Hailing from Brazil, Vanessa Cardoso Whelan is a playwright, multidisciplinary artist, street performer, and clown with a passion for contemporary theatre and body movement awareness, especially related to Flamenco dancing. Graduating in Theatre Arts in 2004, she has performed with several artistic groups on stage and in street productions as an actress, Flamenco dancer, puppeteer, and fire-flow dancer. Vanessa has been actively engaged in the local arts scene since moving to Newfoundland in 2014. She likes to give her art back to the community, doing volunteer performances for new Canadians/refugees and non-profit organizations. Because of that and other achievements, Vanessa received the 2023 Inspiring Immigrant Woman Award from the We Care Foundation. Always inspired by nature, Vanessa loves the mountains on the west coast of Newfoundland. It reminds her of home.