Emily Maxwell

Background

About Emily Maxwell

Emily Maxwell 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 has worked as the Accessibility Manager for Luminato Festival Toronto, the 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.