The Soulpepper Academy aims to develop highly skilled theatre artists equipped to make significant contributions in rehearsal halls and to the cultural landscape of Canada. Since the program's return in 2021 under the guidance of Artistic Director Weyni Mengesha, new and returning faculty members have included some of Canada's leading artists: d’bi.young anitafrika, Ins Choi, Kim Collier, Ravi Jain, Gregory Prest, Lorenzo Savoini, and Guillermo Verdecchia, have helped Academy artists develop their artistic voices with original creations throughout the 26-week paid training program. The Academy curriculum is taught through rehearsals, classes, studio intensives, and workshops to enrich the ins thinking and practice while developi’ while developing strong, responsible, and skilled collaborators in an ensemble setting.

The course is guided by the Anitafrika Method, embracing the Ubuntu philosophy of interconnectedness —I am because you are/I am because we are. This method prioritises self-actualisation, creative expression, and community embodiment, forming the core of the practice. Developed over fifteen years and central to my PhD research, the Anitafrika Method is a transformative decolonising approach to performance and pedagogy. I began working on the framework to systemise the socio-political consciousness that was inherent in the theatre training I received from my mother Anita Stewart and other Black womxn theatre mentors such as Amah Harris of Theatre in the Rough, ahdri zhina mandiela of b current theatre, Djanet Sears of AfriCanadian Playwright’s Festival and Alison Sealy-Smith of Obsidian Theatre. Inspired by my mother's drama school thesis—Dubbin Theatre, and grounded in Black feminist thought, the method aims to transform how theatre and performance practitioners are trained as theatre makers, how they understand their craft and its impact on society.

The culmination of this module is the creation of Biomyths, a form of performative work which melds aspects of personal biography, mythology, and story into a unique narrative, allowing the artist to deeply explore and express their individual and collective experiences. It calls for a reflexive, critical, and imaginative engagement with personal hxrstories, mythologies and social consciousness. This holistic approach challenges artists to channel their creativity, personal experience, and societal insights into a transformative work that fosters self-expression, collective understanding, and connection.