Aurora Finkle

Aurora Jade is a Plains Cree from Peepeekisis First Nation visual artist, musician, storyteller, and workshop facilitator. Aurora started performing professionally across Canada at the age of nine years old. She has performed her music and original songs at various venues, radio stations, benefits, and theatres. Her artistic vision is to mix fine Indigenous art with bold graphic design through acrylic medium. Her art has been shown in multiple galleries, coffee shops, and Pow Wows.

Aurora participated in the 2022-2023 MASC Reconciliation Legacy Indigenous Internship that pairs emerging Indigenous artists with MASC artists to collaborate on school and community projects that include Indigenous content and teachings. Aurora is also a trained Educational Assistant.

Jacqui du Toit

Born and raised in South Africa, Jacqui Du Toit is known for her animated stories from the mother land. By combining gestures, movement, singing, facial expressions, and dramatic impersonations that spark the audience, Jacqui knows how to captivate the audience with more than just words. She is the co-owner of The Origin Arts and Community Centre. "I have witnessed an increase in examples of collaborations, creations, connections between cultures, heritages, and experiences, and being proud of your culture and heritage." — Jacqui Du Toit

Jennifer Cayley

Jennifer Cayley has been a performance storyteller for more than three decades. While her repertoire includes, literary, historical and personal stories, it is the traditional folk and fairy tales along with some of the world’s great epics that are the foundation of her work.

Performance highlights include: touring with Jan Andrews to Rome, Australia, Wales, USA and southern Ontario; appearing at festivals across Canada and in Hawaii; making regular appearances at the Ottawa Storytellers’ Signature Series; telling some of the great epics of the world at Rasputin’s Café, the National Arts Centre and best of all on the shores of Taylor Lake in Lanark Co.

Working with young people in schools and in community settings has been a critical part of Jennifer’s storytelling life. She was also, along with Jan Andrews – a co-founder of MASC where she is now thrilled to be on the artists’ roster. She has worked on the Ontario Arts Council’s Artists in Education roster, with Prologue to the Performing Arts, and the TD Canada Trust Canadian Children’s Book Week Tour.