PROGRAMS, DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, & JOBS
Rising Tides 2026-27 – PACT
Rising Tides is a paid, multi-faceted skill development and mentorship platform designed for IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour) performing arts administrators and managers. The initiative intends to fill a gap in the Canadian performing arts sector around the training and mentorship of developing and mid-career IBPOC administrators and managers by providing a program specific to the needs of this underserved community. This year the program will accept ten pairs of mentees and mentors who will engage with each other on theatre administration and management topics tailored to each participant’s expressed learning goals in areas such as human resources, budgeting, governance, contracting, strategic planning, and production support. These pairings will meet regularly, on average an hour per month, from October 2026 to May 2027. Visit their website for more information or email Andrea at andread@pact.ca.
EXTENDED Deadline: July 1st, 2026
vActory – Call for Proposals
Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre is now accepting submissions for vActory, a mini-performance series designed to catalyze innovative creation and foster artistic exchange. Encouraging participants to celebrate the spirit of artistic wanderlust within the format, the vActory series is a new works incubator for Asian artists to explore performance modalities and experiment with techniques, culminating in a public presentation of three short new works. Visit their website for more details.
Deadline: June 30th, 2026
New Art City – Now Accepting Submissions
New Art City Theatre is seeking original full length comedies, dramas, or musicals for Festival ’27. If you’re a playwright, librettist, composer, or lyricist, we welcome your submission regardless of your age, race, religion, or previous success or experience. We strongly believe in letting the work speak for itself. That’s why we keep our selection process blind. Visit their website for submission criteria and process.
Deadline: July 10, 2026
Pathways – Applications now open for Fall 2026
Join a network of over 150 organizations, of varying sizes and disciplines, from across the province that continue to grow, support, and learn from each other. Pathways serves organizations at varying stages of their learning and implementation of equity and access practices. The program is flexible and tailored to each organization’s context, discipline, and geographic community reality. Learn more and apply.
Deadline: July 15, 2027
Revolver Festival 2027 – Now accepting applications
rEvolver is an incubator of new work with a focus on formal innovation, supporting artists or companies who identify as emerging and/or early/mid career at transformative junctions in their careers. The festival presents adventurous and high energy works, bringing audiences the full range of contemporary performance, from script-based theatre to devised and site-specific works, dance, and installation. Application details on their website.
Deadline: August 7, 2026
Women at Play(s) – One Act Play Submission
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
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
Stay tuned for future Festivals and Events!
CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS
Intro to Creative Writing with Nancy Ross
July 5 – 12, 2026 | 1 – 3 PM | Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2W3)
In this inclusive and supportive workshop you will look at different styles of writing and do some free-wrIt’s with prompts. There will also be opportunity to share your writing. Drop-in $20. Visit the Roundhouse website for more information and registration.
FRAMED: Out In School’s Queer Youth Filmmaking Summer Camp
July 27 – 31, 2026 | 9 AM to 5 PM everyday | Cineworks (1131 Howe St, Vancouver)
Lights. Camera. Your Story.
An immersive 5-day creative camp where 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and allies will learn how to turn their ideas into original film scenes; from brainstorming and character creation to directing and performance.
Designed for aspiring storytellers, actors, writers, and filmmakers of all experience levels, this hands-on workshop gives youth the chance to build practical filmmaking skills while connecting with a supportive creative community in Vancouver.
Throughout the week, participants will collaborate with peers, explore their creativity, and gain mentorship from experienced artists and facilitators in a fun, inclusive, and encouraging environment. Visit their website for more details!
Deadline to Register: July 20, 2026
Interview Protocols and Practices for Playwriting with Kamila Sediego
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 | 5:30 – 7:00 PM | VPL Mount Pleasant Branch (1 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5T 0A1)
Do you have a play idea and need to interview someone for your research? Whether it’s for learning personal or familial histories, understanding historical/cultural/societal contexts, or digging deeper into a niche expertise the method and means of interview can affect what information is collected. Join a workshop with local published playwright and dramaturg, Kamila Sediego, for tips on how to ethically gather information, how to conduct interviews, and how to turn that research gold into storytelling tools and inspiration. More info and registration on the VPL website.
vAct Springboard Initiative
– Multilingual Creation: July 7th – 10th 2026
– Artistic Producing for Indie Artists: September 2026 (Dates TBD)
vAct’s Springboard Initiative is 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.
Find out more on their website!
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
OFF THE PAGE
Off The Page is a Sunshine Coast play-reading series offering playwrights an opportunity to hear their work read in front of a live audience followed by a guided talk back session. They invite scripts in an advanced stage of development and offer playwrights an opportunity to work with an experienced group of actors through pre-performance and performance readings. Honorariums are offered to playwrights and actors. Public readings normally take place on Sundays at 1:00 pm in the 140 seat Gibsons Heritage Playhouse. To submit a script or any further questions, please contact Pamela Girone at pamela@girone.net.
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