black Futures web series, which aired on CBC Gem and won a Canadian Screen Award. The anthology was published by Playwrights Canada Press.
• Factory TheatremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue sponsor for Young Gifted and Black program and past co-production partner for various works.
• Playwrights Canada PressmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher of the 21 Black Futures: The Anthology, making the plays available in print form.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tarragon Theatre: Toronto theatre company and Obsidian co-production partner (Definition, a profoundly affectionate…). Comparable in developing and producing new Canadian and international works in intimate Toronto venues.
• Nightwood Theatre: Long-established Toronto feminist theatre and Obsidian co-production partner (How to Catch Creation, JAJA's African Hair Braiding). Closest peer in mandate-driven, identity-focused producing model and similar scale.
• Factory Theatre: Toronto theatre company focused on Canadian works; venue sponsor for Obsidian's Young, Gifted & Black program and past co-production partner. Comparable in mandate-driven producing and Toronto-centric operations.
• Canadian Stage: Large Toronto-based producing theatre that co-produces with Obsidian (Is God Is, Fairview). Comparable in producing multi-show seasons spanning drama, musicals, and contemporary works for Canadian audiences.
• Buddies in Bad Times Theatre: Toronto queer-focused theatre and Obsidian co-production partner (Bootycandy). Similar mandate-driven identity-specific producing model at comparable scale.
• Crow's Theatre: Toronto-based producing theatre that co-produces Obsidian productions (The Fishermen). Comparable producing model with a multi-show season approach in Toronto.
• Soulpepper Theatre Company: Major Toronto theatre company and core Obsidian co-production partner (Three Sisters, How to Catch Creation). Both produce a multi-show season with co-productions across Toronto venues, sharing comparable scale and operational model.
• BCurrent Performing Arts: Toronto-based Black-focused performing arts organization associated with Obsidian through Crow's Theatre. Closest cultural-mandate peer, focused on Black artists with comparable training and producing scope.

Broad incumbents

• National Arts Centre: Canada's national performing arts centre presenting theatre, dance, and music. Overlaps with Obsidian in receiving federal arts funding and producing live performance in Ottawa, but operates at substantially broader scale and remit.
• Mirvish Productions: Largest commercial theatre producer in Toronto with multi-venue operations. Same theatrical category but operates at substantially larger commercial scale with Broadway-scale touring productions rather than mandate-specific non-profit producing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/obsidian-theatre-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Obsidian Theatre Company