Erum Khan is a multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of film and theatre. She is a community leader driven to diverse contexts of roles as a writer, performer, film and performance maker, facilitator, and film programmer. Much of her community-engaged work is underscored by a commitment to create space for youth to access and engage with the arts.
SELECTED PROJECTS
Writer’s Residency for Crow’s Theatre & Mongrel Media Inaugural Loughborough Lake Writer’s Retreat (Kingston, ON 2021).
Writer and Story Developer for LAL's upcoming visual album (Toronto, ON 2021 - 2023).
Director’s Assistant for Noor & Layla, Fae Productions. Directed by Fawzia Mirza (Toronto, ON 2020).
Playwright for the ‘Write from the Hip’ program presented by Nightwood Theatre (Toronto, ON 2019-2020).
Performer in JIYO, Baby Daal Productions. Directed by Fawzia Mirza (Toronto, ON 2020).
Filmmaker for petrichor for Soulpepper Theatre’s Queer Place, Queer Space (Toronto, ON 2020).
Writer/ Director for the film Waiting. Commissioned by Workman Arts ‘If You Ask Me’ series in partnership with Trinity Square Video. Premiered at The Rendezvous with Madness Festival (Toronto ON, 2019); Toronto Queer Film Festival, Breakthroughs Film Festival (Toronto ON 2021).
Co-Writer/ Performer for پتھر کی زبان (patther ki zabaan) with Tijiki Morris. Presented at the Rhubarb Festival (Toronto ON, 2019).
Writer/ Performer for Noor. Directed by Erin Brubacher. Featuring original composition by the electronic music duo LAL and Anwar Khurshid on sitar. Produced by Generous Friend and presented by The Aga Khan Museum (Toronto ON, 2018).
Assistant Director for Acha Bacha By Bilal Baig. Directed by Brendan Healy. Produced by Buddies in Bad Times Theatre & Theatre Passe Muraille (Toronto ON, 2018).
Writer/ Performer for Becoming. Directed by Liz Peterson. Presented at the Rhubarb Festival and Ottawa Fringe Festival (Toronto ON, 2018).
Writer / Director for A Nomad’s Home (Banjaare ka ghar). Premiered at the Toronto Independent Film Festival (Toronto, ON, 2015).
Assistant Director for Concord Floral by BRUBACHER/SPOONER/TANNAHILL. Presented in 2016-2017 by Canadian Stage (Toronto), PuSh International Performance Festival (Vancouver BC).
Performer and original collaborator for premier production produced by Suburban Beast/ Why Not Theatre at The Theatre Centre (Toronto ON, 2014).
SELECTED WORK with ORGANIZATIONS
Art Department Assistant for A Poem for Anna, CreativeTea, Directed by Sidrah Laldin (Toronto ON, 2021)
Editor for Canthius Literary Magazine (Toronto ON, 2021 - ongoing)
Film Programmer for The Rendezvous with Madness Festival presented by Workman Arts (Toronto ON, 2019 - ongoing).
Contributor for (re)Rites of Passage Anthology commissioned for The Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival (Toronto ON, 2021)
Mentor for Shakespeare in the Ruff’s Young Ruffian Apprenticeship Program (Toronto ON, 2021)
Co-lead collaborator for Offers and Answers: A Field Guide for Digital Strategies in partnership with Ryerson University, Nightswimming Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre, Generous Friend (Toronto ON, 2020 – 2021)
Film Mentor for young emerging filmmakers for Workman Arts ‘If You Ask Me’ series in partnership with BIPOC TV/FILM (Toronto, ON, 2020).
Film Programming Pre-Screener for the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival (Toronto ON, 2020).
Co-Facilitator for the TD Youth Creators Unit at the Paprika Festival (Toronto ON, 2020).
Youth Ambassador for Apathy is Boring RISE program (Toronto ON, 2020).
Adjudicator for The National Theatre School Festival (Mississauga ON, 2019; North Bay ON, 2020 (cancelled due to covid).
Artist Guide for Peace Camp Theatre (Toronto ON, 2019).
Facilitator for Workman Arts ‘If You Ask Me’ series (Toronto ON, 2018).
Festival Programming Intern for The Toronto International Film Festival (Toronto ON, 2017).
External Relations Coordinator & Internal Communications Manager for AIESEC (Paris, France, 2015).
SELECTED AWARDS, GRANTS and HONOURS
2021 Urjo Kareda Research Grant through Tarragon Theatre
2019 Queer Emerging Artist Award through Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
2015 Dora Mavor Moore Award (Nominee) Best Ensemble Cast, Concord Floral
2014 Arts & Letter Club of Toronto's Young Playwrights Award (Honorable Mention), Noor
2014 – 2022 Grants recipient of all three levels of government funding (TAC, OAC and CCA).
EDUCATION
2017 University of TorontoHons. Bachelor of Arts, Distinction
Majored in Sociology; Minored in Professional Writing and Communication & Cinema Studies
2015 Sciences Po, Paris, France
International Exchange Program
2012 Applewood Heights S.S French Immersion Graduate
LANGUAGES: English (Native), French (Fluent), and Urdu (Fluent – Speaking)