Dr. Yasmine Kandil

Biography

Yasmine Kandil began her journey in Cairo, Egypt, where she studied Theatre at the American University in Cairo. After completing her B.A., she worked in community-based settings utilizing theatre for social awareness and change. She engaged with young children from the slums of Cairo, children involved in the trash trade, and at-risk youth across the country. In 2003, she moved to Canada to pursue an M.F.A. in Theatre Directing and a Ph.D. in Applied Theatre from the University of Victoria, where she started collaborating with immigrant and refugee communities, as well as organizations like the Intercultural Association of Greater Victoria and the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society. Following her degree, Kandil moved to Saint Catharines, Ontario, to accept a post at Brock University, where she worked with various local communities, including the homeless, the elderly, and police officers in training. Her research focuses on using theatre as a tool for self-expression in disenfranchised communities, emphasizing celebratory theatre to foster deeper connections during applied theatre initiatives. Her recent devised performance, "Return Nile: Tales of Migration," was a research project examining community representation in applied theatre. Kandil has co-applicanted SSHRC grants for developing police officer training curricula using scenario-based learning for engaging with individuals in mental health crises. Her publications have appeared in leading theatre journals.

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