March 13, 2019
Ontario Presents, with the support of the Ontario Arts Council and in partnership with Native Earth Performing Arts, SummerWorks Performance Festival and The Theatre Centre, is accepting applications from Ontario-based theatre and dance artists who wish to attend the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from August 17-23, 2019. The goal of this program is for artists to experience the festival, build international connections, and research the possibility of producing a show at the festival in the future.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Edinburgh is the world’s leading festival city, with 2 million tickets sold each year across 5 simultaneous festivals. International audiences, promoters, producers and media travel to Edinburgh from around the globe to seek out new work. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe alone is a premiere platform for the performing arts, especially theatre and dance. It is therefore an ideal opportunity for Canadian projects to receive international exposure and recognition. It is one of the world’s largest market places and offers a career springboard to many artists.
Program rationale
Since 2016, Canada has sought to establish a coordinated presence in Edinburgh, especially with the 2017 launch of the CanadaHub fringe venue. Edinburgh is a significant international platform for Canadian artists, especially those who are seeking international presenters for their work. However, it can be a difficult and overwhelming experience for those who have not attended the Festivals before. For this reason, Ontario Presents wishes to support artists to attend the Festivals in order to research future producing and presentation opportunities.
Details
This program will support 8 mid-career or established performing artists who are ready to explore international touring as the next stage in their career. While in Edinburgh, you will have the opportunity to see performances, view venues, meet international contacts, and attend professional development events. Note that this is a research and networking program, not a performance or pitch opportunity.
For the selected artists, Ontario Presents will provide:
- Hotel accommodation for 6 nights (Aug 17-23)
- Access to Performance tickets
- Networking events and introductions
- Access to a curated professional development series for Canadian delegates
- Consultations in advance to help you prepare to maximize networking opportunities
Please Note:
Travel to and from Edinburgh is not provided. You will be encouraged to apply for an Arts Abroad Travel Grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. The next deadline for this grant is April 10, 2019. You will be notified of our decision at least one week before the travel grant deadline. It is recommended that you register on the Canada Council online portal as soon as possible if you do not already have an account, as account approval can take up to three weeks.
Criteria
The 8 artists will be selected by a panel of leaders from the Ontario theatre & dance communities. For this opportunity, Ontario Presents is seeking artists who are:
- Ontario-based
- Theatre, Dance, and/or Interdisciplinary performing artists
- Mid-career or established
- Do not currently have access to significant touring infrastructure or international contacts
- Seeking to make international contacts and develop international touring opportunities
The Ontario Arts Council’s 6 priority groups will be taken into consideration.
How to Apply
Please send the application form to Ceilidh Wood (ceilidh@ontariopresents.ca) by 4pm on March 25th, 2019. You may also contact Ceilidh if you have any questions about the program.
Download the application form here
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