Author: Playwrights' Workshop Montréal

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Young Creators Unit 2026-2027 Call for Applications

A graffiti-like background of blue, turquoise, and black. On the left side, the words Young Creators Unit 2026-2027, Call for Applications. On the top right, the PWM logo in white.
Calling all emerging playwrights and theatre creators: The 2026-2027 Young Creators’ Unit is now accepting applications!

Offering theatremakers innovative workshops, 1:1 consultations, and group activities that focus on creation, dramaturgy, and professional development, applications for the 12th edition of the Young Creators Unit program are now open!

Application deadline: Sunday, July 19, 2026, 11:59PM EST.
All applicants will receive a response by August 16, 2026. 

If you have any questions regarding accessibility, require assistance with this application, or would like to discuss alternative methods of applying, please contact accessibility@playwrights.ca.

“I’ve loved being in this year’s Young Creators Unit. Leila facilitates our cohort with a fervent loyalty towards our plays and what our writing wants to say. Here I have learned to revere my creative impulses and to lean on my peers’ expertise. Leila, the other YCU playwrights, and the theatre professionals I’ve met during our outings have made me feel like my play has found its home in this city. Thank you PWM!”

— Hanesa Banks (’26)

About the Young Creators Unit

Are you a theatre maker under 30, looking to hone your craft in storytelling? Do you have a brilliant idea for a play, but are not sure how to get it on paper? Or maybe you need feedback and guidance to elevate your first draft to the next level?

If any of this sounds like you, then PWM’s Young Creators Unit is the place to develop your craft. This creative incubator supports emerging artists to find their voice, make connections, and learn new storytelling skills, all while developing the practical skills they need to establish a successful career in the arts. All you need to apply is an idea, question, theme, image, or more! 

The YCU will once again be led by PWM’s Artistic Producer & YCU Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi. From September 2026 -June 2027, participants will receive 1:1 dramaturgical sessions with Leila, mentorships with industry professionals, and group writing sessions and workshops. YCU participants are also provided professional development resources and opportunities, such as grant writing support and guidance, access to local theatre experiences and performances, and networking opportunities. 

The program will run from September 9th, 2026, to June 2nd, 2027. Group sessions will take place weekly on Wednesdays from 5-8PM in the PWM Creative Studio, located at 7250 Rue Clark, suite #103.

If you are interested in learning more about the Young Creators Unit and PWM, or about the YCU 2026-2027 Application process, please email Leila at leila@playwrights.ca.

PWM welcomes all applications. 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+, neurodivergent, living with disability, 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.

Eligibility 

  • Be an artist aged 30 or younger;
  • Be a Canadian citizen or hold permanent residency status in Canada;
  • Be located in Montreal and able to attend sessions in person; 
  • Be available for the whole program, September 2026 – June 2027;
  • Be willing to participate in group activities during the program.

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying, please fill out this Google Form by 11:59 PM EST by July 19th, 2026. Your application will require the following information:

  • A brief bio of yourself, and your experience as a storyteller/creator.
  • A brief description of the work you would like to develop (writing and / or artistic samples are encouraged).
  • A brief description sharing why you would like to join the Unit, and what you hope to get out of the experience.
  • Any additional writing and/or artistic materials you would like to have considered with your application. This can be a current script excerpt, mood boards, music playlists, past work, etc.

This helps us get to know you and what sparks your interest as an artist and how you might fit into the YCU ensemble!

Due to the high level of interest in the YCU each year, we will be holding interviews with some of the potential candidates  to learn more about their interests and goals, and what they hope to gain from the program. This is also a great opportunity for you to ask us questions! Please note that not all applicants will be contacted for an interview, and that an interview does not indicate whether or not you have been accepted into the program.

The number of Cohort members we can accept are limited. Participants are expected to attend the group sessions, 1:1 meetings,  as well as commit to additional self-directed activities. Please only apply to the Unit if you are able to commit to the full intensive schedule. All applicants will be informed of their results by Sunday, August 16th, 2026.  Click here to preview the application form as a PDF.

The Selection Process

Once the application period is closed, all applications will be reviewed and considered by a selection committee. Please note that there are many factors that go into the selection process, such as group dynamics and the range of experiences and points of views within the Cohort. Decisions will not be based on training or competencies; we therefore encourage applications from all backgrounds and experience levels.

If you have any questions, please contact YCU’s Lead Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi, at leila@playwrights.ca. 

YCU is led by PWM’s Artistic Producer & Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi.

