PROGRAMS, DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, & JOBS
Playwriting Circle – Glitch Theatre
Now in its eighth year, the Playwriting Circle brings together a cohort of new and emerging Vancouver-based playwrights (or writers who would like to transition into playwriting) who identify with D/disability. Selected applicants will engage in a ten-week workshop process, receiving mentorship from established playwrights along with peer support and feedback. This process culminates in a professional podcast recording of each playwright’s work. Each episode of the podcast will feature an interview with the playwright alongside an excerpt of their work as performed by a cast of experienced actors. The episodes will be released in early 2027. Find out more about the two available streams and how to apply on the Glitch Theatre website.
Deadline: August 28, 2026
Artist Call – ALL Exquisite Pressure with Hong Kong Exile, Blind Tiger, or Action at a Distance
What Lab’s Exquisite Pressure is a platform for artists working in performance to try something new—and have community support in celebrating ideas that aren’t yet fully formed, but still worthy of exploration. We’re now accepting submissions for an upcoming ExP, taking place April 9-10, 2027. Each iteration of ExP is hosted by a different local company or collective. Visit What Lab’s website for three separate calls.
Deadline: August 28, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Call for Proposal – Upintheair Theatre Propeller Residency
Propeller supports artists from concept and creation, through development and co-production. The 2-year Propeller Residency guides artists through a structured dramaturgy process & collaborative production plan to create and produce original spec-fic performances. Following a nation-wide search for proposals, projects are selected based on the originality & relevance of the concept, innovative design/staging, & the impact on the professional development of the artists involved. Selected artist(s) will work closely with Upintheair to develop their project, taking part in dramaturgical sessions and creative workshops beginning in Fall 2026. The residency will culminate in a full production in Vancouver, planned for Fall/Early Winter 2027. Visit their website for more info.
Deadline: August 28, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT
New Play Competition – The Echo Theatre Company
Original, unpublished, unproduced, non-musical stage plays. No adaptations or translations will be accepted. No shorter than 60 and no longer than 150 pages. There is a $40 submission fee. After the fee is processed, you will receive further instructions on how to submit your play. Visit their website for more information (scroll all the way down).
Deadline: August 31, 2026
Call for Applications – Teesri Duniya Theatre Fireworks Play Development Program
Fireworks Play Development Program is an intensive, structured, and guided play development program. It is designed to assist playwrights, including artists of colour and Indigenous peoples, queer and gender-diverse individuals, to develop their voice and professional profile. Fireworks is a development program for new and original plays. For more details, visit their program page.
Application Deadline: August 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST
Call for Submissions – Tremors Festival 2027
Seeking proposals for projects, excerpts, and works-in-progress of approximately 25 – 35 minutes in length. Programmed works will be performed as part of a shared festival bill at a one-ticket event that takes the form of an ‘art party meets night market.’ Audiences will be able to see half of the entire festival programming each night. Artists are expected to perform only once per night. While presentations are not expected to be “complete” they should be in “performance mode.” Even if that performance mode is a bit rough. Another way of describing the stage of development that projects being showcased at Tremors should be at is: ‘able to – and seeking to engage an audience’. Submissions are welcomed from individuals, collectives, and organizations. For more details and key dates, visit the Rumble website.
Deadline: September 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
One Act Play Submission – Women at Play(s)
Women At Play(s) is currently looking for new original one act plays from Canadian women playwrights, emerging or established, for its ninth festival. This event has had very successful runs in Vancouver and Toronto with sold out shows and great reviews from audience members and critics. Women At Play(s) provides opportunities for women playwrights, directors and actors. It was created to give women a voice. It is meant to inspire and showcase artistic achievements in theatrical performance for women.Plays must be original, not previously produced. All characters must be women, no longer than 20 minutes in length. Women at Play(s) 9 will take place February 26 to March 7, 2027 at VideoCabaret in Toronto. Find out more on their website.
