TORONTO – September 2025 – The Collaborative Network to End Exploitation (CNEE) and Mixed Company Theatre (MCT) have partnered to present Harvest Justice: Twice the Speed of Lightning (TSOL), an interactive production that shares the stories of migrant workers in Canada. The production aims to build solidarity and empower audiences to take actions for a fairer and more equitable Canada for all.

TSOL is a Forum Theatre dramatization of the experiences of migrant workers in Canada, who are often vulnerable to severe exploitation due to systemic shortfalls in immigration and labour laws. Many sectors of the Canadian economy, especially agriculture, rely heavily on migrant labour, with ~35% of the agricultural workforce consisting of migrant workers as of 2024.

The creative process for TSOL was developed in collaboration with 15 migrant workers who shared their experiences and challenges through workshops and conversations. Their experiences are woven into the story that audiences are being invited to experience.

Forum Theatre is UNESCO-recognized educational tool, where a story is performed for the audience, and then repeated. During the second viewing, audience members are invited to replace the actors on stage to change the story and create a positive, alternative ending. The hope is to create an experience in which audiences not only learn about these issues, but emerge with a deeper understanding of the Canadian food system and actions they can take to support systemic change.

TSOL will be performed in Guelph on Saturday, September 27, at the Guelph Black Heritage Society Hall, 83 Essex Street, Guelph. In Toronto, the show will run from October 1 – 5, presented in Native Earth’s Aki Studio, 585 Dundas Street East, Toronto (Daniels Spectrum Building).