Team

Mac Brock (he/him) is your friendly neighbourhood queer prairie playwright and producer. He loves big events and wild ideas: Mac has been the Events & Production Coordinator for Nuit Blanche Edmonton, the Market Director for Edmonton Christmas Market, and an Event Producer for Regina’s Cathedral Village Arts Festival alongside his own personal theatre work. As an administrator and consultant he has supported organizations like Edmonton Fringe Theatre, Rapid Fire Theatre, the Edmonton Heritage Council, Concrete Theatre, and more.

His play Boy Trouble was nominated for Outstanding Fringe Production and Outstanding Independent Production at the Sterling Awards, he is currently working on a love letter to prairie queers in a new commission from the Citadel Theatre, and he’s written a bunch of other gay nonsense too. He has written public art tours, produced podcasts, curated cabarets, and many weird jobs in between. Basically, he’s a big words and numbers (and lists) guy.

macbrock@commongroundarts.ca

Rainier Pearl-Styles (she/her) is a many-hats-wearing theatre creator and recent transplant from the coasts of the United States. She is driven by community engagement and education, and has been the Operations Associate for Ballet Edmonton, served on the education workgroup for San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, and is a proud co-founder of the Fork & Shoe Theatre Co-op, a patchwork production company focused on accessible self producing and resource sharing. As an educator, Rainier has worked across the U.S. as a guest teaching artist, administrator, performer, classroom teacher, and even gym coach. Rainier is also a producer, collaborating with Boston Theater Company, Small Matters Productions, Edmonton Fringe and more!

Rainier’s personal artistic work focuses on embodied practice as a tool for social justice, community engagement, and deconstructing “classical” texts through clown and storytelling. As a queer, Jewish clown, her work blends cultural practices with reconstructing processes to create and deepen community. Outside of theatre, she enjoys fibre arts, being outside, and making a fool out of herself in everyday life. rainier-pearl-styles.com
rainier@commongroundarts.ca

Whittyn Jason (they/them/theirs) is a queer, non-binary, mixed-race artist of South African and Ukrainian descent. They live and primarily create in amiskwacîwâskahikan (colonially known as Edmonton), where they work as a scenographer/lighting designer and Festival Director for Found Fest (Common Ground Arts Society). Whittyn is a member of the ADC, and holds a BFA in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta.

whittynjason@commongroundarts.ca

Sarah Emslie (they/she) is a queer theatre artist based in amiskwaciwâskahikan, Treaty 6. They hold a BFA from the University of Alberta in Acting, and have been a producer of theatre and festivals since 2017. In their widely-varying practice they have had the pleasure of working with companies like Tiny Bear Jaws, Small Matters Productions, Edmonton Fringe Theatre, Silver Skate Festival, Catch the Keys, and the Major Matt Mason Collective. Apart from theatre, Sarah is an avid crafter and sewist with a passion for making silly, practical, and beautiful objects; they live in the heart of the city with their partner and their haunted roomba named Thistle.

sarahemslie@commongroundarts.ca

Salem Zurch (they/he) is a multidisciplinary artist and curator working primarily in photography, printmaking and film. Their artistic practice is informed by years of community building as a black trans dyke living on the prairies.

Grounded in this relational approach, Salem orchestrates immersive experiences that transcend conventional storytelling. They have served as Creative Director at APIRG, are a STRATUS Journal board member, are SNAP’s current emerging artist in residence, and are the person behind the Hoedown—a queer honky-tonk dance party produced as part of Found Fest for three years.

Salem lives in amiskwacîwâskahikan with his beloved and his two cats, Truck and Alfie. He dreams of one day being an absolutely shredded grandpa with 3-12 grandbabies.

salem@commongroundarts.ca

Hayley Moorhouse (she/they) is a queer actor, producer, dramaturg, and award-winning playwright. She is grateful to be living and working on Treaty 6 territory in Amiskwaciwâskahikan, colonially known as Edmonton. As an actor, they’ve appeared in productions with various companies in Edmonton, including the Citadel Theatre, Workshop West, Shadow Theatre, Tiny Bear Jaws, and more. Hayley’s plays have been produced at the Edmonton Fringe Festival, the Alberta Queer Calendar Project, The Sprouts Festival, and in Edmonton Fringe’s Mainstage Season. Their latest play, Tough Guy, was the winner of the 2025 Alberta Playwriting Competition. Since 2023, they’ve worked as a dramaturg for Nextfest Arts Company. As a producer and arts administrator, Hayley helps manage projects ranging in scale from new play workshops to the legendary behemoth that is the Edmonton International Fringe Festival. She cannot wait to add her new role as Common Ground’s Season Producer to her ongoing creative work.

hayley@commongroundarts.ca

Shannon Lin (she/her/hers) holds a BFA in Dance and has been a dance teacher, performer, and choreographer for independent and interdisciplinary projects. She has taken on odd jobs in administration, events and production, and is passionate about moving to music and typing things.

Kat Evans (she/her) is a freelance professional Artist, Designer, Creator, Producer, PM/TD, Technician and Stage Manager based in Amiskwaciy-Wâskahikan (Edmonton, Alberta) on Treaty 6 Territory, Metis Regional Council 4. She holds a BFA in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta, and is the Co- Founder of The October People Productions. She specializes in practical SFX and immersive design for theatre, film, and escape room experiences. Since 2011, Kat has also been a core creative team member of the Dead Centre of Town Collective, with Catch the Keys Productions.

In addition to stand-alone productions, Kat is involved in several festivals and presentation series throughout the year, including The Edmonton International Fringe Festival, RISER Edmonton, and Play the Fool Festival. She is a Sterling Awards nominee in the categories of Outstanding Lighting Design (Freaky Green Eyes) and Outstanding Individual Achievement in Production (Production Manager).

kat@commongroundarts.ca

Jennie Emms (she/her) is based out of Edmonton, Alberta with a background in event production and stage management. Most recently, she was Associate Producer for Fever Labs Inc. launching the Candlelight Concerts Series in cities across Western Canada and Northwest USA. She is a graduate of the UofA Technical Theatre program specializing in Stage Management. Select theatre credits include: The Pillowman (Theatre Yes), E-Day (Theatre Network’s Performance Series/The Serial Collective), After Miss Julie (Lodestar Theatre/Edmonton International Fringe Festival), The Birthday Party (Lodestar Theatre/Edmonton International Fringe Festival) and Rig Pig Fantasia (Wishbone Theatre/Edmonton International Fringe Festival). She is thrilled to transition from her role as Production Assistant to the position of Production Manager for Found Festival 2024 presented by Common Ground Arts Society.

Frances Girard (they/them) is a settler and artist on Treaty Six in what is colonially known as Edmonton. As a full-time dabbler and part-time daydreamer, they are happiest when they get to make magic happen. I am honoured to be a part of the Found Festival team and can’t wait to see how it grows in the future. Stay safe and take care friends!