The Cultch and Urban Ink are pleased to announce that Corey Payette’s Children of God will return to the York Theatre for a limited run from March 21-29, 2025.

Children of God is about an Oji-Cree family whose children were taken away to a residential school in Northern Ontario. The story of Rita, a mother who was never let past the school’s gate, and her kids, Tom and Julia, who never knew she came, pushes toward redemption. Children of God offers a blend of ancient traditions and contemporary realities, celebrating resilience and the power of the Indigenous cultural spirit. Inspired by First Nations music, Corey Payette’s moving score also includes echoes of provocative Broadway masterpieces such as Fun Home and Next to Normal.

Corey Payette, who wrote, composed and directed Children of God, is an award-winning interdisciplinary creator known for his large-scale original musicals which explore complex and contemporary Indigenous experiences. Performed in English and Anishinaabemowin, his musical Children of God is a tremendously impactful piece that explores the history and intergenerational impacts of the residential school system and provides a platform for dialogue about what happened to Indigenous communities in Canada.

Since its premiere at the York Theatre in 2017, Children of God has garnered wide recognition; critics and audiences alike laud it as vital theatre and essential viewing for all Canadians working towards reconciliation. “It’s an opportunity for our settler allies to experience the story seen through the eyes of an Indigenous family,” says Payette. “What would it have been like if it had been your child? Once people put themselves in those shoes, we’re going to see real, lasting change in our communities.”