Board of Directors
Our 2026-2027 Board of Directors
Iroda Abdunazarova (she/her)
Iroda is an educator and researcher whose work centres inclusive education, feminist and intersectional approaches, immigrant experiences, and creating supportive spaces for marginalized voices. She is the co-founder of the SheWrites Circle, a feminist writing community supporting women graduate students through connection and collective care. Iroda has contributed to international and Canadian research projects on youth, education, STEM persistence, teacher education, and educational transitions, including REAP, The 4K Transition: 1st Grade Textbooks and others.
Michelle is a writer, producer, director and actor born in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador. She won two Arts & Letters Awards: Showdown won the 2023 Dramatic Script; and Ready, Aim won in 2022 for Poetry. Showdown had a dramatic reading at PerSIStence Theatre’s Year of The Arts Woman’s Play Festival in 2024, and it was part of the Playwriters Guild of Canada’s International Craft Bites Program. Her one act play Baby Bonus, a no nonsense play dealing with women’s reproductive choices, won the Confederation 75 Arts & Letters award in 2025. Michelle’s three act plays, Mummering, Mischief and Murder: A Tibbs Eve Farce, sold out in December 2023, and Boomerang debuted at the Barbara Barrett Theatre to near capacity houses.
The Girls of Belvedere, her first novel, was published by Flanker Press in May 2025. Clemens wrote, directed and produced The Odds of That, a short film, which won Best First Time Film at the 4Theatre Film Festival and was selected for several film festivals: The Nickel International, The Smith Sound and The Parrsboro Atlantic. She wrote and starred in the comedy, It’s All Fun and Games which was a Finalist in So Limitless and Free International Film Festival (2024) and screened at the Smith Sound in 2023. Her screenplay Success, won The Best Short Film Screenplay at Australia’s Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival 2024. She has co-written and produced half a dozen other short films since 2022. Michelle is a regular storyteller with St. John’s Storytelling events where she performs her original short stories.
In her first career, Michelle began as a high school Drama and English teacher and completed her education career as a school principal. Michelle refired as the co-owner of PrinciPALS Productions with Bridget Ricketts.
Rose is a former faculty member at Allameh Tabataba’i University (ATU), the largest human sciences university in Tehran, Iran. She earned her PhD in Political Science in 2016 from Montesquieu University in France. Since immigrating to Canada in September 2023, she has been serving as the Youth Prevention Coordinator at Thrive in St. John’s, where she works on educational initiatives including the development of trainings, toolkits, and informative materials focused on preventing youth sexual exploitation.
Rose has also worked as a per-course instructor at Memorial University in St. John’s. Before moving to Canada, she contributed to numerous international projects supporting Afghan migrants and vulnerable populations in both Iran and Afghanistan. She facilitated programs centered on gender equity, peacebuilding, and social inclusion, with a particular focus on Afghan migrant communities in Iran. She also served as the Head of the Afghanistan and Middle East Committee at the International Scientific Association of Peace in Iran.
Olivia is an educationalist, theatre practitioner, writer, and cultural organizer whose work bridges higher education, feminist cultural production, and community engagement. She holds a PhD in English Literature and Letters from McGill University as well as an MA and BA (Hons.) in English Language and Literature from Memorial University and a Bachelor of Adult Education from Brock University. A former SSHRC Doctoral Fellow, Olivia has taught literature, film, and theatre at both McGill and Memorial Universities and presented her academic research at conferences and invited talks across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Her research and writing have appeared in publications such as Canadian Theatre Review, After Oil, Riddle Fence, and the Los Angeles
Review of Books.
A long-time contributor to the cultural landscape of Newfoundland and Labrador, Olivia has performed in and directed numerous theatrical productions, and was part of the original touring cast of the nationally-staged musical No Change in the Weather. She has worked with organizations such as Shakespeare by the Sea, Spirit of Newfoundland, Resource Centre for the Arts, St. John’s Shorts, the St. Johns International Women’s Film Festival, WritersNL, and TaDa! Events.
While living in Montreal, Olivia was an active contributor to McGill’s theatre and film community—performing in student productions, serving on juries for student film festivals and playwriting competitions, and directing performances at the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada. In Olivia’s current position as Manager of Academic Program Assessment at College of the North Atlantic (CNA), she leads institution-wide initiatives in program evaluation and
academic quality assurance. Previously at CNA, she worked as a Program Developer at the Paul Pope Centre for Film & Media, where she designed academic programming that supports emerging filmmakers and promotes equity in the screen industries.
Olivia brings a collaborative, community-based, and values-driven approach to the board, as well as an ongoing commitment to mentorship and the creation of inclusive, supportive spaces for emerging artists and scholars. She is honoured to support PerSIStence Theatre’s mission of creating bold, intersectional feminist performance.
