Patrick Conner Award
Patrick Conner (1964-2012) was a lauded Actor, Director, Dramaturg and Teacher who devoted his life to the Toronto theatre community. He was a co-founder of groundbreaking site-responsive theatre company, Die In Debt Theatre, a key collaborator with Theatre Rusticle, and a contributor to the works of VideoCabaret, Buddies In Bad Times, Threshold Theatre, and countless other companies.
The Patrick Conner Award was established in 2013 to celebrate the life and work of Patrick Conner, a Toronto-based activist, actor, director and a champion of ethical food systems. This award recognizes someone who, like Patrick, works to change the world through their practice; it comes with a cash prize of $2,500.
In 2018 The Patrick Conner Ticket was created. The honoree will be gifted with subscriptions to Toronto theatres for the year in which they were honoured.
The 2020 recipient of the Patrick Conner Award is Njo Kong Kie!
A ping pong and picnic enthusiast, Kong Kie is also a composer, a pianist, a music theatre creator, and a well-loved member of our family at The Theatre Centre. As an artist he thinks deeply about the nature of the world and its impact on humans who live in it.
In past years, we gathered in the cafe to celebrate the winner over lavender cookies and cocktails (Patrick loved lavender), and raise a glass to Patrick. Since that’s not possible this year, Kong Kie made a cocktail and batch of cookies from the comfort of his own home.
Join him and try the recipes out for yourself.
- Nikki Shaffeeullah (2019)
- Susanna Fournier (2018)
- Jennifer Dallas (2017)
- Georgina Beatty and Sarah Pittoello (2016)
- Aviva Armour-Ostroff and Kimberley Edwards (2015)
- Lea Ambros and Taarini Chopra (2014)
- James Davis and Estelle Shook (2013)
Past ticket recipients include Thomas McKechnie (2019) and Mariah Horner (2018).
Donate to the Patrick Conner Award