Ottawa Fringe and Créations In Vivo are teaming up to create Nouveau Play Tuesday, a night of bilingual theatre at the undercurrents festival, where English and French will flirt, argue, mistranslate each other, and still connect. It’s Otown. We do bilingual.

We’re looking for Ottawa-based playwrights writing across the official languages. Between them, in both, or in one or the other. We prioritize scripts that work in both languages (even a single line in the other language counts!), and we’re programming a bilingual night of dramaturgy. English-only and French-only works are welcome and help complete the picture where these languages collide and half-understand each other.

What we want:
• Complete plays or works-in-progress (20 pages minimum),
• Alive writing with fresh perspectives, seriously funny or funnily serious,
• Curious, slightly irreverent playwrights who can laugh at themselves and their grammar.

What we offer:
• A paid engagement,
• Dramaturgical support,
• A public reading at undercurrents.

The game (yes, a game):
• Playwrights do not attend rehearsals,
• You experience your piece for the first time with an audience, live, and are invited to join a facilitated talkback after the reading. We want to center you and your work in this evening.

Deadline: December 15, 2025 at 3:59 a.m.
Send questions and your script (or fragment) to: dillon@creationsinvivo.com

Call for Nominations: Ottawa Fringe Festival Board of Directors 

Deadline for Nominations: Ongoing until January 14, 2026

Positions Available: Chair, Treasurer, Member at Large 

The Ottawa Fringe Festival is seeking nominations to our volunteer board of directors. We are looking for a diverse set of board members, to provide different ideas and perspectives as our mandate and operations continue to grow. 

As the highest leadership body of the organization and to satisfy its fiduciary duties, the board is responsible for: 

• Determining the mission and purposes of the organization 
• Strategic and organizational planning 
• Ensuring strong fiduciary oversight and financial management 

• Fundraising and resource development 
• Selecting and evaluating the performance of the Executive Director 
• Assessing its own performance as the governing body of the Ottawa Fringe Festival 

Responsibilities of a board member 

• Know the organization’s mission, policies, programs, and needs 
• Read and understand the organization’s financial statements 
• Leverage connections, networks, and resources to achieve the Ottawa Fringe Festival’s mission 
• Prepare for, attend, and conscientiously participate in board meetings 

• Participate fully in one or more committees 

Responsibilities of a chair 

• Chair and facilitate board meetings

• Prepare agenda for board meetings 

• Liaise with the organization’s management and the Board 

Responsibilities of a treasurer 

• Understand and review the organization’s budget and financial statements throughout the year 
• Assist the organization’s management with budget discussions in Board meetings
• Assist organization with annual audit practice 
• Act as chair of the Board’s Finance Committee 

Ideal candidate

In their application, candidates are invited to comment on their past board experience, as well as experience in arts and culture, nonprofit governance, diversity and inclusion, communications, human resources, financial oversight, law, or fundraising.

As a member of the board of the Ottawa Fringe Festival, you will gain leadership and networking experience with a nonprofit board. In particular, there are opportunities to gain experience in finance, human resources, fundraising, communications, and strategic planning.

About the Ottawa Fringe Festival

The Ottawa Fringe Festival provides all performing artists, both emerging and established, with the opportunity to produce their work – regardless of content, form, or style – within an environment that is as affordable and accessible as possible to the members of the community. The Ottawa Fringe Festival’s mission is to empower audiences and to encourage artists to take risks, pursue their visions, and develop their skills.

The organization produces two festivals: the Ottawa Fringe Festival and the undercurrents festival. Since 2013, Ottawa Fringe has also been managing Arts Court Theatre and other studio and rehearsal spaces in the historic building.

Process

Nominated candidates will be presented at our Annual General Meeting in January 2026. Board members are elected for two-year terms. Meetings are usually in the evenings at Arts Court (2 Daly Ave), or electronically over Zoom, and are conducted in English. 

