Velvet Wells, Equity Consultant

Velvet Wells (they/them) is available to consult with you, your theatre, or organization, on disrupting anti-Black racism and bystander intervention. Bio at the end of the page

Story Sharing Social (2025-2026)

Velvet is the Program creator, manager, and facilitator of the twice monthly story sharing social hosted by Bruce House, in partnership with Qu’ART – Ottawa Queer Arts Collective

Access Activator (2025)

Velvet was a Community Mentor with the premiere Access Activators program at Toronto Metropolitan University

Practicing Disruption (2024)

Get out of freeze and fawn! Improve your confidence in disrupting discrimination through an interactive workshop with Velvet Wells. Details on its dedicated page

Velvet is available to consult with and train individuals and organizations on difficult conversations, as well as offering moderation services.

Black Pledge Collective (2022-present)

Velvet is an active member of the Black Pledge Collective, fulfilling facilitation and project roles as required

Mapping Our Connections & Knowledge (2025)

A community engagement workshop as part of the Our Cities on Our Stages symposium, co-presented by Bad Dog Theatre and The Theatre Centre

All Together Now (2025)

Black Pledge Collective, in partnership with Choral Canada presented All Together Now (March-May 2025)

Born from Choral Canada and the Black Pledge Collective’s joint training and collaborative work with CPAMO (Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario), this initiative is designed to support leaders in driving transformation within their choral and group singing organizations through the lens of Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Decoloniality, and Anti-Racism (ADEI-DAR).

Velvet Wells and Sedina Fiati co-facilitate this online pilot program in English

Beyond Black Squares (2024-2025)

Velvet Wells and Sedina Fiati co-facilitated, two three-hour Beyond Black Squares workshops for the Dora Mavor Moore Award jurors as part of our strategic partnership with TAPA

PACTcon (2023-2025)

Black Pledge Collective joined PACTcon for the second year in a row, as part of our strategic partnership with PACT. At this conference, held in Kjipuktuk / Halifax, Velvet co-hosted an open gathering for Black artists and arts workers. We had passionate conversations about the local theatre landscape. Velvet also co-facilitated a session with Sedina Fiati and Ren Niles, calling on PACT members to imagine a thriving future for Black artists and arts workers. Look for visual feedback on the Black Pledge site. We also shared updates on the Black Pledge and shared information about “Reclamation”, our upcoming gathering in Tkoronto / Toronto

MemberConnect (2025)

Velvet Wells and Sedina Fiati (both with Black Pledge Collective), in collaboration with Robin Sokoloski (Mass Culture) and Lisa Greave (Atlantic Presenters Association) co-facilitated a Community Engagement session for the annual MemberConnect conference

Beyond Black Squares (2024)

Co-facilitated by Sedina Fiati and Velvet Wells, this three hour workshop helps segments of the live performance space disrupt anti-Black racism in their space. Together, we led hybrid, virtual, and in person sessions for PACT, TAPA, SMarts Conference, and many of our pledge signing organizations

Community/ Room Agreements (2022-23)

Black Pledge members, including Velvet Wells, facilitated multiple Stratford Festival director-actor groups through the development of their mindful room agreements

Bio (2025)

Velvet Wells, Strategic Partnerships Lead, Black Pledge Collective

Velvet Wells (Ottawa) stands on the balcony of the Ottawa Art Gallery, the city and skyline blurred behind them. Captured by Curtis Perry Photography (2022)

Velvet Wells (they/them) is an award-winning queer, Black, lyrical comedian and creator-producer based in Ottawa, unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. They’re the Strategic Partnership Lead for the Black Pledge Collective, and co-facilitator of the successful Beyond Black Squares workshop series. In 2024, they piloted their anti-racism/anti-oppression workshop “Practice Dismantling Racism”,, designed as an interactive practice space using applied improvisation. They are proud of their Disability Files contribution “Accessibility, One Person at a Time.” They are the creator of the sold out “Ottawa Comedy Cabaret Cruise” series, the internationally toured “All Request Radio”, and they are a multiple award winning playwright for “(Re)Tired Magical Black Man.”

Select Testimonials

ImprovisAsian Festival Trista Mrema
Chris MeadNicole Mischler
Kristen McKenzie

Improv Equity Panel Appearances