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Meet the Fellow
Wilmer Aburto
Wilmer Aburto is a Nicaraguan-born multidisciplinary artist, photographer, curator, and community advocate. For more than two decades, he has used art to amplify underrepresented voices and create space for meaningful representation. His photography has been exhibited with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, featured on the cover of Freq magazine, and selected for the Italian publication Imago Mundi, which was exhibited alongside the Venice Biennale.
His curatorial practice spans Queer-focused exhibitions, film programming, public art, and community projects celebrating identity, resilience, and belonging. Wilmer has served on advisory boards advancing gender and sexual diversity in public safety and expanding opportunities for Latino artists. His leadership has been recognized through awards for inclusivity, community partnership, and contributions to arts and culture.
Meet the Supporting Fellow
Kenna Burima
In her adopted hometown of Calgary (Moh’kinsstis, Treaty 7) Kenna has earned a reputation as a fearless songwriter, performer, collaborator, producer, educator, and writer.
Since doing her time in the institutional hallowed halls of classical music education, Kenna’s love for all creative forms has driven her involvement in a diversity of projects. Collaboratory and theatrical work dovetails into her daily concerns of dive bar gigs, soft seater performances, free public singalongs, studio work, teaching songwriting and writing about creativity. As Werklund Centre’s TD Incubator Supporting Fellow for the 2026-27 season, Kenna is keen to continue mentoring Calgary’s emerging performing artists across various artistic disciplines, lovingly preparing them for lifelong career in the performing arts.
Meet the Director
Steven Conde
Steven is a director and actor from the Philippines. He has been in the arts industry for over 20 years, mainly acting in musicals and directing for various professional companies in Manila and parts of Asia. He was assistant director for the Singapore and Manila productions of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street featuring Tony winner Lea Salonga and was also assistant director for Angels in America and the Southeast Asian premiere of The Band’s Visit. In Canada, he graduated with an MFA in Directing from the University of Calgary and has been part of the Stratford Festival's Langham Directors Program, worked in productions such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tale of the Gifted Prince (Theatre Calgary), Kensuke's Kingdom (Storybook Theatre), Seafarer (Alberta Theatre Projects), Killing at La Cucina, The Verdict (Vertigo Theatre), Beyond the Sea (Lunchbox Theatre), Life of Pi (Citadel Theatre), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Stratford Festival), Little Mermaid, Good As Gold (FlipSide Theatre), and is artistic director for the newly formed Filipino Canadian theatre company Second Act Performing Arts Collective.
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