Common Weal was born in the early 90s when founding artistic director, Rachael Van Fossen, used the community play format as a tool to promote social and cultural understanding between diverse communities.

In 1992, five theatre artists brought together the diverse peoples of the village of Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan to share the oral history of the beautiful valley. From these simple discussions between neighbours a community play was created: just the second of its kind in Canada. 

Called Ka'ma'mo'picik (The Gathering), the community play initiated dialogue on racism, shared history and new directions for the Valley. By fostering positive relationships between the local people and those of European descent, Ka'ma'mo'picik was a bridge to better understanding. 

Using the community play as a model, Common Weal expanded its mandate in 1998 to include a variety of participatory art media, including creative writing, video and audio production, visual art and storytelling. Common Weal also supports other organizations through an advisory role.

Now growing as a national leader in artist and community collaboration, Common Weal is a Saskatchewan-based non-profit organization that uses art as a tool for social development.