Jasmine is a second-generation Taiwanese-Singaporean immigrant artist based in the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh , and Səl̓ílwətaɬ Nations and T’karonto. She has performed and directed across Turtle Island, including at The Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Manitoba Theatre Centre, The Arts Club, Factory Theatre, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre, 4th Line Theatre, Cahoots Theatre, Canadian Stage, and many others. Her interdisciplinary creation practice centres multilingual storytelling, audience interactivity, and diasporic narratives. Jasmine was the Artistic and Community Producer at Gateway Theatre, and is a current resident of the National Theatre School Artistic Leadership Residency. She is a recipient of the Gina Wilkinson Award, the Jon Kaplan Legacy Fund Canadian Stage Performer Award, Stratford Festival Jean Gascon Award, Toronto Harold Award, and is a Dora Award nominee. Her work has been featured in CBC Arts, NOW Magazine, Toronto Star, Vancouver Sun, Intermission Magazine, the Georgia Straight, and Stageworthy Podcast.
I’m so proud of the work that myself and my peers have accomplished. When I was an emerging artist on the cusp of graduating from theatre school, I was welcomed into the Asian Canadian theatre community in Toronto. Little did I know that so many of us that were just starting out would go on to publish plays, lead companies, and be the change that we had yearned to see. With the support of my mentors, and the encouragement of my fellow Asian creatives, I’ve been able to work all across the country. I’ve had the opportunity to stretch far beyond what I ever imagined for myself. I trained solely as a theatre performer, but now I can say that I’m also a voiceover artist, writer, director, and creator working across film/tv, digital storytelling, immersive experiences, and podcasts. It’s been endlessly inspiring to collaborate with other artists to elevate Asian stories in the Canadian cultural landscape.
My feeling is that I have a responsibility to be as truthful to my own artistic voice as possible. Asian Canadians are not a monolith, there are infinite stories that deserve to be shared. For me, it’s not just about what stories we tell, but also how we choose to tell them. Working with collaborators on our own terms outside of colonial structures has been incredibly affirming and empowering. Being an Asian Canadian artist also means that I belong to a strong community that champions one another. I would not be the human I am without the people who have motivated and supported me in my journey.
