Keira Marie Forde (Shey /They) is a multidisciplinary performer, ​creator, and community arts producer who has been working in ​culturally relevant pedagogy and arts for over nine years.

Keira’s artistic contribution has focused on amplifying stories for ​people under the Youth category (under 30) in Toronto through ​various works as a performer, producer, sound artist, arts educator, ​and coordinator.

Keira's recent performance credits include The Christie Pits Riot based on the Christie Pits Riot ​with Hogtown Collective, What's So Funny with Carousel Players, and her original digital work ​titled No More News for Nancy with Alberta-based company Major Matt Mason Collective. In ​2023-2024 No More News For Nancy recently went through further research supported by The ​Creative Catalyst program at The NIA Center for the Arts.

Keira, as an arts educator and coordinator, has worked with over eight different theatre for ​young audience companies/festivals across Canada and was one of the artists selected to be a ​Peel region school board ambassador for Wellness Wednesday.

Keira is committed to her practice in culturally relevant arts and allows her intersectionality of ​being a bi-racial artist with roots in Trinidad to inspire her work in movement, music, and mask ​work. In her 2023 dance residency with Jaberi Dance Theatre, she explored the character of ​the Fancy Sailer from traditional mas in a work for children ages 13 months to 3 years.

Keira in 2024 produced and choreographed a new work titled Generation Gentrified for the ​Paprika Festival inspired by changing communities in Toronto.

Keira is fortunate to spend her time as a performer contributing to ​developing new works as an actor for various Toronto companies ​such as Obsidian Theatre and The Theatre Center and others. When ​she is not performing you can catch her sharing her passion for ​professional arts in public spaces in her role as the Community Arts ​Coordinator for Toes For Dance.

Diva Diverse Dance Event

-Photo by Heather Kay

What's So Funny Carousel Players - Photo by Lauren Garbutt

Relay by Beats and Intentions for Nuit Blanche

Forest Dreams, Dream in High ​Park Can Stage and Theatre ​Direct

-Photo by Sam Polzin

Keira, as an arts educator, produces and facilitates a wide ​range of programming for youth ages 13 months- 30 years ​old. Her background in sports, dance, and physical theatre ​provides dynamic, high energy workshops.

Keira has worked with organizations such as:

Rose Brampton Theatre

Wee Festival

ECDI

Theatre Direct

Toronto MET Day camps

Crossroads Theatre

Toronto Fringe

Weston Weekend Circle ​Time

Afro Caribbean Dance and ​storytelling workshop with

Miss Coco

6ix Summer popup ​programming team

Kind Creations Is Keira's work with youth.

Kind Creations has produced workshops and classes for Peel Region ​Wellness Wednesday, The Mabin School and new works of dance theatre.

Kind Creations has a focus on physical literacy, and building creative ​communities through ways of Social Dance, crafting and spoken word and ​sometimes LEGO.

Major Matt Mason Collective

Supported by Major Matt Mason Collective

Story Mentorship by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard

No More News for Nancy is a spoken word, movement, and sound-based ​digital performance experiment exploring the connection with 24-hour news ​in marginalized communities.

Nancy is a Gen Z with a millennial cusp, Biracial (Black and White) young ​woman who has a very commited relationship with news, mass media, social ​media, and basically any form of digital media. Nancy incorporates routine ​deep dives down a wormholes of news, conspiracy theories, chat groups, ​Reddit posts etc.

Through spoken word, dance, and music Nancy confronts some serious ​questions. She is not sure she is equipped to deal with it. Her hyper-aware ​fixation on the news has her up till 2 am most nights asking questions like ​“Why do conspiracy theories exist?” “What are the negative themes mass ​media creates when depicting black people?” “What was it like to grow up in ​the generation that was the birth of the digital age?” “What is the obsession ​with 24-hour news?” “How is access to information harmful vs. helpful?” ​“What is it like as a black person to consume news that causes unfathomable ​pain?” Was it the twin towers? The mad cowers? or Tori, that girl who has ​been missing for hours?

1999

2001