Deadline: September 25, 2026
One Act Play Submission – Atlantic One Act Festival
The inaugural ATLANTIC ONE ACT FESTIVAL, hosted by King’s Theatre, will take place in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia/Kespuwitk, Mi’kmaki, the week of August 18-22, 2027. One Act showcases the work of emerging Atlantic Canadian playwrights, because in these times, the importance of telling our own stories has never been greater. Playwrights must be living in one of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, PEI, New Brunswick, or Newfoundland & Labrador). For full program details and submission requirement, please visit the King’s Theatre website.
Deadline: January 8, 2027
AWARDS, COMPETITIONS, & GRANTS
THE NATIONAL CREATION FUND
The National Arts Centre‘s fund is a catalyst for Canadian artists to take their projects to a new level. It provides the additional time and resources that bold, ambitious projects need to be successful on the national and international stage. The fund will invest up to $3 million a year in the development of 15 to 20 new Canadian works in theatre. Application form here.
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CANADA COUNCIL DEADLINE EXTENSIONS
Canada Council for the Arts has been working to establish relief for artists in need and the application deadline for some of their programs has been extended. The new deadlines and application information can be found here.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
The BMO RADAR: New Works in Progress
August 24 – 29, 2026
https://artsclub.com/artistic-programs/the-bmo-radar
Vancouver Fringe Festival
September 10 – 20, 2026
https://www.vancouverfringe.com
CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS
Creative Writing with Nancy Ross
July 19 – August 30, 2026, No Class Aug 2.
In this inclusive and supportive workshop we will look at different styles of writing and do some free-writes with prompts. There will also be opportunity to share our writing. Drop-in $20.
Find out more here.
Virtual Reality Storytelling Fundamentals 2027 – Digital Arts Intensive, Banff Centre
February 8 – 20, 2027
VR Storytelling Fundamentals is an intensive two-week program for artists and creative practitioners interested in storytelling, performance, design, interactive media, and related disciplines. Participants will be introduced to the core concepts, tools, and workflows of immersive narrative design in virtual reality.
Through a combination of theory and practice, participants will explore spatial storytelling, writing and directing for 360° environments, spatial audio, and end-to-end VR production using 360° camera technologies. The program culminates in the creation of prototype VR experiences and the development of a personalized roadmap for future work in this rapidly evolving field. Visit their website for application details.
Application deadline: August 26, 2026
vAct Springboard 2026 – Emerging Artistic Producers Workshop
September 15 – 17 | 6-9 PM, 5-10 PM
FREE
This three day producer’s lab provides emerging artists the practical tools and care-centered practices to create and produce their own works. Through this workshop, artists will learn about applying for grants and creating feasible budgets, gain insights into access and care frameworks for producing models, and create adaptable project infrastructures that support the clarity and creativity of the process. The workshop will empower artists to cultivate their own vision through the development of new works, and offer viable pathways to bringing their own work to life. This registration is open to folks with any level of experience with artistic producing. Find out more.
Application Deadline: August 28, 2026
The Langham Directors’ Workshop – Stratford Festival
The Langham Directors’ Workshop wants to nurture exciting directorial talent and provide you with the resources to explore, play and hone your craft. They want to help you create inspired and boundary-pushing work — not only for our stages, but for your career and beyond. They offer emerging and mid-career professional directors the opportunity to explore innovative Shakespeare and classical works, support large-scale productions on some of the most unique stages in the country, and birth new plays with Canada’s finest playwrights. Visit their website for full details.
Submission deadline: September 13, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST
New Musical Theatre Creation – Theatre Alberta’s Workshop by Request: The Bow Valley Series
February 25 – 28, 2027, Banff Centre
Join this three-day intensive with the Olivier Award winning, Tony and Grammy nominated, Canadian writing team behind the worldwide hit Come From Away, currently one of the most produced musicals in the world and playing to more than 100 countries on Apple TV+. Learn the details of Come From Away’s journey to Broadway and beyond, discuss other musicals and musical storytelling, and get guidance from David Hein and Irene Sankoff while growing and writing new musical theatre. This workshop is presented by Theatre Alberta and Forte Musical Theatre Guild as part of the Workshop by Request Bow Valley Series. Visit the Banff Centre website for more details.
Application deadline: January 13, 2027
RESIDENCIES & RETREATS
Stay tuned for future opportunities!
