Theatre Passe Muraille has announced the launch of a new endowment fund to support the creation of new works. The Andy McKim Endowment Fund for New Works will be officially launched, and the inaugural recipient announced, at a public event at Theatre Passe Muraille on February 2, 2026.
“The Board of Theatre Passe Muraille is honoured to support the creation of the Andy McKim Endowment Fund for New Works. Andy’s vision continues to shape TPM’s artistic identity, and this Fund extends that legacy by providing sustainable, meaningful support to artists who are pushing boundaries and expanding the possibilities of Canadian theatre. We are excited to celebrate the inaugural recipient early next year,” comments Jeff Chan, Chair of the TPM Board of Directors.
The annual fund, first established in 2024, is dedicated to supporting innovative and socially engaged new Canadian theatre works. Conceived by TPM’s former Artistic Director Andy McKim, in collaboration with TPM’s Board of Directors under then-Chair Jim Roe and former Managing Director Régine Cadet, the Endowment Fund has been designed to prioritize the development of new works. It’s particularly important in this era of diminished funding available through commissions and artist-development resources in the theatre sector.
With founding contributions from the Atkinson Martin Foundation, a registered charity established in 1942 that helps to fund social and economic justice projects in Ontario, along with a large bequest by a long-time theatre patron, the Endowment Fund has been established to provide a sustainable annual commitment that will extend into the years to come.
The Fund will support any form of creation that aligns with Theatre Passe Muraille’s mandate, with a flexible and sustained approach to supporting artists at the earliest stages of development.
Andy McKim
Andy McKim served as Artistic Director of Theatre Passe Muraille from 2007 until 2019. Other significant appointments include:
- President of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT)/ 2002 – 2005
- President of the Toronto Theatre Alliance (now TAPA)/ 1997 – 1999
- Associate Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre/ 1985 – 2007
Over the years, he has served as director, dramaturge, and teacher, and is the recipient of many awards and nominations, including winning two Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and two Edinburgh Fringe First Awards, along with a 2010 Playwrights Guild of Canada Bras D’or Award, which recognized his dedicated to gender equity in promoting and producing the work of women playwrights.
Throughout his career, Andy has demonstrated a commitment to artist-driven creation, community-rooted storytelling, and equitable, inclusive practices.
“Theatre Passe Muraille needs an endowment fund because there is precious little money left over for art once fixed costs are paid — administration, office space, building operation and maintenance, and staff. In my final season as Artistic Director, we were only able to devote roughly 10% of the budget to art,” McKim comments in a statement.
Artistic Director Marjorie Chan and Artistic Producer Indrit Kasapi comment, “New work is the heartbeat of Theatre Passe Muraille. It is how we evolve, respond, question, and dream. The establishment of the Andy McKim Endowment Fund ensures that artists have the resources and room to explore ideas at the earliest stages, where imagination is most fragile and most alive. We look forward to sharing the inaugural recipient soon — an artist whose work reflects TPM’s values of innovation, thoughtfulness, and community-rooted storytelling.”
Stay tuned for the announcement event in the new year.
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