Calling all young playwrights and creatives, the 2023-2024 Young Creators Unit is now accepting applications!
Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal is excited to once again be calling for all emerging storytellers under the age of 30 to apply for our YOUNG CREATORS UNIT (YCU).
Are you an emerging playwright under 30, looking to develop your skills? Do you have a brilliant idea for a play, but are not sure how to get it on paper? Or maybe you have a draft, and now you need feedback and guidance to elevate it to the next level?
If any of this sounds like you, then the Young Creators Unit is the place to develop your work. This creative incubator supports up-and-coming artists find their voice, make connections, and learn new storytelling skills, as they workshop an original piece of theatre. All you need to apply is an idea, a question, a theme you’d like to explore.
From October 2023 – June 2024, participants will receive weekly one-on-one dramaturgical sessions, mentorships with industry professionals, participate in group writing sessions and workshops, receive grant writing support, and networking opportunities.
YCU is led by PWM’s Artistic Producer & Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi.
Thrilled to be back leading the YCU for her second year, Leila Ghaemi (she/elle) is a first generation Iranian-Canadian theatre maker. She returned to her hometown of Montreal, Quebec during the COVID-19 pandemic after a decade of working for theater companies in the United States, including American Conservatory Theater, New Repertory Theatre, and Boston Playwright’s Theatre; where she grew her love for and skills in new play development.
Leila received her BFA in Theatre Arts and MFA in Theatre Education & Direction from Boston University’s School of Theatre and currently serves as co-artistic director of Persephone Productions Montreal and Artistic Producer & Dramaturg at PWM. Leila’s artistic pillars include responsible MENASA representation, radical theatre empowerment, and arts advocacy. Recent projects include: dramaturg for The Flick at Centaur Theatre, cultural consultant for English at The Segal Centre for Performing Arts, teaching-artist at The Study School, and director for Pool No Water at The Segal Centre for Performing Arts.
PWM is committed to creating an environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. We are continuously working to make all of our programs accessible and inclusive. While recognizing that the identity of each person is fundamentally plural and multidimensional, we strongly encourage applications from artists who are: Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), Black, POC, racialized (including recent immigrants), 2SLGBTQQIPAA+, d/Deaf, neurodivergent, disabled, living with chronic illness and/or chronic pain. PWM is strongly committed to supporting a wide range of cultural identities and lived experiences, therefore we encourage applicants to self-identify in their application if they are comfortable doing so.
If you have any questions regarding accessibility, require assistance with your application, or would like to discuss alternative methods of applying and deadline flexibility, please contact accessibility@playwrights.ca.
Click here to preview the application form as a PDF.
For accessibility information and video tours of our location, please click here. If you require any accommodations to participate in the program should you be selected, please let us know in your application.
How to Apply
Leila Ghaemi will be holding an open information session on Zoom, September 7th 2023 at 6:00PM, for anyone interested in learning more about the program and PWM. To register for the information session, please email leila@playwrights.ca.
If you are interested in applying, please fill out this Google Form by 11:59 PM on September 14th, 2023. Your application will require the following information:
- A brief bio of yourself, and your experience (if any) as a storyteller/creator.
- A brief description of the work you would like to develop, or a list of some ideas (writing samples are not mandatory, but encouraged).
- A brief description sharing why you would like to join the Unit, and what you hope to get out of the experience.
Due to the large amount of interest in the program, we will also be holding interviews with applicants to learn more about their interests and what they hope to gain from the program. This is also a great opportunity for you to ask us questions!
The program will run from October 19th to May 31st, 2024. For the first half of the program, group sessions and workshops will take place biweekly on Thursdays from 5PM-8PM, at the PWM Studio, 7250 Rue Clark. In January, 2024, this will shift to a weekly format, culminating in a Showcase at the end of May.
There are limited spots in the program and participants are expected to attend the group sessions, one-on-one meetings, as well as commit to some additional self-directed activities. Please only apply to the Unit if you can commit to the full schedule. All applicants will be informed of their results by Thursday, October 5th, 2023.
The Selection Process
Once the application period is closed, all applications will be reviewed and considered. We will then set-up interviews with potential candidates, followed by offers to join the program. There are many factors that go into the selection process in addition to the consideration of your application, such as group dynamics and the range of experience within the cohort. Decisions will not be based on training or competencies.
If you have any questions, please contact YCU’s Lead Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi, at leila@playwrights.ca.
“I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity to be a part of the 2022-2023 Young Creators Unit! It was transformative in so many ways and I feel more confident about taking up space artistically and furthering my own practice as a theatre maker. I loved the one-on-one meetings with Leila Ghaemi as it kept me accountable and was integral to my writing practice. Additionally, the YCU cohort was a very thoughtful and generous ensemble; helping me stay tethered and accountable to this creative process. “
— 2022 YCU cohort member