Leila Ghaemi (she/her) is a proud Persian dramaturg and theatre educator.  She received her BFA in Theatre Arts and MFA in Theatre Education & Direction from Boston University’s School of Theatre, where she trained in dramaturgical methods. Having spent over a decade working for various theatre organizations in the United States and Canada, Leila has been fortunate to evolve her artistic practices professionally and academically, specifically in new play development. Her artistic pillars include MENASA representation, radical theatre empowerment, and creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive spaces on and off stage. Leila also serves on the board for Persephone Productions Montreal. When not dreaming about theatre, her world revolves around her pit-pug puppy Gigi and her two very sassy cats: Leslie & Hiccup.

Learn more about the Young Creators Unit.

The YCU is made possible through the generous support of our funders:

Wordmark of the Government of Canada


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The 2025-2026 Young Creators Unit Showcase

PWM’S YOUNG CREATORS UNIT IS NOW IN ITS 11TH YEAR, FEATURING A VIBRANT GROUP OF EMERGING MONTRÉAL THEATRE ARTISTS.  

After months of artistic exploration  and discovery, members of this  year’s cohort are preparing for the annual YCU showcase! This private event will take place at the PWM Studio on Thursday June 4th and Friday June 5th at 7:00 PM. This year, each playwright will be featured on both nights.

Learn more about each cohort member featured in this year’s showcase by clicking the “show more” button under their names.

The YCU showcase is a private event due to limited seating capacity. If you are interested in attending, please contact leila@playwrights.ca. Please note that seats are provided based on availability. 

Thank you for supporting Montréal’s emerging artists!

Thursday, June 4 and Friday, June 5

This program is facilitated by YCU Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi.

Leila Ghaemi (she/her) is a proud Persian dramaturg and theatre educator.  She received her BFA in Theatre Arts and MFA in Theatre Education & Direction from Boston University’s School of Theatre, where she trained in dramaturgical methods. Having spent over a decade working for various theatre organizations in the United States and Canada, Leila has been fortunate to evolve her artistic practices professionally and academically, specifically in new play development. Her artistic pillars include MENASA representation, radical theatre empowerment, and creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive spaces on and off stage. Leila also serves on the board for Persephone Productions Montreal. When not dreaming about theatre, her world revolves around her pit-pug puppy Gigi and her two very sassy cats: Leslie & Hiccup.

THE YOUNG CREATORS UNIT IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY:
Patrimoine canadien/Canada Heritage logo
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Participants of the 2026 Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac

A view of the bay in Tadoussac at sunrise.
The Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac is taking place from June 17th to the 28th!

Known for encouraging rich, nuanced works, the Glassco Translation Residency fosters a thoughtful and generative translation process, grounded in collaboration and the deep exploration of the ideas woven into each play.

Unique au pays, cette résidence, qui a lieu dans l’historique Maison Fletcher à Tadoussac au Québec, donne aux traducteurs le temps, l’espace et le soutien dramaturgique nécessaires pour la traduction d’une pièce de théâtre.

The program plays a vital role in Canada’s theatre-making landscape, and we’re pleased to announce this year’s playwright-translator pairs. You can click on each participant’s photo to learn more about their work.

La machine à cons | Translation from French to English

Céleste Godin

Translator

Click for participant bio

Annick Lefebvre

Playwright

Click for participant bio

Blissful State of Surrender | Translation from English to French

Sylvie Nicolas

Translator

Click for participant bio

Sanita Fejzić

Playwright

Click for participant bio

Après t’avoir bordé tendrement, je meurs | Translation from French to English

Johanna Nutter

Translator

Click for participant bio

Stéphanie Labbé

Playwright

Click for participant bio

Meet the Translation Dramaturg

We’re pleased to welcome Maureen Labonté as the new Glassco Translation Residency host and translation dramaturg!

Maureen Labonté is a dramaturge, translator and teacher. She has coordinated a number of play development programmes in theatres and play development centres across the country including at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) in Montreal, the National Arts Centre (Ottawa) and Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal. She has also worked as a dramaturge in many Franco-Canadian theatres, such as the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario (Sudbury), Théâtre-Action (Ottawa), the Cercle Molière (Winnipeg) and L’Escaouette (Moncton).

Maureen has also worked extensively as a translation dramaturge. With Emma Tibaldo, she helped set up the Playwrights Workshop Montreal/Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators in 2012, and is still involved as mentor and dramaturge. This highly successful programme is now in its eleventh cycle.

