Nehal El-Hadi is a writer, researcher, and editor. Trained as an environmental journalist and urban planning scholar, Nehal’s work explores the relationships — with materials, technologies, objects, and spaces/places — that define what it means to be human. She also holds a residency at Toronto's Theatre Centre, where she is developing The Observer Effect, a public space performance that examines the impacts of surveillance.

Mabel Wonnacott is a Tkaronto based opera director, arts educator and puppeteer whose work has been described as “lively and imaginative” and “ingenious”(Opera Ramblings, LudwigVan Toronto). Mabel’s 2024/25 season also includes L'enfant et les sortilèges & L'enfant Prodigues with The Glenn Gould School, The Tender Land with Toronto City Opera, L’amour und Liebe and The Music of Britta Johnson with U of T, The Paper Man (in collaboration with Duo Cichorium), and Ramla and the Dessert, a new work by playright Nehal El-Hadi. In 2024, Mabel directed the world premier of Lysistrata Reimagined, a new opera by Michael Albano and the U of T New Composer’s Collective. In 2023, she was the associate director for Joel Ivany's production of Don Giovanni with The Banff Centre and was the assistant director for Ivany’s production of Don Giovanni with the NAC Orchestra. This summer Mabel was the assistant director for the CCOC’s production of The Hobbit, and Toronto City Opera’s production of Carmen.  She holds a diploma in Operatic Stage Directing from the University of Toronto where she was the assistant director for their 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons. Mabel also holds a Masters in Voice from Western University where she was the assistant director for their 2019/2020 and 2020/21 seasons. An avid believer in opera as a vehicle for human connection and social change, Mabel is also the Ontario Provincial coordinator for Opera InReach.

Heather Piper is an interdisciplinary artist located in Brooklyn, NY with work ranging from fine art painting to multimedia puppetry performance. She strives to create thoughtful new mythologies with moments of levity inspired by folklore, magic and play. The artist’s journey with puppetry began at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she studied writing and animation. In 2013 Heather moved to NYC to intern for the Henson Creature shop, and went on to work as a freelance fabricator and Local 829 scenic artist for commercials, television, theater, and movies. Heather’s art practice consists of object making, textile experiments, costume, mask making, and fine art painting. She found puppetry to be one of the modes of expression that encapsulated most of her interests.

Waleed Abdulhamid is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, music and film producer. He is known for his striking vocals, innovative bass technique, and his speed and precision on percussion. He has been an active member of the Toronto music scene since his arrival, in 1991 from Sudan, where he began to perform as early as six years old.

He is the recipient of the Canadian New Pioneer Award; African Tama Award; Reel World Film Festival Award and Canadian Film Board of Excellence Award. In addition, he has not only received other international awards, but was also twice honoured with a DORA Award.