By David Silverberg,

Since going dark during the pandemic, Buddies has been shining a light on itself, acknowledging its need to advance as an organization open to greater representation.

For Toronto’s queer community, Carter says, “Buddies is multiple things to multiple people,” adding that the company is addressing its past programming lineups of primarily white artists.

“Diversifying the stage is not just important to Buddies but to the entire arts sector,” he says, “and as radical and miles-ahead as Buddies has been in theatre, we have to keep growing too, and take ongoing audits of who’s using our space, who we are reaching, and how we can develop a space to welcome more communities here.”