SEND A PLAY
SUBMISSIONS FOR PTC’S DRAMATURGICAL READING PROGRAM ARE OPEN!
Do you want trained, appropriate feedback for your work? Our dramaturgs are here to provide meaningful recommendations and help you get to the next phase with your work. Submit your work here.
READ MY PLAY
A free Script Exchange Service for Playwrights.
readmyplay.com
FOR IBPOC ARTISTS
We’re delighted to partner with Vancouver-based arts company, Visceral Visions, to spread the word about their fantastic initiative, CultureBrew.Art (CBA). A digital platform created by racialized artists for BIPOC artists, CBA features a Canada-wide searchable database of Indigenous and racialized artists working in every artistic discipline: literary, media, performing, and visual arts.
ONGOING CALLS & OPPORTUNITIES
BLACK THEATRE WORKSHOP
Black Theatre Workshop is always on on the lookout for new works. BTW’s mission is to promote and produce outstanding theatre that educates, entertains and inspires. The company strives to create greater cross-cultural understanding by challenging its audience and the status quo. Expanding the representation of Black Canadian artists, BTW bridges cultural divides – uniting hearts, minds and communities.
blacktheatreworkshop.ca
#cdnopening- CELEBRATE YOUR OPENING NIGHT ONLINE
Canadian theatre companies celebrate Opening Night hundreds, possibly even thousands, of times per year. Spiderwebshow.ca wants to unite opening night celebrations coast-to-coast-to-coast and more than anything, they want to connect our theatre communities that are doing great work – and having great parties – nationwide. Help us by posting your opening night celebrations on Instagram with #cdnopening. Your theatre, your production and your work will appear alongside theatres from across the country on the Spiderwebshow.ca Instagram feed, one click away from fellow opening night revellers from Victoria to Iqaluit to St. John’s.
CHAMELEON THEATRE COMPANY
Chameleon Theatre Company welcomes new work by women.
chameleontheatrephilly.com
DANCING SKY THEATRE
Dancing Sky Theatre accepts unsolicited manuscripts of full-length and original plays.
dancingskytheatre.com
THE CRIPSTERS
The Cripsters is a monthly Akimblog feature on disability and culture from the point of view of people with disabilities.They are looking for submissions of 750-1000 words on topics that intersect with art and disability through a social justice lens and that crip/disrupt the way we think about disability. Submissions can take the form of a critical review, an interview, or an article on artistic/curatorial processes, theory and ideas, commentary, community, etc. A writer’s fee is paid.
akimbo.ca
THE 50 PLAYWRIGHTS PROJECT
The 50 Playwrights Project is a digital resource for Latin@ theatre and a virtual home for the voices of Latin@ playwrights and other Teatro allies, created by Dr. Trevor Boffone. The 50 Playwrights Project is engaged in providing accessible information about contemporary Latin@ theatre artists. This project serves as a dramaturgical and pedagogical database for artists, educators, scholars, and students who are looking for more online information about playwrights: where are they from, how do they identify, what are they working on, what advice would they give to aspiring artists, and links to relevant online resources. More info at 50playwrights.org.
GREAT CANADIAN THEATRE COMPANY
Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) produces a subscription season of six full-length plays in English for adult audiences.
gctc.ca
INTERMISSION MAGAZINE
Intermission publishes artist perspectives, original journalism, spotlight profiles, original drama, and audio and video content. Intermission is expanding their content to include publishing short original drama. They now accept excerpts of longer plays as well as short plays. Their focus is on high quality writing (in the vein of The New Yorker or McSweeney’s, if they featured Canadian theatre writing) They’re looking to hear from Canadians—both established playwrights and new, original voices.
intermissionmagazine.ca
LADY PLAYS PODCAST
The online literary journal Lady Plays Podcast, a monthly podcast dramatizing new plays by women, is accepting submissions for future podcast episodes. Each episode will consist of a “staged” reading of the play and an optional interview with the playwright. Submission Guidelines: Plays that will easily translate to a “radio” medium and that feature 5 characters or less will take priority. Plays of all length and style will be considered, writers may submit more than one script.
greenroomblog.com
MIXED BLOOD THEATRE
Mixed Blood Theatre welcomes submissions of contemporary plays that pursue and realize the company’s mission and aesthetic. Mixed Blood uses theatre to address pluralism, usually manifest in race, culture, language, disability, gender, nationality, affectional orientation, and political worldview. Predictably unpredictable, the theatre particularly invites polyglot plays, scripts from the global stage, and work that advances the art form.
mixedblood.com.
NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE
Submit your theatre project proposal to The National Arts Centre.
nac-cna.ca
NATIVE EARTH PERFORMING ARTS
Submit a script to Native Earth Performing Arts.
nativeearth.ca
PLAYCONNECT
Launched in April 2017, PlayConnect is Playwrights Guild of Canada’s revamped version of the Canada Council Readings Program. It connects playwrights with communities and new audiences by providing an opportunity for travel funding, promotion, and professional development. As a network liaison, PGC ensures that the program is accessible and inclusive of a wide-ranging group of artists and audiences.
playwrightsguild.ca
PGC STAGE READY SCRIPTS AND COPYSCRIPTS PROGRAMS
The Stage Ready Scripts program is for plays which have not yet had a professional production but are ready for the stage. Entering your script into the Stage Ready Program promotes your play to theatre companies, schools, and individuals internationally and may lead to a production. You must be a member of PGC to take advantage of The Stage Ready program. Questions? Contact them at orders@playwrightsguild.ca. PGC also has the Copyscript program for plays that have been produced, but aren’t yet published. The program exists to distribute professionally produced, unpublished plays by full members of PGC. *Only plays that have received a professional production are eligible for the copyscript program. Check out PGC’s services here.
PLAYME CBC PODCAST
Submit plays or short stories to Playme Podcast for a unique opportunity to produce your work in podcast format.
playmepodcast.com
PLEDGE PROJECT
The Pledge Project is searchable database of large cast plays (6 characters or more) written by Canadian women. Enroll your play or find a show today.
pledgeproject.ca
PRESENTATION HOUSE THEATRE’S CREATIVE HUB ENERGY EXCHANGE
The Energy Exchange is intended for artists to receive free rehearsal, development, creation, and production space at Presentation House Theatre in exchange for volunteer hours. The projects can vary in size, art form and level of creation and development. The projects are intended to be independently produced and owned by the artist. Applications for the Creative Hub Energy Exchange program are currently open and accepted on a rolling deadline.
phtheatre.org/creativehub/
RESOURCE CENTRE FOR THE ARTS
The Resource Centre for the Arts wants to present your play.
rca.nf.ca
RISER PROJECT
The RISER Project is a collaborative producing model for theatre artists and companies to create and present new work. It was developed by Why Not Theatre in 2013 in order to address some of the challenges of producing independent theatre, and to provide more opportunity for artists to take on risks in producing their work. riserproject.org
SUBLETSERIES: CO-OP
The SubletSeries@HERE Program supports 250 guest independent artists and groups and their audiences each season. This creative, curated rental program has allowed many upstart companies and emerging artists to realize their full artistic vision on a small budget.
here.org
TEESRI DUNIYA THEATRE
Teesri Duniya Theatre seeks culturally diverse and First Nation plays that are politically relevant examining meaningful social and cultural questions, exploring diverse worldviews and historical events that affect our lives and our socio-cultural heritage.
teesriduniyatheatre.com
THEATRE NEW BRUNSWICK
Theatre New Brunswick invites playwrights to submit scripts for future consideration for both Main Stage and Studio Theatre productions.
tnb.nb.ca
THEATRE TIMES
Theatre Times is a rapidly expanding global theatre portal. If you’re passionate about world theatre, consider joining their team as Regional Editors, Managing Editors, Bloggers, or Editorial Assistants.
thetheatretimes.com
THEATRE ART LIFE
Love to write or have something to say? Become a contributor to Theatre Art Life!
theatreartlife.com
URBANSTAGES
Submit a play to Urban Stages.
urbanstages.org
WOMEN ARTS BLOG
Do you have an idea for an article you would like to write for the Women Arts Blog?
womenarts.org
YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE
Submit a script for developmental support with Young People’s Theatre.
youngpeoplestheatre.org