The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced that Jacoba Knaapen is the 2026 recipient of the annual Silver Ticket Award.
As the former Executive Director at TAPA, the producer of the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and credited with launching numerous initiatives such as hipTIX that has reached over 40,000 youth in the GTA, the Toronto Mayoral Arts Debate and Arts Day at the City, Knaapen has devoted four decades to championing the work of Toronto’s performing arts community. She is widely regarded as a generous mentor and a tireless advocate, and is particularly passionate about uplifting younger women in the sector — work that reflects her broader belief in continually bolstering community representation and the shared growth of emerging voices.
Says Knaapen about her Silver Ticket Award win: “This legacy award may have my name added to it, but it belongs to everyone who has walked this path with me. Thank you for this honour and for allowing me to be included in the evolving story of Toronto theatre.”
Inaugurated in 1980, this award is presented by TAPA to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the stage in the Toronto area. The distinguished panel of past Silver Ticket recipients considers individuals who have excelled in their professional careers while also contributing to the development and encouragement of others in the performing arts sphere. The recipient receives a replica ticket made of silver and a lifetime of complimentary tickets to TAPA member company productions. Past recipients include theatre creator Beatriz Pizano, playwright Tomson Highway, theatre producers David Mirvish and Marlene Smith, and choreographer Christopher House.
The Dora Mavor Moore Awards, Canada’s largest and oldest awards program, celebrates the incredible talent within Toronto’s professional theatre, dance, and opera communities. For additional information, please visit tapa.ca/doras.
About Jacoba Knaapen (she/her)
A first‑generation Canadian born and raised in Montréal, Quebec, Jacoba brings a deep sense of care and responsibility to the work of building a thriving cultural sector. She most recently served as Executive Director of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) and as the long‑time Producer of the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, roles that shaped and supported generations of artists and administrators. Today, Jacoba continues to nurture the sector she loves. She serves as Vice President on the Board of SMILE Theatre, a professional not‑for‑profit theatre organization dedicated to bringing high‑quality musical theatre to seniors and others in long-term care. She is currently the Producer with the HOTW Collective, working alongside the renowned director and writer, Ed Roy, and has recently co‑produced Allegra Fulton’s short film A Small Service. Jacoba is a generous mentor and a steady advocate. She provides career coaching for the next generation of arts leaders and is passionate about lifting up younger women in the sector — work that reflects her belief in community and shared growth. Her contributions have been recognized with some of the sector’s most meaningful honours, including the City of Toronto’s Margo Bindhardt and Rita Davies Cultural Leadership Award, a Harold Award for contributions to the alternative theatre, and a Vital People Award from the Toronto Community Foundation. In 2024, she received a rare Honorary Dora Mavor Moore Award for her advocacy, leadership, and legacy work that has profoundly shaped the arts and culture landscape in Toronto and beyond. She is also a recipient of the Cayle Chernin Woman of the Year Award, celebrating her leadership and impact on women in the arts.