Applications for the 2026 Glassco Translation Residency are now closed. Subscribe to our newsletter to learn about open opportunities.
The Glassco Translation Residency offers a unique opportunity for playwrights and translators working in any language. Designed to explore the nuances of theatre translation and bring new work to life, the residency brings together translators and playwrights applying as a pair with a specific project. Over 10 days, participants live and work together at Fletcher Cottage in Tadoussac, developing their translations in a shared creative environment. Translations from and into any language are accepted. Work is done independently by each playwright-translator pair, and with the support of acclaimed Translation Dramaturg, Maureen Labonté. Artists gather from 5:30 – 6:30 pm, daily for a collaborative discussion and catered meal together each evening.
Participants are encouraged to deepen their understanding of the art form by contributing to informal discussions around the challenges of translation. Equally rewarding is the rich opportunity for linguistic and cultural exchange, a gateway to strongly forged connections across the country.
General Eligibility Criteria
Plays submitted should currently be in the process of being translated. It is preferable that the project have committed interest from a theatre company for a possible production. The play should ideally have had a production in its original language. Both the playwright and the translator must be available to attend the residency together.
History
This residency was first imagined in 1998, when William “Bill” Glassco opened the doors of his family home, Fletcher Cottage, to translators and playwrights. Skillfully led and sculpted by Linda Gaboriau for over a decade, the residency blossomed into the exceptional program it is today. She was followed in her efforts by translator Bobby Theodore, who seamlessly continued to build on her legacy. After having participated in the residency as a translator several times, Maryse Warda stepped into the translation dramaturg role in 2022, bringing her wealth of experience and care. This year, Maureen Labonté steps into the role of Translation Dramaturg and Residency Host: Maureen will be joined by residency co-host and translation dramaturg, Aki Matsushita (PWM Dramaturg).
To date, the residency has translated 81 plays:
- 48 of which have been produced in Canada
- 8 of which have been produced internationally
- and 5 of which have been published
Unsurprisingly, jurors on PWM’s latest core grant application to the Canada Council for the Arts called it, “an exceptional activity” – a testament to the residency’s solid reputation in the national artistic community.
Testimonials
Learn more about the Glassco Translation Residency directly from the participants’ pens! Check out our 2025 Glassco Residency brochure.
YEARLY BROCHURES
Click on the year you want to read.
2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013,
2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS
Click here to read our latest Call for Applications to this program.
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 donations in the memory of the great Canadian theatre artist, Bill Glassco. We are also grateful to 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.
