Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM) and the MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) are partnering once again to offer a joint support program for artists in theatre, performance, dance, circus, interdisciplinary arts and visual arts (with a performance component) who are interested in working with a dramaturg from theatre and performance. One selected artist or collective will receive resources and support from both PWM and the MAI.
This partnership between PWM and the MAI accompanies creators on their journey to develop a project and explore their practice, and is intended for artists who identify as 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.
Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM) is a national creation and development centre for theatre and performance led by a team of dramaturgs and arts administrators. While playwriting has been at the core of what we do for 60 years, our work also includes devised, digital, and interdisciplinary forms of creation. In addition to seeking collaborations across diverse artistic practices, we are strongly committed to supporting work which reflects a wide range of cultural identities and lived experiences.
This joint support is part of the MAI’s Alliance program, an artist-support platform that welcomes 10 – 15 artists, collectives and companies per year. MAI’s Alliance program provides assistance and project coordination support, and the possibility for a wide range of services related to the artists’ learning, creation, mentorship, collaboration and professionalization needs.
What’s provided with the joint support program:
• Personalized project coordination support;
• $5,000 fund allocation from the MAI for the development of a project* ;
• Training, referrals, collective reflection opportunities, and other support meetings;
• 80 hours of access to the MAI rehearsal studios;
• 30 hours with a PWM dramaturg, including a 20 hour workshop in PWM’s studio.
Référez-vous au Artist’s Guide pour plus de détails sur ce que comprend ce partenariat conjoint, les critères d'admissibilité et autres conditions.
*The PWM + MAI Joint Support Program is not a grant program. The program offers an allocation of funds ($5,000) for the artist to establish mentorships and collaborations, supporting their learning and creation process (for example, to work with a mentor, a sound designer, a choreographer, a grant writer, or other experts and collaborators). You can read ‘MAI’s allocations: How They Work’ for more information about what is eligible and ineligible in spending these funds on your work.
Working with a dramaturg at PWM
Dramaturgie is an exploration of all the elements that make a work, how they are brought together to create meaning, and what the process for developing that work might be. PWM primarily works on projects that centre text and narrative but also on pieces where text and storytelling are not the primary components or concerns.
PWM’s work centres the artist and our dynamic collaborative process is tailored to meet the needs of their project. We listen deeply to understand who an artist is, what they are making and how they want their work to evolve. We offer feedback and reflection through questions and conversation and often accompany the artists from draft to draft or iteration to iteration. We work one-on-one, but also through workshops and residencies.
PWM understands that the work of playwriting and performance making is not created in a vacuum, but that it interacts with society. Theatre can be impactful, and therefore PWM considers not only how a piece is made and by whom, but also its effect and meaning beyond the walls of its creation studio.
Comment s'inscrire :
Fill out this Google form by October 22, 2023, 11:59PM EST. You will be asked to provide the following information:
- Your name, pronouns (optional), and contact information ;
- Your bio or the background of your collective;
- An explanation of your work’s relevance to the program’s mandate: as a member of the eligible groups, as an artist with an interdisciplinary/intercultural/intersectional approach, and/or an artist working with Indigenous methodologies or ways of knowing;
- Your proposal for support, which describes: your artistic practice, your intended project, your interest in collaboration with a dramaturg, the types of supports or services you might request through the MAI’s allocation of funds, and how this support will impact your artistic journey;
- A proposed schedule or calendar of activities (beginning December 2023, ending by September 2024);
- A proposed budget outlining expenses related to your proposa (refer to our budget example in the artists’ toolkit;
- A CV;
- Documentation of your work.
Video or audio responses are also accepted through the Google form.
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. If you require any accommodations to participate in the program should you be selected, please let us know in your application.
Selection Criteria
Applications are considered by a committee made up of members of PWM’s team and of the MAI team. One recipient will be selected based on the following criteria: relevance to the partnership’s mandate, impact on the artist/project, and the feasibility of the support proposal. A complete breakdown of these criteria can also be found in the program’s Artist’s Guide.
All candidates will receive a response by email by the end of November 2023 informing them of the outcome of their application.
This program is financially supported by the Ministry of Culture and Communications and the City of Montreal as part of l’Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal, as well as by the Canada Council for the Arts.
