Founder and executive director of the Prismatic Arts Festival Shahin Sayadi announced today that he will be leaving the organization at the end of 2022. After founding the festival in Dartmouth in 2008, Sayadi has overseen Prismatic’s growth into one of Canada’s largest multidisciplinary events for BIPOC creators of theatre, dance, music, film, visual arts […]
Shahin Sayadi
Where I work: Shahin Sayadi
Chess with the Doomsday Machine To February 7 Alderney Landing Theatre WHO HE IS I grew up in a theatre family—my dad had a company and my mother performed, I grew up in that environment, ended up in Canada and did theatre studies at Dalhousie. Maggie [Stewart, OneLight’s managing director] and I started the company […]
Theatre Review: Return Ticket: Halifax-Abadan-Halifax
There’s a point in Return Ticket where it really hits home that playwright Shahin Sayadi (played by Theo Pitsiavas) has put himself in danger by returning to his hometown in Iran. He has been interviewing people for a play he hopes to write about his uncle, a “sacred martyr” in government terms, but an intriguing, […]
Best Theatre Impressario
“Impressario” is a term that doesn’t really resonate with Shahin Sayadi. He just does what he does, pursuing his muse. “I appreciate the coverage and the recognition,” says Sayadi, modestly. His theatre company, OneLight, has earned its recognition. It’s been operating since 1999—Sayadi’s wife Maggie Stewart is OneLight’s managing director—and will soon launch its ninth […]

