CBC Saskatchewan’s Future 40 is back once again to showcase and recognize outstanding individuals in Saskatchewan under the age of 40.
One of the ten individuals chosen for this year's Future 40, is former Swift Current resident, Landon Walliser, co-founder and creative administrator for On Cue Performance Hub.
On Cue Performance Hub is a non-profit arts organization which works to provide developmental, artistic, and financial support for artists, Walliser explained.
“We provide independent artists with access to rehearsal space and performance space, administrative support, and marketing and publicity support,” he elaborated. “We just try to fill in the holes that most independent artists don't necessarily even realize are there in getting them from independent production to professional production standards.”
On Cue Performance Hub initially began back in 2019 as a series of community forums hosted by Mary Blackstone, where she would bring theatre artists from around Regina to discuss the local performing scene.
“She kind of set the wheels in motion of getting all these different initiatives going and then in early 2020 I was approached by her (Blackstone) and Kathleen Irwin, who was a former professor of mine at the University of Regina, and they kind of brought me on board to realize some of the things that they wanted to begin practically doing for that community,” he stated.
Plans were momentarily put on hold during the height of the pandemic, before starting back up in 2021.
From there, Walliser took on many different roles and put in countless volunteer hours to help create a better and more inclusive future for Saskatchewan artists.
On Cue prioritizes artists from under-served communities and encourages the work of artists from Deaf, disabled, Queer, newcomer, BIPOC, and gender-diverse communities.
Walliser added that one project he is particularly proud of is On Cue, On Demand.
“We partnered with the University of Regina's Film Department, and we bring in a senior or recently graduated film student under an internship with Mitacs,” he explained. “They come in and they film the performances of whichever shows want to be made available On Demand and then they edit them and put them up online so that they are available in a professional streaming service called Broadway on Demand. The artists are able to make money from that, both through on-demand streaming as well as free, ad-supported television streaming.”
Walliser was submitted for consideration for CBC Saskatchewan’s Future 40 by one of his co-workers and was chosen from out of approximately 60 applicants.
Now residing in Regina, the talented young producer and director has been working professionally in theatre since 2013.
Some of his credits include ‘Small Boy Dreams’ (Curtain Razors & National Tour), ‘Young Frankenstein: The Musical’ (Prairie Skies Musical Theatre), ‘Philistines’ (University of Regina & Rose Bruford College), and ‘Love, Loss, and What I Wore’ (The Women’s Company).
He has won numerous awards including two Broadway World Awards for ‘Love, Loss, and What I Wore,’ the Best of Venue award from the Hamilton Fringe Festival, and Young Man of the Year Award from Queen City Pride for his contributions to the LGBTQ plus community.
Walliser also currently serves as a board member for the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre.
Click here to learn more about On Cue Performance Hub.