Robyn Huxter (she/her)
Robyn is a dog groomer and theatre practitioner with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mount Allison University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Memorial University. Her educational background reflects a unique combination of scientific knowledge, creative practice, and a passion for working with animals.
Robyn's professional experiences include working as an au pair in Paris, France, and as a cast member at Walt Disney World. As a professional actor, she has performed with several theatre companies throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, including Power Productions, Terra Bruce Productions, Rising Tide Theatre, and Gros Morne Theatre Festival. She has also collaborated with Todos Productions on a variety of theatrical projects. During her studies at Grenfell Campus, she was awarded the Andre Noble Award in her third year for excellence in theatre. In her final year, she received the Tommy Sexton Triple Threat Award, recognizing excellence in acting, singing, and dancing.
Originally from Ontario, Robyn is based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she resides with her dog, Lilo. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys travelling and is an avid follower of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
Yuliia Maslak (she/her)
Yuliia Maslak is a teacher of acting and a theatre director with over thirteen years of teaching experience at the Ivan KarpenkoKary National University of Theatre, Film and Television in Kyiv, one of Ukraine’s foremost theatre institutions. She holds Master’s Degrees in Theatre Directing and in Business Management, both evaluated by WES Canada. Her work brings together expressive actor training approaches with a bold, contemporary directing vision shaped over twenty years.
She has directed more than a dozen productions across Ukraine and Poland, leading artistic teams in theatres including Molody Theatre, STUDIO Theatregallery, and Teatr Śląski, as well as guiding numerous graduation and educational productions that shaped emerging actors in Kyiv’s vibrant theatre community. Her most recent works — 5:00.UA, an award-winning production amplifying the voices of twelve Ukrainian actresses, and Traces of the War, a UkrainianPolish performative collaboration — reflect her commitment to socially resonant, cross-cultural performance. Her directing portfolio spans classical texts, contemporary dramaturgy, musical theatre, and performative storytelling, with a focus on work that elevates personal narratives, cultural dialogue, and socially engaged performance.
Yuliia also brings sector insight through her work with the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, where she evaluated more than 160 grant applications in the
performative arts. Since relocating to Newfoundland and Labrador, she has continued to initiate and lead artistic projects, including the public reading
of At the Beginning and End of Time, working within the New Stage Project with the Women’s Work Festival, and developing the same play further through an ArtsNL-supported workshop with a set designer.
Shazia Shaheen (she/her)
Shazia is a highly accomplished advocate for women's rights with extensive experience in feminist and human rights organizations. She has played a pivotal role in championing legislative reforms to protect women and girls in Pakistan. Notably, her leadership positions, including Coordinator of Mumkin: Ending Violence against Women Alliance in Punjab and co-convener of Ending Gender-Based Violence and Girls in Islamabad, have been instrumental in the passage of significant laws, such as the Child Marriage Restraint Act, Domestic Violence Against Women and Protection Act 2016, Anti Honor Killing Law, and Acid Crimes against Women Act. Additionally, her expertise extends to media and communication, where she has conducted numerous webinars, edited publications on violence against women and child marriages, and contributed to awareness-raising animations.
Shazia’s research on women in conflict situations, women's inheritance rights, and movements for land and fisheries rights has provided valuable insights into the challenges faced by women in Pakistan. With her project management skills, she has successfully led initiatives promoting women’s education, health, gender equity, and diversity among religious and ethnic minorities as Head of the Programme at Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO). Shazia’s contributions extend to academia, as she co-authored the research publication Justice Prelude: Women's Access to Justice further enriching the discourse on women's rights and access to justice.
Joan Woodrow (she/her)
Joan Woodrow has had a wide-ranging career and a life-long interest in the Arts. In the early 90s, she worked behind the scenes at the LSPU Hall as a Theatre Technician and Technical Director, and in the local film industry as a Set Carpenter and Production Secretary. Previously, she had worked for a short time as an apprentice boatbuilder to Jerome Canning, in her hometown of Placentia. In 1982-83 she studied Woodframe House Construction at Camosun College in Victoria, B.C.
From 2000 to 2003 Joan served on the Board of Directors of the French Shore Historical Society, Conche, where she helped to establish Casey House Artist Retreat, just in time to commemorate 2004 - the Year of French Presence in NL, by welcoming Jean Claude Roy and his wife Christina, as the first Artist in Residence at Casey House.
Joan received BA and MA degrees (French) from Memorial University and a B.Ed (TESL) from Concordia University. From 2003 to 2010 she taught English in France and Qatar. She worked as a bilingual Client Services Agent with the Canada Revenue Agency from 2013 to 2026 and is now retired.
Joan is honoured to support PerSIStence Theatre Company in fulfilling their mandate to support women and all others facing gender-based barriers through theatre and other activities.