Biography

Erin Macklem

Erin Macklem is a French-Métis-Irish-English theatre artist and arts administrator who lives with her daughter on Lekwungen territory (aka Victoria BC). 

Her maternal Red River ancestors (Laderoute, Contré, St Arnault, LaRoque) left St Norbert after the second resistance and moved to Olga, ND. Over the generations they moved back north and migrated further and further west. Now Erin is perched on the edge of the continent, writing about displacement and reconnection, despair and resilience. 

She holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Victoria and for over 25 years has designed costumes, written plays, led workshops, and supported the arts sector. Since 2018 she has been a Program Advisor and the Outreach Coordinator with the BC Arts Council. 

Her plays and musicals have been performed at SummerWorks Festival, the Belfry Theatre, Theatre SKAM, Story Theatre, and in school gymnasiums throughout BC, AB, MB, stateside, and beyond. 

She participated in Banff’s Indigenous Playwright’s Nest to expand her TYA play, Blue Beads and Blueberries, for Manitoba Theatre for Young People. 

She offers gratitude to her ancestors, family, and mentors for their guidance.