Leadership: Relationships Matter

Exploring relationships and leadership through theatre

at Tarragon Theatre

About this Course

This leadership development workshop invites students to explore essential leadership concepts and skills through the creative lens of theatre. Working together to create an original theatre piece focused on the leadership skill of building relationships, students quickly discover that strong relationships are the foundation of many other leadership abilities. Effective teamwork depends on trust and connection. A student launching a school club must persuade others to join—and persuasion itself relies on meaningful relationships.

Guided by an experienced playwright and actor, students will dive into a dynamic crash course in playwriting, with relationships as the central theme. They will experience the excitement of researching ideas and shaping a script in draft version.

While the workshop centres on understanding and practising relationship-based leadership, it also provides a rich platform for developing a wide range of leadership skills, including creativity, curiosity, public speaking, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving. In this course, students discover that “all the world’s a stage”—and they each have a leadership role to step into with confidence and imagination.

Learning Outcomes & Takeaways

By the end of this workshop, students will be able to:

Explain how strong relationships form the foundation of effective leadership, including teamwork, persuasion, and collaboration.
Apply theatre-based techniques—such as script development, character creation, and ensemble work—to explore and practise leadership concepts.
Collaborate effectively within a creative team, demonstrating trust, communication, and shared responsibility while developing a short original theatre piece.
Demonstrate creativity and curiosity by generating ideas, researching themes, and shaping them into a coherent script.
Use storytelling as a leadership tool, crafting narratives that communicate purpose, values, and connection.
Develop and refine communication skills, including active listening, clear expression, and constructive feedback during rehearsals and group work.
Practise public speaking and performance skills that build confidence, presence, and the ability to engage an audience.

Technical Requirements & General Information

The Lifelong Leadership Institute (LLI) presents this course as part of our commitment to expanding access to transformative learning experiences for Black youth—experiences that have too often been limited by historical inequities. We aim to nurture the talents, ambitions, and leadership potential that Black youth possess while ensuring they have full access to the skills and opportunities that drive future success. This particular workshop enables students to explore and practise important leadership skills.
Because this is a fast-paced, two-day learning experience, only students who register for (and subsequently complete) the two-day Leadership workshop on August 24 and 25 should apply. Students who cannot attend the full program are encouraged to consider future opportunities.
The course emphasizes interactive, hands-on, and experiential learning. Students are expected to participate actively in discussions, collaborate with peers, and complete in-class assignments.
Students will need access to a suitable laptop computer.
Parent’s Role: Parents or legal guardians are responsible for ensuring students arrive and depart the venue safely and on time, and for providing lunch.

Course Instructor

Nathaniel Hanula-James (he/they)

Dramatist · Playwright · Performer

Nathaniel is a theatre maker who collaborates on new work as a dramaturge, playwright, administrator, and performer.

For Tarragon Theatre, Nathaniel is the Lead Facilitator of the Local Young Playwrights Unit, the playwright lead for East of Tarragon, as he offers many of the theatre’s high school workshops. Their recent projects include White Taffeta Silk (Talk is Free Theatre, 2024), in which two teenagers unearth a buried wedding dress and a vengeful spirit; and Flux in the City, a participatory theatre piece co-created with Wesley Reibeling and the Major Matt Mason Theatre Collective, about the wonderful world of municipal consultation (High Performance Rodeo, 2025).

Nathaniel is a staff writer for Intermission Magazine and is a leadership collective member of Shakespeare in the Ruff.

Course Snapshot

Status: Applications closed

Dates

Wednesday, August 26, 2026 (9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
Thursday, August 27, 2026 (9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)

Daily Schedule

9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Attendance will be taken around 9:20 a.m. each day.

Mode

In-person

Venue

Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto

Duration

2 days

Instructional Leader

Nathaniel Hanula-James, Dramatist, Playwright, Performer

Fee

No charge.

Lunch

A one-hour lunch break is scheduled. Lunch is not provided by the LBD program. Students are welcome to bring a packed lunch.

Equipment

A reliable laptop is required.

Certificate

No.

Who Should Apply

Students who have registered/completed the prerequisite two-day SummerUp workshop on Leadership (August 24 & 25).
Leadership by Design (LBD) students, who in September 2026 will be in Grade 12 (C24) and Grade 11 (C25), or in first-year post-secondary studies (C23).
Other Black youth in Ontario, who in September 2026 will enrol in Ontario Grade 10, 11, and 12, and who have required academic qualifications.
Students who are eager to explore leadership themes through theatre-based techniques.
No prior theatre experience is required. This is essentially a leadership course that uses the theatre arts as a platform for learning, confidence-building, and personal growth.

Important

Apply only if you can commit to attending all scheduled days of this in-person workshop.

We admit eligible applicants on a rolling, space-available basis. Act to submit your application as soon as possible.