Playwright to receive U of L Young Alumni Award

Canadian playwright Chelsea Woolley gives a voice to at-risk youth through the powerful medium of theatre and has received the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association’s 2024 Young Alumni Award. 

Woolley will be presented with the award at the Let There Be Light Night Alumni Achievement Awards celebration Oct. 18. 

“Chelsea’s ascension as one of the strongest writers in Canadian theatre is testament to her skill, talent and unwavering commitment to tell these difficult, powerful stories that speak to a segment of youth that yearns to be heard,” says Cyndi Bester, ULAA president.  

“A Faculty of Education graduate, Woolley is an excellent example of the liberal education philosophy of ULethbridge, utilizing her educational background in a fine arts medium and facilitating programming for young people to become engaged in theatre,” adds Bester. 

Woolley is an award-winning, emerging Canadian playwright whose voice speaks on behalf of vulnerable young women and marginalized youth who confront family trauma and social inequity. 

A two-time winner of the Play Right Prize competition as an undergraduate student at the University of Lethbridge, Woolley also received the Faculty of Education Gold Medal as the most distinguished graduate of her class.  

Quickly establishing herself as an exceptional talent in Canadian theatre, Woolley attended the prestigious National Theatre School of Canada’s playwriting program, a first for a ULethbridge grad and won the RBC Emerging Playwright Prize in 2019, leading to a residency at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre. 

Steadfast in her commitment to community causes, Woolley launched a multidisciplinary performing arts program for at-risk and under-housed youth in downtown Toronto, which allows them to work with professional artists and learn how to create unique musical and theatre pieces.