Calls for Artists: Next Stage

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THE 2023 NEXT STAGE THEATRE FESTIVAL

Thank you to all who applied.

ABOUT THE 2023 NEXT STAGE FESTIVAL

The 2023 Next Stage Theatre Festival will present a curated program of independent theatre and performing artists chosen by the Next Stage Selection Committee. The 16th annual festival will take place October 18-29, 2023.

The selection committee commits to reserving at least 50% of production spots for artists who are Indigenous, Black, or Persons of Colour. In late 2020 The Toronto Fringe underwent an EDI Audit conducted by Where You Are Consulting. Implementing this 50% minimum guarantee is a step to directly address some of the imbalances and gaps that exist in the demographics reflected on Fringe and Canada’s stages.

The Festival will present both in-person and live virtual productions offered to audiences online globally.
10-12 indie artists/companies will be selected to produce a fully staged production in rep
Up to 6 indie artists/companies will be selected to produce a real time virtual performance experience.
Each company will be offered a performance run of at least 5 performances: seating capacity 115-350 depending on public health guidelines. Ticket prices will be set between $18-$25.
There is no fee to participate in the festival; the box office will be split 70:30 in favour of the participating company (70% revenue to you, 30% retained by Toronto Fringe).
Applications will be considered of either fully realized productions with significant production value that are ‘ready to be picked up’ and seen by presenters and programming theatre companies OR full productions of work that is distinctly in development, or being workshopped.
Applications will be considered for in-person or virtual performance concepts.

WHO ARE NEXT STAGE ARTISTS

Next Stage offers experienced indie producers a platform to showcase theatre and performing arts creators, writers, directors, performers in order to elevate a production or artist to a next level of recognition and/or development.
Applicants can submit new works, reworked projects and original adaptations and remounts of productions in order to significantly advance a project’s development. Productions of work by notable playwrights or of the ‘classics’ are not eligible.
Applicants can submit live in-person works, or virtual programming.
The selection jury commits to reserving at least 50% of production spots for artists who are Indigenous, Black, or Persons of Colour. Eligibility requirements must be met by the INDIVIDUAL APPLYING, unless otherwise specified. This person is referred to as the MAIN ADMIN CONTACT, and is considered by the Festival to be the primary producer of the show. They enter a binding agreement with the Festival upon acceptance of a slot.

FUNDING FOR YOUR PRODUCTION

All selected companies will have the opportunity to apply for two rounds of grant cycles for OAC and TAC. We highly recommend that selected companies use this extended timeline to their advantage. The selection committee timeline is planned to be able to send offers to applicants by the week of July 18, 2022 at the latest. We advise you to not wait until then to begin to prepare a grant application, and collect required materials in the meantime.

OAC DEADLINES (applicant must be resident of Ontario)
Theatre Projects: https://www.arts.on.ca/grants/theatre-projects
* August 3, 2022 (funding can be used within 2 years of receiving grant results)
* February 2023 **NOTE: 2023 deadlines have not been announced yet, refer back to the OAC website regularly for more info.

Dance Projects: https://www.arts.on.ca/grants/dance-projects
* October 6, 2022 (funding can be used within 2 years of receiving grant results)
* March 2023 **NOTE: 2023 deadlines have not been announced yet, refer back to the OAC website regularly for more info.

Media Artists Creation Projects https://www.arts.on.ca/grants/media-artists-creation-projects
* October 18, 2022 (funding can be used within 2 years of receiving grant results)
* April 2023 **NOTE: 2023 deadlines have not been announced yet, refer back to the OAC website regularly for more info.

Find out more about grants offered by OAC here: https://www.arts.on.ca/grants/activity/creating-and-presenting

TAC DEADLINES (Applicant must be resident of Toronto)
Theatre Projects: https://torontoartscouncil.org/grant-programs/tac-grants/theatre/project-grants
* August 2, 2022 (funding can be used within 2 years of receiving grant results)
* February 2023 **NOTE: 2023 deadlines have not been announced yet, refer back to the TAC website regularly for more info.
Dance Projects: https://torontoartscouncil.org/grant-programs/tac-grants/dance/project-grants
* August 2, 2022 (funding can be used within 2 years of receiving grant results)
* February 2023 **NOTE: 2023 deadlines have not been announced yet, refer back to the TAC website regularly for more info.

