01/12/2026
We’re delighted to welcome a new co-directorship, collaborative duo: Anna Malla, and Jody Chan to work with the board of directors at whippersnapper gallery in its next phase as a small but mighty, teeny-tiny, community driven, *much more than its physical space* storefront window in Kensington/Chinatown/Alexandra Park.
We’re excited to see whip grow under their leadership, deepening in artistic vision, community organizing, rooting in the neighborhood, and continuing to tend to the relationships we’ve built with emerging artists, arts workers, and long term programs over the years. Whippernapper is a space for emerging practitioners to experiment, take risks, and consider their art and work within a material and political landscape.
Anna Malla is a community organizer and educator, arts administrator, and performing artist with two decades’ experience working at the intersections of artistic and political community-building spaces. Anna looks forward to working closely with her co-director Jody Chan, the Board of Directors, and the broader Whip community to continue the incredible legacy of the outgoing directors, and to further root Whippersnapper in the neighbourhood and city that it holds space within, in all of its contradictions and complexity.
Jody Chan is a poet, performing artist, arts educator, care worker, and community organizer. Jody’s practice as an artist and arts administrator is rooted in disability justice, abolitionist, and anti-imperialist lineages, having found political homes over the years in groups like the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, Toronto/Tkaronto Mutual Aid, Toronto Street Medics, and No Arms In The Arts. Jody is honoured to take on this role with their co-director Anna, and so grateful to get to learn from - and make beautiful things with - outgoing directors Marina and Raven, the Board, the wider Whip ecosystem, and the people and neighbourhoods and movements that continue fighting to make this city livable and real, despite all its violences.
Check out our about page on our website to learn more about Anna and Jody’s practices! https://whippersnapper.ca/about
