ABOUT
Jack Paterson (he/ him) is an internationally recognized and multi-award-winning theatre maker and creative producer with over two decades of experience. His extensive career spans projects across Canada, Asia, Europe, South America, the USA, and the UK, demonstrating a versatile and global perspective in his work.
Jack’s expertise lies in creating dynamic and distinctive theatre, encompassing transcultural and multi-disciplinary devised works, fostering creative access, developing new works, plays and translations, and presenting contemporary interpretations of English Language and World classics. His productions have earned over 30 professional theatre award nominations with numerous wins, including “Outstanding Direction” and “Outstanding Production.” He is a distinguished recipient of the “Ray Michal Outstanding Body of Work Award” and the “John Moffat & Larry Lillo Outstanding Body of Work Award”.
His comprehensive international training includes such notable institutions as Circle in the Square (USA), Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (Moscow, RU), Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ID), and an MFA in Direction from the East15 Acting School & University of Essex (UK).
As a creative producer, Paterson has founded and led several impactful organizations, including The Creatus Project (advocating for older adults in the arts), New Translation Canada (bridging playwrights across Canada’s linguistic divides), and Bouche Theatre Collective (breaking down barriers of distance and culture). His producing roles involve comprehensive operations management, programming, hiring, budgeting, and fundraising.
Key recent highlights include significant international collaborations, <R;Link> The Musical (Seoul, KR & Vancouver, CA), Variations in Light: Inspired by the Ramayana (Sanggar Paripurna, ID), and Palazzo del Mondo with SignDance Collective International (Farnese Palace, IT), which explores new forms of accessible theatre. His directing portfolio showcases a wide range, from new works and contemporary theatre to World classics.
Paterson is also a prolific speaker, workshop leader, sharing insights on topics such as international collaboration, aging in the arts, creative translation, and contemporary creation practices. He has contributed articles to leading theatre industry platforms, exploring diverse themes from traditional performing arts to innovation and industry insights.
His extensive networking efforts have directly facilitated significant global and national impact, promoted Canadian theatre makers and fostered international collaborations. Jack Paterson’s is profoundly commitmited to an inclusive, innovative, and globally conscious theatre.
NETWORKING & OUTREACH:
CULTIVATING GLOBAL & NATIONAL THEATRE CONNECTING
“Our production would not have been possible without the passion and dedication of the New Translation Canada team in partnering playwrights and translators, commissioning the new translations, and developing the texts to make to them rehearsal ready.”
– Karine Ricard, Artistic Director (Théâtre français de Toronto, CAN)
Jack Paterson drives significant global and national impact through proactive outreach and strategic networking. Since 2020, his initiatives have directly facilitated over 20 events, showcasing Canadian artists and their work across seven Canadian cities, seven countries abroad, and in eight new languages.
His leadership in facilitating, developing, networking, and promotion of Canadian theatre makers has directly resulted in:
- 2025 | Glassco Translation Residence for Marie-Claude Verdier’s Seeker, translated by Alexis Diamond (Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal QC)
- 2025 | National Tour french language tour of Karen Hines’ Crawlspace (theatre francais de Toronto ON)
- 2025 | English Language surtitles of Catherine Léger’s J’ai perdu mon mari (UniThéâtre, Edmonton AL)
- 2024 | English Language Premiere of Marie-Ève Milot and/et Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s Still Life (Talisman Theatre, Montreal QC)
- 2024 | English Language Alberta Premiere of Martin Bellemare’s The Ballad of George Boivin (Lunchbox Theatre, Calgary AL)
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2024 | English Language workshop presentation of Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s Still Life (Talisman Theatre & The Centaur Theatre WildSide Festival, Montreal QC)
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2023 | French Language Ottawa Premiere of Karen Hines’ Crawlspace (Zones Théâtrales – National Arts Centre, Ottawa ON)
- 2023 | French Language workshop reading of Mishka Lavigne’s Shorelines (Theatre Action, Ottawa ON)
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2023 | French Language workshop of Joseph Shragge’s Ricki (Scapegoat Carnival, Montreal QC)
