CoWork at the Cotton Factory Announces Writers-in-Residence Recipients
Hamilton, ON — CoWork at the Cotton Factory is proud to announce the recipients of its inaugural Writers-in-Residence Program, aimed at nurturing emerging and mid-career writers in the Greater Hamilton and Toronto area. This prestigious program provides selected writers with the space and support to dedicate at least 20 hours per week to their craft during the six-month residency, which kicks off on September 1, 2024.
The 2024 Writers-in-Residence
Ryan McMahon
Ryan McMahon has been a trailblazer in Indigenous comedy, podcasting, and storytelling for nearly two decades. An independent creative known for his forward-looking, bold, and irreverent storytelling, McMahon is an award-winning writer, an acclaimed journalist, and a highly sought-after keynote speaker. He is widely regarded as one of the best Indigenous comedians working today.
Recently, Ryan was nominated for three 2024 Canadian Screen Awards for his work on the Thunder Bay (CRAVE) docuseries: Best Factual Series, Best Writing, and Best Directing. As creator, writer, director, executive producer, and host of the series, he won Best Factual Series and Best Writing awards. The series also received two awards at the 2024 Northern Ontario Music & Film Awards, winning Best Director and Outstanding Television or Video on Demand Series.
His podcasts, Red Man Laughing, Stories from The Land, and Thunder Bay, have received widespread critical acclaim and have been downloaded millions of times worldwide. Since 2010, Ryan has recorded five national comedy specials and has appeared multiple times at the world-renowned Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. He continues to tour North America independently, with a comedic storytelling style that is irreverent, boundary-pushing, and forward-looking.
In 2021, McMahon signed a First Look deal with global film and television powerhouse eOne to develop, write, and produce new works across all platforms. He is also co-writing a book for McClelland & Stewart (Penguin Random House Canada), a literary adaptation of his podcast Thunder Bay. Ryan is the Indigenous Affairs Reporter for the Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health and is published through the Toronto Star.
“This artist-in-residence opportunity is exciting for me because the famed Cotton Factory is a hub of creativity. I am extremely excited about the opportunity to work alongside the community there.”“I’m currently developing a slate of new scripted and unscripted works for TV film and podcast and am in the early stages of developing a new live storytelling show called “Best Fk’n Story,” which will feature the true stories, misadventures and miracles of artists, misfits, thinkers, and disruptors from around the world which I hope to premiere sometime late into this residency. Stay tuned!”
Jacob Duarte Spiel
Jacob Duarte Spiel is a four-time CSA nominee with over a decade of writing experience in television, podcasts, video games, digital comedy, and copywriting. He co-created and wrote for three seasons of The Beaverton and was co-producer on the third season. He also writes for Wrong Station, currently the biggest Canadian horror podcast.
“I plan to write and produce another season of my internationally acclaimed horror fiction podcast Wrong Station. https://www.wrongstation.com/ I am also working on developing and teaching a series of unique writing workshops that combine psychological concepts with traditional writer’s craft.“
In university, Jacob co-founded The Beaverton, Canada’s most popular comedy website, and served as a senior editor, writing over 300 articles. His other TV projects include Frick, I Love Nature and Stay Tooned, both available on CBC Gem. Jacob holds a BSc from the University of Toronto, where he completed a double major in immunology and health and disease studies.
The six-month residency begins on September 1, 2024. We look forward to supporting Ryan McMahon and Jacob Duarte Spiel as they continue their groundbreaking work and contribute to the vibrant creative community at CoWork at the Cotton Factory.