Find out about more grants offered by TAC here: https://torontoartscouncil.org/grant-programs/discover-tac-grants/tac-grants

HOW TO APPLY

Applications closed on May 27, 2022. Thank you to all who applied.

ADJUDICATION PROCESS

A 5-member committee will review all applications and select the series of productions. The committee is comprised of selected practicing artists and/or arts professionals that are recognized as artistic leaders by our sector, with a view to be representative of Toronto’s arts community and striving to contribute to fostering the ongoing diversity of the independent performing arts sector.

Submissions will be assessed for:

The readiness of the project and its participants to take advantage of the professional opportunities offered by the festival 
The artistic content of the project with a view towards clarity of vision
The level of potential production value
Viability of the project after a presentation in the festival, or perceived contribution this presentation will have to the development of the project
The diversity of the creators and project members’ lived experiences

Round 1: All submissions in each series will be divided into 5 groups randomly, with each submission read by at least two committee members in round 1. Each committee member will be assigned a group of submissions to review and score in the assessment categories before meeting to discuss all applications. This discussion session allows each member to propose the submissions they have scored highest that will advance to the second round. Discussing the applications as a group gives a more rounded understanding of the work and provides the opportunity to reconsider their initial scores.

Round 2: All submissions in this round will be read by all five committee members and independently evaluated before meeting to discuss them all together. The committee will select productions that strongly align with the festival’s criteria, and which form a series that is diverse in creators, genres and artistic vision. In this stage, we are considering the work as it will be situated within the entire festival, and striving to showcase the depth and breadth of work in the sector and representing as many genres, disciplines, subject matters, and creative voices as possible. Historically the festival has programmed at least one musical, one dance piece, as well as theatre, solo storytelling, improv, comedy, and everything in between.

TIMELINE

Recommended deadline to apply: Friday May 13, 2022
Final deadline to apply: Tuesday May 17, 2022 by 11:59PM ET
Selected productions will be informed by the week of July 18 at the latest.
2023 Next Stage Festival: October 18-29, 2023

Jury

Laura Paduch

Laura (she/her) is the Managing Director at Toronto Fringe. She oversees the management of the organization’s work, and produces the performance festivals. She ensures policies and systems are in place for a successful organization.
Lucy Eveleigh

Lucy (she/her) is the Executive Director at Toronto Fringe. She oversees the direction of the entire organization, envisioning and ensuring it fulfills its mission and mandate. She is also the current President of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF).
Derrick Chua

Derrick (he/him) is an award-winning theatre producer and entertainment lawyer. His most recent productions include Jake Epstein’s Boy Falls From The Sky (which originated at the Toronto Fringe and is upcoming as part of the next off-Mirvish Season at CAA Theatre), Julius Caesar (Groundling Theatre) and Mary’s Wedding (Crow’s Theatre). He is the recipient of a Dora Award, a Harold Award, Now Magazine Award as Toronto’s Best Indie Producer and Canadian Actors’ Equity Association Honorary Membership for his Outstanding Contribution to the Performing Arts.
Amanda Lin 林美智

Amanda (she/her) is a friend, playwright, daughter, arts administrator, crochet enthusiast, performer, sister, and director. She is a graduate of Queen’s University, where she studied social psychology, theatre, and business, with her area of research centring on attitudes and social influence. She is interested in using art and storytelling to cultivate compassionate and dynamic communities. Amanda currently works at Nightwood Theatre, where she spends her time fundraising and co-leading emerging artist programs such as the Nightwood Innovators and Rising Moon. Her first full-length play, Between a Wok and a Hot Pot (Asian Canadian Dinner Theatre), is currently in development at Cahoots Theatre.
Daniel Carter

Daniel (he/him) is the Interim Director of Operations + Programming at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Previous to this role, Daniel was the Community + Education Programming Coordinator for Buddies, and has held various administrative positions at Theatre Direct, SummerWorks, and Visual Arts Mississauga. Between 2018-2021, Daniel was General Manager at Paprika Festival, during which time he led the company into a period of unparalleled growth. As an artist, Daniel has worked with Buddies in Bad Times, Pandemic Theatre, The AMY Project, DopoLavaro Teatrale, and Shadowtime Productions.