Maureen was the Jury Chair for the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre from 2009 to 2012.

From 2006 to 2011, she was Co-Director of the Banff Playwrights Colony at the Banff Center for the Arts. Prior to that, she worked at the Colony as resident dramaturge and then as Head of Program (2002-2005).

Maureen also worked at the National Theatre School of Canada for more than 20 years. In the mid-90’s, she set up and ran a pilot two-year Directing Programme and then went on to coordinate the Playwriting Programme and Playwrights’ Residency. She has taught at NTS-ENT in the Playwriting, Directing and Mise-en-scène programmes.

She now teaches master classes in Text Analysis in both French and English across the Country.

Maureen Labonté has translated more than fifty Quebec plays into English. One of the main focuses of her work has been in the area of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA). Also, And Slowly Beauty, her translation of Michel Nadeau’s Lentement la beauté was short-listed for the 2014 Governor General’s Award in Translation.

She lives in Montreal.

Meet the PWM Staff Dramaturg and Residency Host

Aki is a biracial, Japanese-Canadian (nisei, second generation) dramaturg and arts educator raised in Ottawa and Tokyo within a family of pedagogues.

Aki’s love for theatre began in her formative years at a francophone Arts High School in Ottawa. She completed a Bachelor’s of Arts specialised in theatre, during that time, she participated in an international exchange studying for a year at the University of Birmingham, UK to immerse herself in English and European Theatre. In the years that follow, Aki completed her Masters of Arts in Theatre Theory and Dramaturgy, successfully defending her Thesis that examined the Intercultural Adaptations of Japanese Post-War Theatre Director, Suzuki Tadashi. Since moving to Montreal Aki has worked with emerging theatre artists in training at the National Theatre School of Canada.

Aki is fascinated by intercultural performance, as it fosters an exchange and seeks out connection between seemingly disparate entities, looking at the world through the lens of wanting to understand each other’s humanity across geographic, cultural, linguistic, temporal and cultural boundaries. Intercultural performance resonates deeply with Aki as a bi-racial artist whose mixed-identity has always been a centre point of her existence.

Aki has been engaging in dramaturgical collaboration apprenticeships for a number of years following her studies. Since joining PWM, Aki has collaborated with a number of artists in developing their projects and is continuously discovering new elements of her artistic process with every new collaboration.

About the Residency

The Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac is dedicated to the art of translation for the stage.

Tout au long de son histoire remarquable, cette résidence a servi de cadre à la traduction de pièces de théâtre en plusieurs langues, notamment en cri, en cantonais, en espagnol, en catalan, en portugais, en tagalog, en anglais et en français.

The Glassco Residency logo -- a hand-drawn line underneath two thick pathways.

The Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac is made possible through our partnership with the Cole Foundation’s Intercultural Conversations Program, the dedication of Residency Producer Briony Glassco, and the support of the friends and family of the great Canadian theatre artist, Bill Glassco. We are also grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the Conseil des arts de Montréal for their ongoing support.

Logo of the Cole Foundation
friends and family of Bill Glassco
Canada Council logo
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Queer Reading Series 2026

A background of colours ranging from blue to pink and pastel orange. On the left, written in white, the words Queer Reading Series. On the bottom right, the dates May 14 & 15, 2026. On the top right, PWM and Centaur Theatre logos.

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING QUEER THEATRE AT THE 2026 QUEER READING SERIES.

PWM, in partnership with Centaur theatre, invites you to join us for two readings of dynamic new works-in-progress by Queer artists. The Queer Reading Series continues for its 6th year amplifying the voices of early-career 2SLGBTQIA+ playwrights. 

On May 14 and 15  at 7:30PM, Centaur Theatre will host Not Just Empty Space by Sarah Danielle Pitman and Dylan’s Song by Anna Morreale. Each performance will be followed by a conversation with the creative team.

The Queer Reading Series is a FREE event. Donations help us keep our programming free to artists, and will be gratefully accepted at the door.

Both readings will be presented with English captions, and the conversations will be presented with auto-generated captioning, for accessibility purposes.

Join us to uplift exciting new works-in-progress and support Queer voices exploring the intersections of queerness and artistic practice.

Visit Centaur Theatre’s website to book your free tickets.


Schedule

thursday, may 14th at 7:30PM:

Not Just Empty Space
by Sarah Danielle Pitman.
Directed by Trevor Barrette.

Performed by Alyssa Angelucci-Wall and Gabrielle Banville.