The Ottawa Fringe Festival is committed to ensuring that the composition of its board reflects, as much as possible, the diversity of the community that we serve. 

The Ottawa Fringe Festival is also committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for our festival’s audiences, volunteers, artists, and staff. Read our full anti-harassment policy.

To apply, interested candidates should submit a letter of intent outlining why they wish to serve on the Ottawa Fringe Festival Board, the skills and experiences they would bring to the organization, and, if applicable, the specific board role they are interested in. Letters of intent should be sent to nominations@ottawafringe.com no later than January 14, 2026.

undercurrents is Ottawa’s festival of contemporary theatre taking place every February. We seek submissions from the following artists:

• French, English or bilingual Ottawa based stage-ready productions
• French, English or bilingual National stage-ready productions
• French, English or bilingual works in progress suitable to staged readings or workshop presentations

The festival will consider applications from established and emerging artists who are working on new plays and performance pieces, as well as from those touring previously produced original work.

We encourage submissions from under-represented artists who identify with the organization’s Priority Groups: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of colour) Artists, Deaf Artists and Disabled+ Identified Artists, 2SLGBTQ+ Artists.

In addition to the online form, we ask all artists to submit:

1. A proposal describing the project, its history, and the confirmed participating artists
2. Biographies/CVs of lead artists or creators
3. A completed script or script sample
4. Additional support material (optional): tech specs*, reviews, photos, or letters of support

*If you have them, we ask for tech specs so we can make sure our theatre can accommodate your show. The more detail you can give us, the better, but ideally they would include: particulars of your set, information about lights and sound, video or projection components, etc… But don’t stress out about tech specs! We never rule out a show based on this information, and will reach out if we have questions. 

If the form is not accessible for you, we will also accept alternative formats. Alternative applications could be a video (English, French or ASL) or an audio file. Please limit videos or audio files to no more than 10 minutes long, and include all the information requested in the application form. You may then submit your application by email to director@ottawafringe.com.

Have questions before submitting? Want to learn more about undercurrents? Scroll down for more info!

Or schedule a call / book a meeting with Ottawa Fringe Executive and Artistic Director, Alain Richer (director@ottawafringe.com).

Submissions are open for the 2027 festival. If your show is ready for the stage or currently touring, submit for 2026. If your show needs more development time but would benefit from early programming (perhaps helping you secure further funding), apply for 2027.

Deadline for 2026 consideration is April 18.

Apply Here

At the Fringe, volunteers are essential! Quite simply, the festival wouldn’t exist without them! Every year, we bring together a dynamic team to bring this great celebration of independent theater to life.

As a volunteer, you’ll dive right into the heart of the festival, discover what goes on behind the scenes and support passionate artists. And as an added bonus, you’ll get to see shows for free and meet inspiring people!

Looking for a unique experience? Join the team and be part of the Fringe adventure!

What the Fringe has to offer:

• 1 shift = 1 free ticket
• Exclusive shows for our volunteers
• Make a difference and join the movement

Sign up here

Are you a theatre collective, company or individual looking for a unique chance to connect and collaborate? The Ottawa Fringe Festival invites you to join us in our offices for an exciting co-working opportunity! Every Thursday from 10am – 4pm we’re opening up our offices to you!

What’s in it for you?

• Connect with Our Team: Spend time working alongside our dedicated festival team in the heart of Downtown. This is a fantastic chance to network and share ideas in our historically artistic building.
• Community Outreach: Our goal is to engage with our local community and enhance and support projects by providing space. Your presence will help foster our connection and give us a better look into your  needs.
• Creative Collaboration: Work in an inspiring environment at no charge where creativity thrives. Share your projects, get feedback, and explore potential collaborations with us. Not to mention free coffee.

How to Get Involved:

We’re eager to welcome theatre companies, collectives or individuals  who are passionate about the arts and interested in building strong community ties. If this sounds like a fit for you, reach out to us to learn more about this opportunity and how you can be a part of it.

Apply Here