Jake Tkaczyk

Performer

Jake is a theatre maker, director, performer, and arts administrator based in Edmonton, Alberta. He currently serves as Managing Director of Ukrainian Shumka Dancers and Shumka School of Dance and is Residency Coordinator for Transart Institute's international PhD program in creative practice. Jake holds a PhD in Creative Practice from Transart Institute and Liverpool John Moores University, where his research explored the aesthetics of awe, meaning, and pleasure in contemporary performance.

As an artist, Jake has worked extensively across theatre, improvisation, devised performance, and arts education. He has performed in dozens of productions, founded theatre initiatives focused on expanding access to artistic training, and directed a wide range of projects, from improvised soap operas to contemporary experimental performance. His work is driven by a curiosity about how performance creates connection, wonder, and community, often blending humour, critical inquiry, and playful experimentation.