PWM + MAI joint support for artists interested in working with a dramaturg

Through this program, Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal and the MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) join forces to support 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.  

This partnership between PWM and the MAI accompanies creators (individuals or collectives) 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. 

Goals

The PWM + MAI joint support is aimed at artists encountering structural and systemic obstacles to their full participation in the arts because of their claimed identity and/or perceived identity in society. The program strives to eliminate barriers to their full participation in the arts by offering financial allocations and guidance that are adapted to the learning and creative needs and desires of each participant. 

The PWM + MAI joint support is part of the MAI’s Alliance program. The program includes three streams: general program, joint supports and punctual supports. If you want more information on the general program, punctual supports and/or other joint support programs, please visit the MAI website for specific guidelines relative to each stream.

Working with a dramaturg at PWM

Dramaturgy 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.

Support Provided

The PWM + MAI joint support offers the following to the selected artist:  

• 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 or residency in PWM’s studio

*The PWM + MAI joint support for artists interested in working with a dramaturg is not a grant program. The program offers an allocation of funds ($5,000) for the artists 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.

Program History

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.