Dramaturgy by Fatma Sarah Elkashef and Aki Matsushita.

Kitty Hawk, 1903: a fifteen-year-old girl attempts to photograph the Wright Brothers’ first flight.

Just outside the Earth’s orbit, 2103: an astronaut thrown from their spaceship drifts aimlessly through the universe.

Right here, right now: two unnamed collaborators argue over how to weave these stories together for the stage.

A work of historical and speculative drama, Not Just Empty Space explores connections through time, as well as our own expectations of theatrical storytelling.

friday, may 15th at 7:30PM:

Dylan’s Song
by Anna Morreale.
Directed by Annie Valentina.

Dramaturgy by Erin Lindsay.
Choreography by Scott McCabe.

Performed by Anastassia Chepelkevitch, Lior Maharjan, and Micha Raoutenfeld.

Producing support by Lily Chang.

Poetry. Drama. Dance. Dylan is numb. She has been trying to achieve something beyond herself for years: going to raves every weekend, using ketamine everyday, and giving her body to anyone that wants it. After the death of a lover, and a near psychotic episode on the dancefloor, Dylan decides to quit the scene – but not without one final night out. Alongside her chorus of beautiful bodies, Dylan dances through her memories of last night’s last rave, discovering just how dark her desires have really become. And what her mind tries to forget, her body forces her to remember.

Content advisory:
Self harm, drug use, overdose, mentions of blood and bodily harm.

About the Playwrights

Sarah Danielle Pitman is a playwright who grew up on the unceded territories of the Lekwungen and W_SÁNEC nations. Now based in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal, she is a graduate of the playwriting program at Canada’s National Theatre School where her play Salvage The Wrecked was produced for the New Words Festival. Sarah’s play Lay Down All Dogs was presented as a staged reading at the Centaur Theatre for their 2026 WinterWorks Festival, and her theatre-for-young audiences show Beyond Belief is currently touring schools around Quebec and the Maritimes as part of Geordie Theatre’s 2Play Tour.

Wright brothers’ first flight. 1903. Photo credit: Unknown

Anna Morreale is a multidisciplinary artist and recent alum of the CBC Actors Conservatory at the Canadian Film Centre. Since graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada in 2021, Anna has been working professionally in the theatre, film and voice acting industries. Their first introduction to playwriting was through Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal’s Young Creators Unit in 2024, where they began developing their first play: Dylan’s Song. Anna also wrote and starred in their debut short film: NIKITA, produced by the CFC and directed by Jessie Posthumus.

Photo credit: Mark Binks

READ MORE ABOUT THE queer reading series.
THIS PROGRAM IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY:
Canada Council logo
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CAM Logo

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Panel Discussion: Diving in with the DDIS Process Beast

Compilation of photos of DDIS workshops throughout 2024-2026.
Are you curious about the relationship between digital dramaturgy and play/performance development?

Participate in an afternoon of dramaturgical conversation and process exploration at PWM.

May 2nd from 1-4pm at the PWM Studio
7250 Rue Clark #103, Montreal, Quebec, H2R2Y3
This is a free event. Donations are welcome at the door.

Centered around a panel discussion exploring the “process beast” that emerged at the intersection of digital and other forms of dramaturgical collaboration, we will be sharing process and research findings from DDIS: a two year Digital Dramaturgy Integration Strategy project conceived by potatoCakes_digital and Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. 

The panel will feature the DDIS team and collaborating dramaturgs: Fatma Sarah Elkashef, Aki Matsushita, Emily Soussana and Andrew Scriver and playwrights/creators Amanda Smith, Scout Rexe, and Emma Tibaldo and will be moderated by researcher Erin Lindsay.  

The panel will begin at 2:00PM. There will be an opportunity to engage with digital art and installations from the DDIS process along with prompts and questions for continued conversation both before and after the 1 hour panel discussion.

Not able to make the event?
We will be following up with a digital hub of research findings, questions, prompts and observations from the DDIS process. 

The Digital Dramaturgy Integration Strategy was made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Canada Council logo
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The 2026 Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency is now accepting applications.

A view of the Bonne Bay Aquarium and Research Station at the Gros Morne National Park. On the upper left side, the words Call for Applications written in white. Beneath, the words Gros Morne Playwrights' Residency 2026 written in white.
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE GROS MORNE PLAYWRIGHTS’ RESIDENCY.

Application deadline: April 20, 2026, 11:59PM EDT

If you have any questions regarding accessibility, require assistance with this application, or would like to discuss alternative methods of applying, please contact accessibility@playwrights.ca.

