Meet the Team
[Image Description: A close up of a white woman with ginger hair and blue eyes, wearing a grey beanie and holding a bouquet of pink roses in front of her face. Underneath is written: Emily Maxwell (she/they)]
EMILY MAXWELL | Artistic Director
EMILY MAXWELL (she/they) is the Artistic Director & Founder of The Disability Collective. Emily is a queer, disabled, and neurodivergent artist who spent the first decade of her career working as a stage manager for theatre and live events. Emily founded The Disability Collective in 2020 as a way to combine her love for art with her passion for disability justice. In June 2023, Emily received the inaugural Christine Karcza Disability Leadership Award at the 43rd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards, in recognition of her dedication to creating opportunities for disabled artists to showcase their work, and fighting for accessibility in performing arts spaces, both on and offstage. Additionally, Emily works as the Accessibility Manager for Luminato Festival Toronto, the Accessibility and Events Manager for ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto, and is one of the Accessibility Coordinators for the Toronto Fringe Festival. Emily is also on the Board of Directors for Kickstart Disability Arts & Culture. In her spare time, Emily enjoys reading, writing, and working on various small crafts. Emily lives and works in Toronto with her husband, Nathan, and their two cats, Merry and Pippin.
Reach out to Emily at emily@thedisabilitycollective.com for inquiries about programming, social media, artist submissions, collaborations, partnerships, advertising, and promotions.
NATHAN SARTORE | Managing Director
NATHAN SARTORE (he/him) is the Managing Director of The Disability Collective. A queer and disabled theatre arts administrator, Nathan is dedicated to bringing accessibility and inclusion to all arts spaces. In addition to his work with The Disability Collective, Nathan is currently working as the Programming & Accessibility Coordinator at TO Live. In his spare time, Nathan enjoys reading, crafting, and spending time with his family. Nathan lives and works in Toronto with his wife, Emily, and their two cats, Merry and Pippin.
Reach out to Nathan at nathan@thedisabilitycollective.com for inquiries about money matters (donations, sponsorships, finances, and accounting), website questions, ticketing and box office, and contracts.
[Image Description: A close up of a smiling white man with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a black shirt and against a black background. Underneath is written: Nathan Sartore (he/him)]
[Image Description: A close up of a white woman with long, blonde, loosely curled hair, wearing a purple sweater, in front of a white wall, smiling broadly and looking down. Underneath is written: Ali Hand (she/her)]
ALI HAND | Director of Accessibility & Consultation
ALI HAND (she/her) is a disabled theatre artist and disability advocate on a journey with the goal of singing show tunes, telling stories, and making this wild industry inclusive and accessible for those who create and those who consume. Ali studied American Sign Language and Deaf culture at George Brown College, Leadership in Accessibility and Inclusion at Toronto Metropolitan University and musical theatre at Randolph College. Whenever Ali isn't singing or studying, she is most likely spending her time cooking or hiking.
Reach out to Ali at ali@thedisabilitycollective.com for inquiries about accessibility, consultation and services, community communications and outreach, partnerships, and education.