PROGRAMS, DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, & JOBS
ARTS CLUB LEAP PLAYWRITING INTENSIVE
The LEAP program seeks young people interested in creative writing for the theatre who are passionate, engaged, and inquisitive storytellers. We’re looking for young artists with distinct voices who are looking to develop the skills that will allow them to explore new stories from unique perspectives, whether they be based on personal experience or created narratives borne out of curiosity and imagination. Learn more here.
DEADLINE: October 14, 2024
NIGHTWOOD THEATRE’S WRITE FROM THE HIP
Write From The Hip is a year-long script development program designed to support self-identifying emerging playwrights through mentorship, participation in a playwright’s unit, and one-on-one dramaturgy. Participants work towards the completion of a full-length play that culminates in a public reading with professional actors and a director as part of our Groundswell Festival. We are looking for intersectional feminist content by women (*including, but not limited to trans, cis), Two-Spirit, non-binary, and gender expansive playwrights who are emerging in craft – there is no age limit to apply. Participants will receive a $2,000 CAD honorarium – $1,000 for starting the program, and $1,000 for the completion of their draft and participation at the Groundswell Festival. Learn more and apply here.
DEADLINE: October 16, 2024
NEWORLD THEATRE: Permanent Part-Time Producer
Neworld Theatre is seeking a Permanent Part-Time Producer to help manage projects, presentations, and tours. Start Date: December 2, 2024 | Hours: 21 hours/week | Salary: $31,668 annually + extended health benefits after 3 months. Learn more here.
DEADLINE: October 21, 2024
BANFF CENTRE PLAYWRIGHTS LAB
The newly reimagined Playwrights Lab 2025 program offers an inspiring, interdisciplinary, and inclusive environment for both emerging and established playwrights, dramaturgs and creators of new theatrical work. We invite playwrights to develop compelling new work, with urgent narratives across all genres.
Program dates are April 21 to May 3, 2025. Learn more here.
NOTE – this opportunity includes an application fee of $35-$65.
DEADLINE: October 23, 2024
ALUMNAE THEATRE FIREWORKS FESTIVAL 2025
Alumnae Theatre invites submissions from women writers for its 11th Annual FireWorks Festival! Celebrating its eleventh year, the Alumnae Theatre’s FireWorks Festival champions women writers with the premieres of three wonderful full-length plays. This curated three-week festival is an incubator for new works and emerging artists, showcasing provocative writing and inventive staging. More information here.
DEADLINE: November 1, 2024
TOUCHSTONE THEATRE’S CALL FOR PLAY SUBMISSIONS
Touchstone is on the lookout for plays (scripted or devised) by established playwrights and/or devisors for consideration in future seasons. Learn how to apply here.
DEADLINE: November 1, 2024
WOMEN’S WORK FESTIVAL 2025
The WWF is a week-long festival dedicated to developing, supporting, and encouraging new plays by women and other marginalized genders in Canada. Learn more here.
DEADLINE: November 1, 2024
LSU SciArts PLAY FESTIVAL
Louisiana State University’s The School of Theatre is inviting playwrights to submit an original work that explores the intersections of science and art. Read more about how to apply here.
DEADLINE: November 22, 2024
OTTAWA LITTLE THEATRE 84TH NATIONAL PLAYWRITING COMPETITION
The Ottawa Little Theatre is now accepting submissions to the 84th National One-Act Playwriting Competition! The competition is for one-act plays from 25 to 45 minutes in length. The Ottawa Little Theatre One-Act Playwriting Competition is the oldest in Canada. Learn more and apply here.
NOTE: This application includes an entry fee of $25
DEADLINE: December 31, 2024 (midnight GST)
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.
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
STAND FESTIVAL: Strength Through Art Network Festival
November 1 – 17, 2024
Various Locations
https://www.standfestival.com/events2024
Festival Programme
CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS
vAct’s SPRINGBOARD INITIATIVE a series of workshops over the season, intended to launch artists of any level into inspiration and get them excited about collaboration and new creations. They have 2 workshops coming up:
Intimacy for the Stage with Lisa Goebel
Carousel Theatre for Young People’s Studio B (1411 Cartwright Street)
October 7, 21, and 28, 2024
Register here.
IBPOC Artist Jam: Getting in the Room with Jasmine Chen, Jivesh Parasram, and Raugi Yu
BMO Theatre Centre (162 W 1st Avenue) and Green Thumb Theatre (5522 McKinnon Street; November 3 only)
October 26 and 27 and November 2, 3, and 9
Register here.
Learn more about these free workshops and the Springboard Initiative on their website.
BETWEEN THE LINES – BUILDING THEATRICAL ACTION with HEIDI TAYLOR
Stand Festival
November 12 & 14, 2024 – 6 pm
Presentation House Theatre – Gallery, North Vancouver
https://www.standfestival.com/betweenthelines
RESIDENCIES & RETREATS
SATORI ARTIST RETREAT
Satori Artist Retreat is a quiet place to create. On Panmure Island, PE, you can breathe and reconnect with your creative self. Contact panmuresatori@gmail.com or sharonrobso@yahoo.com for more information.
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
CULTUREBREW.ART OPPORTUNITY POSTING REQUEST FORM
Anyone wanting to reach the hundreds of Indigenous and racialized artists can simply fill out CultureBrew.Art’s Opportunity Posting Request webform, and make a donation to Visceral Visions in support of this service (suggested amount: $25).
CBA’s Opportunity Posting Request form is flexible to include a range of opportunities, from calls for artists, job positions in the arts and cultural sector, awards and funding, professional development, and more! You also have the option of specifying whether you seek artists from a particular racial or ethnic background, are open to all IBPOC artists (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour) applying, or indicating that the opportunity is open to all regardless of colour.
Artists will be able to search opportunities by artistic discipline, location (province or territory), or type of opportunity. The option for you to upload your company logo will offer the opportunity to attract more artists to your listing.
If you have feedback or questions about CultureBrew.Art’s Opportunities Feature, email community@culturebrew.art.
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
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
#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.
METRO OPEN CALL FOR PLAY & PLAYWRIGHTING SUBMISSIONSMetro encourages all playwrights to submit their work for consideration. Read more about what Metro is looking for and how to apply here.
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
THE PURPLE ROSE
Submit a script to the Purple Rose Theatre Company – dedicated to the development and production of new plays and emerging playwrights.
purplerosetheatre.org
RESOURCE CENTRE FOR THE ARTS
The Resource Centre for the Arts wants to present your play.
rca.nf.ca
STUDIO 180 THEATRE
In keeping with Studio 180’s mandate to produce socially relevant theatre that provokes public discourse and promotes community engagement, they are interested in material that engages audiences intellectually and emotionally, and encourages dialogue and action even after the curtain falls. Their Core Artistic Team is most interested in works that tackle politically and ideologically challenging issues using a non-prescriptive approach. Interested artists should submit an outline of their play, including a description of its production history and/or stage of development (maximum two pages). Please do not submit a complete script unless requested to do so.
studio180theatre.com
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