Les candidats souhaitant postuler à la résidence d’auteurs dramatiques Gros Morne en français doivent se rendre sur le site web du CEAD et faire la demande auprès d’eux.

The Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency will bring together seven playwrights living in Canada over a twelve-day period, from October 15 to 26, 2026.

Created by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM) and the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD), this Residency is held in partnership with Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, Creative Gros Morne, the Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station and with the vital support of the Cole Foundation.

About the Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency

The Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency is a dual-lingual residency that welcomes writers from across Canada to Gros Morne, Newfoundland and Labrador. This unique dual-lingual residency takes place at the Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station in Norris Point, located in Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland and Labrador.

English language playwrights should apply through PWM and French language playwrights through the CEAD. Applications will be considered from across the country; three English and three French applications will be selected. A seventh spot is reserved for a playwright from Newfoundland and Labrador working in English. 

The residency will be led by Fatma Sarah Elkashef, Artistic Director of PWM, Aki Matsushita, dramaturg at PWM, and Sasha Dion, dramaturg at CEAD. The residency is an opportunity for solo writing, punctuated with moments of exchange and reading work in progress as a group. The host dramaturgs are available to read your work and engage in one-on-one conversations centred around your process and questions.

The Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency provides playwrights with transportation, accommodation at Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station (private bedroom and bathroom), meals, an honorarium of $800.00, and dramaturgical support.

Read testimonials from the 2025 Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency participants.

PWM welcomes all applications. 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+, neurodivergent, living with disability, 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.

Eligibility

  • Be a Canadian citizen or hold permanent residency status in Canada;
  • Be a playwright, writing in English, and have had at least one play workshopped, published, or professionally produced;
  • Your application play should ideally be in the early stages of development (first draft or slightly beyond);
  • Be available for the whole residency;
  • Be willing to participate in group activities during the residency;
  • For playwrights writing in French, please visit the CEAD website. Please note that the CEAD only accepts applications from their members;
  • Please note that our expertise does not extend to musicals.

How to Apply

You can apply for the 2026 Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency via our Google form, by April 20, 2026, 11:59PM EDT. Audio and video answers to some of the questions in the form are also welcomed.

In the form, you’ll be asked to provide the following information:

  • Your name, pronouns (optional), age (optional), and contact information; 
  • Geographical location you will be departing from to get to Gros Morne;
  • Geographical location you will be returning to;
  • A statement of your interest in the residency and how it will benefit your process (written, video or audio); 
  • A description of the play in progress (written, video or audio);
  • An excerpt of the play in progress (10 – 12 pages);
  • A CV (2 pages maximum) and a bio;
  • A copy of your last published, workshopped or produced play. (Please note, it must be a play other than the one you are applying to the residency with.)

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Selection will be made by a committee set up by PWM and CEAD. All applicants will receive a response by July 10, 2026.  Please note that PWM cannot provide feedback on applications. 

If you have any questions regarding the Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency, please contact heather@playwrights.ca.

Preview the application form as a PDF.

Schedule for the Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency

PWM organizes the travel for the artists, from their point of departure to the residency, and back again. 

October 15, 2026

Travel via plane and taxi to Norris Point, Newfoundland and Labrador (anyone departing West of Ontario will have to add a day of travel).

October 16-25, 2026

  • Unstructured writing time at Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station;
  • Individual sessions with residency dramaturgs as determined in collaboration with the playwright;
  • Daily sixty-minute group meetings to read and discuss the process;
  • 2 presentations by local artists; 
  • Shared catered dinner every evening;
  • A possible public reading of excerpts from the plays in progress with the local community.

October 26, 2026

Departure for home.

Places to create during the Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency

Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station

Since 2002, the Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station, located on the magnificent west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, has had the primary mission of expanding knowledge in marine ecology. In addition, the station also engages in community and artistic activities. Nestled in the small coastal community of Norris Point and with breathtaking views, it is equipped with laboratories, offices, a library, a multimedia theatre, an aquarium, and an attached building with individual bedrooms.

The residence is wheelchair accessible. However, the library and theatre space at the Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station, which is often used by the playwrights, requires the participant in a wheelchair to leave the residence, travel across the parking lot, into the main lobby entrance to access the library/theatre space.

Gros Morne National Park

Soaring fjords and moody mountains tower above a diverse panorama of beaches and bogs, forests and barren cliffs. Shaped by colliding continents and grinding glaciers, the ancient landscape of Gros Morne national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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