A WALK IN SNYDER’S FLATS WITH TENEILE WARREN

Birdsong and the barking of friendly dogs provided the soundtrack for my walk in Snyder’s Flats with artist and activist Teneile Warren. The day was warm, the trail was inviting, and the early buds of spring welcomed us to the space.  

“I find it to be a very peaceful place, I think because it’s largely unmaintained,” Warren said. “There’s something very raw about it.”  

Warren’s relationship with nature began growing up in Jamaica where they visited their grandfather’s farm, read the changing seasons through the fruit-bearing trees and developed a love for the sound of running water.  

They came to Canada in 2011 to complete a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a focus on Playwriting at the University of Guelph.  

Warren grew up exposed to theatre, attending pantomimes with their mother and discovering play scripts on their grandmother’s shelves. During their undergraduate degree at the University of the West Indies, they became involved with the Dramatic Arts Society and their passion bloomed.

When Warren decided to come to Canada, theatre played an important role in both motivation and funding. They staged a showcase of their work to help earn money for travel and tuition.  

“Theatre literally brought me here,” they said.  

After completing their MFA, Warren moved to  Waterloo Region to establish roots and start a family. They focused on creating connections to support their life and work here.  

“I learned that you have to find your community,” they said. “I was very proactive about finding organizations to volunteer with, finding spaces where I could…create some type of community,”  

Warren works as an artist and activist. Since 2021, they have held the position of Equity and Inclusion Officer at the Waterloo Region District School Board, a role that has sometimes brought unwanted attention in the form of hateful and intimidating messages and images. These experiences, combined with their work in schools prompted Warren to reflect on the importance of care.  

“The care that your queer staff needs right now, or your black staff[…]is very, very different from the care that your white staff needs, or your male staff needs,” Warren said. “We really need to think about [care] differently.”  

Part of the reimagining of care and work for Warren involves reflecting on pace and action, which sometimes means putting themselves before the work in order to continue to show up.   

“[The activist] community has taught me to know your battles and know when to be out front and when to be in the background,” they said. “We are always working. You’re not always seeing us, but we are always fulfilling our responsibilities.”  

For Warren, art is an essential component of the care they need and provide.  

“Theatre is my church,” they said. “I can just walk into a theatre and just sit there for hours and just find this sense of peace.”  

We continued along the trail loop, passing other people enjoying the day, and stopped to sit on a bench and take in the view. Birds swooped over the water and through the tree branches as I asked Warren about playwriting.  

In January of this year, Warren’s full-length play Beyonsea and the Mothers had its world premiere as part of the Green Light Arts season. Warren began working on the piece three years ago and applied a collaborative approach with other members of the artistic team to the playwriting process. They were deeply affected by hearing from audience members about the importance of seeing themselves represented onstage.  

“[D]oing [Beyonsea and the Mothers], I realized this is my greatest gift,” Warren said. “This is what I can offer[…]we do our greatest learning through art.”  

In addition to being an artist and activist, Warren also claims the title of chef. Since coming to Canada, they have used food to better understand identity and culture.  

“I’ve come to understand the way that food has been colonized and how important it is to the story that we tell and how we[…]communicate with each other,” Warren said. “I have a particular reverence for food[…]I think that eating just to be full is boring and unkind to food.”  

The trail took us back to the parking lot, and I asked Warren what was next for them.  

They serve as the editorial director of Textile Magazine and are excited about new development opportunities for local writers the magazine is supporting. They are also keeping an eye on local political developments and advocating for more art and community spaces in the region.   

“What’s next for me is really just pushing the art and activism,” they said. “And I think that’s where the community will see more of me.”   

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