Professional Mentorship Program pair Ellen and Sarah working at the dining table during a Saturday morning writing session.

No matter the discipline, the creative process is a process! Professional mentorship can help artists work through creative blocks, bounce ideas off each other and share knowledge gained in years of experience in the arts. Playwrights Ellen Peterson and Sarah Flynn recently completed the Professional Mentorship Program through Creative Manitoba and shared a few of the highlights with us!

Tell us a little about yourself and your work!

I am in the midst of writing the first draft of a play called The Bathroom in our Home on the Corner of 5th Street.
– Sarah

I’m currently launching an initiative called The Free Theatre, designed to make theatre faster, more topical, more local, less expensive, less wasteful and more accessible to all. The pilot performance will be on May 31, 2024 at the Gargoyle Theatre.
– Ellen

What sorts of things have you been doing/talking about within your artistic discipline during this program?

Ellen has been a supportive sounding board for wacky and exciting ideas on my new play, asked me the hard questions so I dive deeper into the characters, and has been a friend to drink tea and write with for hours on a Saturday morning. These conversations and ‘writing dates’ have allowed us both to find focused time for our writing and create some delightful and inspiring work.
– Sarah

Sarah and I have found a number of ways to work together. Fortuitously, our time together has coincided with the launch of a playwright program for High Schools called PlayRoots. I have been developing this course over the past several months and Sarah has been one of the instructors I’m training to deliver the program in the future. The first two 5-week sessions were held outside of Winnipeg, and the long drives afforded us the perfect opportunity to discuss all manner of things related to playwrighting, theatre, the course, the student’s plays, what it is to be an artist, and where to stop for coffee.

I’ve also read her work and consulted with her on it on an ongoing basis, and shared mine with her. We go to plays and have writing sessions together.
– Ellen

How long have you been a practicing artist?

I have been writing for theatre since the summer of 2016, when circumstances thrust me into it. But I was in my first play as a wee six year old in summer camp in Ontario; I played a lioness. I have been a professional artist since I graduated from university in 2018.
– Sarah

Forty years. 40. Four-oh. I feel like a novice in some ways still, but in other ways, I am definitely starting to give off “exhausted war horse” vibes, But since in Winnipeg a theatre artist needs to diversify to survive, there is always something new I have to learn to do and I am never bored.
– Ellen

What aspect of your work brings you joy?

Curiosity and humans bring me joy. The curiosity you need to delve deep into humanity and the unwavering desire to discover other people and what makes them similar to and unlike ourselves. There is so much beauty in the world and people have always fascinated me! I get to create humans out of my mind and portray them on stage, and for that, I am joyously grateful.
– Sarah

The creative process, the other artists I’ve been blessed to work with. Problem-solving within a given work. Working with students or with other playwrights as a dramaturg. I’m sure they’ve taught me a lot more than I’ve taught them. The feeling of belonging I have in this artistic community. New experiments. And of course, the money.
– Ellen

What do you feel has been a positive outcome from this Creative Manitoba Professional Mentorship Program? Is there anything you’ve felt particularly excited about during your time together?

Ellen has made me truly feel like I am a capital P, Playwright! Before, it was something I didn’t feel I could claim. But now as I write this and have three playwriting projects on the go, I know that I really am a writer. And that when it comes to it, I’ll have someone to show me the best spot in the theatre to sit on opening night of the world premiere of my play (and I bet she’ll even hold my hand if I ask).
– Sarah

I love Sarah and have so enjoyed getting to know her. She is a gifted artist who will be doing a stunning variety of exciting projects in her near future and beyond. One interesting subject that comes up is “I have four things I’m supposed to write. How do I know what to work on first?” So it hasn’t been just about the craft of playwrighting, but also about navigating life as an artist. We’ve also had fun going to some shows and comparing our opinions (and sometimes our intense rage). Our weekend writing sessions have afforded us both the perfect chance to share ideas while getting some work done. We plan to expand these to include other writers. Sarah and I will most definitely continue our mutually beneficial partnership beyond this program.
– Ellen