Ophira Calof (pronouns: they/she) is a multi-award winning Disabled writer and performer who is drawn to character driven stories that combine humour and heart while subverting narrative tropes and works to “crip the script,” centring disability knowledge and experience. Their recent credits include One More Time (CBC), Rubble and Crew (Treehouse TV), PUSH (CBC), Shelved (CTV), Dino Dex (Amazon Prime), Welcome Series (Titan1Studios), and their solo show Literally Titanium, which has been featured in both academic and performance spaces as a case study in accessible production.

Ophira is also the creative director for the Accessible Writers’ Lab, a national initiative presented by AMI, RAFFTO and sponsored by the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm, to experiment with what an accessible tv writers’ room might involve. Ophira was the accessibility process lead for AccessCBC, and the curatorial committee lead for the 2022 ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto. They have taught workshops and provided mentorship internationally on storytelling, writing, music, accessibility and disability narratives, and created the courses Sketch Comedy with Ophira Calof and Crip Storytelling, a series in partnership with Centre of Independent Living Toronto and the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre.

Additionally, Ophira has created a number of disability arts projects including the series Making Space: Stories of Disabled Youth Past and Present (Myseum Toronto/RAFFTO) and Dis/Play, a public arts project that projected the stories of over 50 Deaf and Disabled creatives onto exterior building walls across the city (MNJCC/RAFFTO/ArtWorxTO: Toronto's Year of Public Art 2021-2022).

Ophira graduated from Second City’s Writing and Sketch Conservatory programs and the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Emerging Creator’s Unit. They were featured in the Second City 2018 Toronto Diversity Fellowship Showcase, are the 2018 recipient of the Tim Sims Encouragement Award and received the 2021 Cahoots Theatre Promising Pen Prize. They were also named a TV writing fellow for the 2022 RespectAbility Lab for Entertainment Professionals with Disabilities and are currently taking part in the 2023 Warner Brothers Discovery Access X Canadian Academy Writers Program.

Select Artistic Credits:

One More Time (CBC), Welcome Series (Titan1Studios), Wordsville (TVOKids), The 52 (Myseum Toronto), Dino Dex (Amazon Prime), Rubble and Crew (Spin Master), Shelved (CTV), Rubble and Crew (Nickelodeon), PUSH (CBC), TallBoyz (S1, S2, S3 CBC ), Kids In The Hall (Amazon Prime), SuperWish (RedKnot), No Fear (Second City), Dis/Play (ArtworxTO), Jane Doe (Ergo Arts Theatre), Slumber Party (Bad Dog Comedy TV), Literally Titanium (Next Stage Theatre Festival), #HospitalChic (ReelAbilities Film Festival Toronto) We’re Not Waiting (Miles Nadal JCC exhibit), Generally Hospital (Toronto Fringe, Toronto Sketchfest Marquee Series), Sex and SexAbility (Sick and Twisted Theatre), Second City Diversity Showcase (Second City), Group Message (Toronto Sketch Filmfest), Still Standing (ILC Foundation, iThentic)