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2022 | English Language workshop presentation of Eric Noel’s Ces regards amoureux de garçons altérés (Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal, Montreal QC)
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2022 | English language presentation of Nathalie Boisvert’s Facelift (The Centaur Theatre, Montreal QC)
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2022 | French language Staged Reading of Karen Hines’ Crawlspace (Théâtre Action, Sudbury ON)
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2022 | World English language Premiere of Mishka Lavigne’s Haven (United Players, Vancouver BC)
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2021 | English Language Premiere of Martin Bellemare’s The Ballad of George Boivin (Western Gold Theatre, Vancouver BC)
French Language Premiere of Karen Hines’ Crawlspace (Théâtre Français de Toronto , 2023)
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2018 | English Language Premiere of Catherine Léger’s I Lost My Husband! (Ruby Slippers Theatre & Richmond Gateway Theatre, Richmond BC)
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2015 & 2016 | Main Stage English Language Productions of Jennifer Tremblay’s The List (Ruby Slippers Theatre, Vancouver BC)
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2026 | Italian Premiere of Nathalie Boisvert’s Facelift (Piacenza Kultur Dom, IT)
- 2025 | R:Link – A Korea & Canada Young Artist Collaboration
Hanyang University (Korea), Capilano University, First Nations University of Canada, and Universty of Saskatchewan (Canada)
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2024 | Gaelic Translation of Martin Bellemare’s The Ballad of George Boivin (IE)
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2023 | Spanish staged reading of Rhiannon Collett’s The Kissing Game (Teatro Vista & Steppenwolf Theatre, USA)
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2023 | Italian workshop reading of Nathalie Boisvert’s Facelift (Teatro Trieste 34, IT)
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2023 | Italian staged reading of Nathalie Boisvert’s Facelift (Satiri Di Storie Festival, IT)
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2023 | Italian translation of Marie-Claude Garneau, Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s La Coalition de la Robe (Teatro Trieste 34, IT)
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2023 | Italian Translation of Nathalie Boisvert’s Facelift (ChezActors, IT)
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2023 | Spanish Translation of Rhiannon Collett’s The Kissing Game (Teatro Vista, USA)
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2022 | Italian presentation of Marie-Claude Garneau, Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s La Coalition de la Robe (Teatro Trieste 34, IT)
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2021 | South African Premiere of Marie-Claude Verdier’s I’m Not Here (University of the Free State, ZA)
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2021 | Portuguese Translation of Rhiannon Collett’s The Kissing Game (Nucleo Experimental, BR)
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2021 | Presentation by Theatre Maker Deneh’Cho Thompson at Flausen+ Kongress (Werkstatt Theater, DE)
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2021 | Portuguese Translation of Olivier Sylvestre’s La Loi de la gravité (Nucleo Experimental, BR)
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2021 | Italian Translation of Trina Davies’ Silence (Piacenza Kultur Dom, IT)
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2021 | Italian Translation of Marie-Claude Garneau, Marie-Ève Milot et Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s La Coalition de la Robe (Piacenza Kultur Dom, IT)
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2020 | Dutch Translation of Joseph A. Dandurand’s Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish (Axis Theatre)
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2020 | Portuguese Translation of Joseph A. Dandurand’s Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish (Axis Theatre)
Playwright Rhiannon Collett, translator River Coello, director Denise Yvette Serna & performer Daniel Suarez (Boca a Boca, Teatro Vista USA)
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2020 | English language presentation of Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent’s Chiennes (Studio Theatre, USA)
- 2020 | Translation Niall McNeil’s poem “Innocence of Hope” to Cantonese (China), French (Canada
& France), Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Ecuador), and Chinese (Taiwan).
- 2016 | London UK English language Premiere of Marie-Claude Verdier’s I’m Not Here (Voila Festival, UK)
English Language Premiere of Still Life (Talisman Theatre Montreal, 2022)
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2024 | Publication of Miska Lavigne’s Walls in English translation (Canadian Play Outlet).
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2023 | Publication of Nathalie Boisvert’s Antigone in Spring in English translation (TalonBooks).
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2022 | Publication of excerpts of Trina Davie’s Silence in Italian translation (SuperAble Magazine online and print editions).
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2021 | Publication of Marie Claude Verdier’s Andy’s Gone in English translation (Playwrights Canada Press).
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2021 | Publication of Sébastien Harrisson’s From Alaska in English translation (Canadian Play Outlet).
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2015 | Multiple Canadian playwrights featured in Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway’s Audition Speeches for BAME (bipoc) Actors (Bloomsbury Methuen).
Sold at leading UK & International theatre bookshops, featured Canadian playwrights include Camyar Chai, Anosh Irani, Ravi & Asha Jain, Sheila James, Sunil Kuruvilla, Anita Majumdar, Wajdi Mouawad, Mala Sinha, Djanet Spears, Jordan Tannahill, Guillermo Verdecchia, and Marcus Youssef.
TOTAL & FUSION THEATRE
On Practice
I have been fortunate to a career to date that has spanned multiple approaches to contemporary and tradition theatrical creation. As a result, across my practice, I aim for a collaborative ensemble based inclusive “Total” approach – one where all techniques, forms, disciplines, pedagogies and philosophies can share the playing space in conversation and combination. Our objective is what is most effective towards a given moment or expression and what new is created when opposing forms, disciplines and ideas are put in combination.
Bring extensive training and practice in multiple approches, fusion forms have included the American Methods (Meisner, Adler, Strasberg, Chekov), creation and site specific practices, classical text First Folio Work, Physical theatre (such as Viewpoints, Laban and Biomechanics) with contemporary new writing; international traditional practices with western devising; contemporary dance and cross cultural practices with literary translation; and application of contemporary sculpture, installation and media practices to traditional theatre.
As a professional theatre maker who has been fortunate to travel extensively in my practice, I am often working with new ecologies, new companies and new artists with approaches and world views far different from my own. From professional mainstages to a beach in Bali, and from the large festival resources to emerging new companies and independent artists, I have focused my work on identifying the strength of my collaborators, building upon them and working together create high calibre work unique to the place, time and those who made it.
Practices include:
“See, touch, feel: the global commitment breaking down barriers.” – Startupitalia.eu (Italy)
TOTAL THEATRE
Total Theatre is an ultimate collaboration, designed to create space for multiple voices in creation and reflect this diversity of perspectives in performance. All techniques, forms, disciplines, pedagogies, philosophies, and worldviews can share the stage. Democratic creative decision-making further embeds the capacity for independent and unique voices interacting with each other. Projects include Atlantide (IT), After Ibsen (CAN), and Odyssey (UK).
CROSS CULTURAL EXCHANGE & CREATION
Nowhere is it more evident that your way is only one of many than international collaboration. These projects examine what new is sparked when distinct cultural rivers come together in equal respect. Through creative exchange of knowledge, content and forms are selected by the ensembles in multi-lingual and multi-disciplinary events. Projects include Wayang 4D, Found Object Folk Tales (ID), and 再⻅ GOODBYE (UK).
ACTIVE ACCESS DESIGN & CROSS SENSORY TRANSLATION
Imagine an essential moment from any production that moved you and ask: What (if any) element of this moment is inaccessible to an artist or audience? What is essential and how can we explore the same “experience” differently? Collaborating closely with stakeholders in the community, Active Access Design & Cross Sensory Translation integrates access tools directly into the generative process. Projects include Palazzo del Mondo (IT), The Medusa Projects (UK & & USA), and The Ballad of Georges Boivin (CAN).
CREATIVE TRANSLATION
Often misunderstood, translation for theatre falls into the professional category of “Creative Translation”. Not a word for word substitution, the source is a point of reference to create an equally compelling work in the target language. The result may often not seem like the original but will generate an equivalent impact. For this to succeed, a unique cross cultural creative partnership between playwright and translator is crucial.
