The Ottawa Fringe Festival is looking to fill seasonal positions with folks passionate about performing arts.

• Front of House Administrator
• Communications Assistant
• Box Office Attendants 
• Access Assistant

HOW TO APPLY

Please email your application to jobs@ottawafringe.com, including your resume and a letter of introduction outlining why you would like to work at the Ottawa Fringe. Be sure to indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email. We also welcome applicants to apply for multiple positions.

We will be accepting applications on a rolling basis until mid-May and will review submissions and schedule interviews as they come in. There is no hard deadline to apply. Interviews will be held in person or virtually (based on your preference), but please note that festival work will be in-person.

Here are some recommended prompts for your Introduction Letter: What experience do you have working in customer service? Why do you want to work at the Fringe? Why is giving back to your community important to you? We also encourage non-traditional Introduction Letters. If you are interested in submitting a visual representation of yourself such as a mood board or video, please feel free to submit this along with your CV. If you require any accessibility assistance, please email us at jobs@ottawafringe.com. We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Here at Ottawa Fringe, we’re working hard to include everyone in our festival. We believe that art is for everyone, and encourage applications from diverse applicants of all backgrounds regardless of culture, race, colour, gender identity, national origin, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, or gender expression.

The Ottawa Fringe is seeking enthusiastic Front of House Administrators who will help lead the team of Box Office Attendants and Ottawa Fringe Festival’s large team of over 100 volunteers. The successful candidate for this position will have administrative experience, interpersonal skills and be excited by the opportunity to work in the busy hub of the festival. They will have experience in a box office or other customer service environment. 

Duration: April 13 – June 30, 2026 (up to 12 weeks)
Hours: Position starts part-time and increases to full-time for the festival
Evening and weekend availability required
Rate: $20/hr

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensuring adequate recruitment of the Ottawa Fringe Festival’s volunteer base
• Helping to develop and deliver volunteer orientation sessions and training
• Preparing volunteer orientation materials
• Build and implement volunteer schedule and volunteer management software
• Help develop and implement box office schedule
• Reconcile box office sales and cash deposits
• Prepare daily materials and information for each Ottawa Fringe Festival box office
• Data entry and management of each festival box office
• Interact and assist patrons with ticket purchases and other information
• Answer box office phone and emails to assist patrons
• Supervising on-site volunteers, assisting where required
• Familiarize yourself with Ottawa Fringe policies and procedures
• Maintain Ottawa Fringe values and standards for offering accessible events and hospitality

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Previous experience leading others
• Customer service experience
• Organization skills including scheduling and human resources 
• Ability to demonstrate initiative, troubleshooting skills and self-motivation
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience with cash handling, reconciliations
• Previous experience as a volunteer or working with volunteers an asset
• Familiarity with Google Suite (email, sheets, forms) is an asset
• Familiarity with ticketing systems and scheduling softwares
• A passion for theatre and a familiarity of Fringe Festivals is an asset
• Bilingualism is an asset

The Communications Assistant will work directly with the festival’s Engagement and Development Manager, creating content for our social media platforms, tracking social media metrics, and assisting with website updates and media interactions. The successful candidate will be a motivated team player with excellent communication skills. They should be outgoing and happy to communicate with artists and press through social media. 

Duration: April 27 – July 3, 2026 (10 weeks)
Hours: 35 hours/week
Evening and weekend availability required
Rate: $20/hr

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Monitoring and creating content for all Ottawa Fringe social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), while tracking metrics and engagement;
• Developing a social media content calendar alongside the Engagement and Development Manager;
• Interacting with our follower network and responding to comments/messages to encourage engagement;
• Assisting with website updates and overseeing online reviews;
• Creating newsletter and e-blast content, including daily festival updates;
• Assist with media assets, including the creation of a media kit;
• Accompanying Fringe artists to any in-person media interviews;
• Creating an end-of-festival report on metrics for both social media and website accounts.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of and experience with various social media platforms
• Knowledge of and experience with website development
• High level of writing and communication skills
• Experience communicating with the media is a plus
• Familiarity with Ottawa Fringe Festival and/or the Ottawa theatre scene is a strong asset
• Experience using WordPress is an asset
• Bilingualism is an asset

The Ottawa Fringe Festival Box Office Attendants are highly motivated, enthusiastic and dependable individuals. Successful candidates for this position will be team players who are looking for a fun and challenging opportunity to be part of Ottawa’s largest theatre festival. Your work day will consist of assisting with ticket purchases and festival information; Box Office Attendants are problem solvers and highly personable people.

Duration: June 1 – 28, 2026
Hours: Approximately 60-100 hours total
Evening and weekend availability is required
Rate: $19/hr

*Please note that there is a mandatory staff meeting on the evening of June 8th and mandatory training on the evening of June 2nd.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Selling tickets & merchandise, processing donations
• Reconciling box office system including reconciling cash
• Interact with and assist patrons with ticket purchases and other information
• Answer patrons inquiries at the box office and over the phone
• Familiarize yourself with Ottawa Fringe policies and procedures
• Maintain Ottawa Fringe values adn standards for offering accessible events and hospitality

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Outstanding customer service
• The ability to problem solve in a fast paced environment 
• Strong computer skills and experience using Google Suite
• A flexible schedule with strong availability in the evenings and full availability on weekends
• Prior experience with cash handling, reconciliations
• Bilingualism is an asset

The Ottawa Fringe is seeking a dedicated Access Assistant to help ensure an inclusive and accessible festival experience. The ideal candidate is organized, detail-oriented, and passionate about accessibility. They will support festival access initiatives, assist patrons and artists with inquiries, and help coordinate accessible performances and spaces. This role is a great opportunity for someone who values inclusivity and wants to contribute to a welcoming festival environment.

Duration: April 27 – July 3, 2026 (10 weeks)
Hours: Position starts part-time and increases to full-time for the festival
Evening and weekend availability is required
Rate: $20/hr

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support festival access initiatives
• Assemble, upload and distribute show transcripts
• Track and update content notes, including updating website
• Answer patron and artist inquiries related to access initiatives and peformances
• Track patron access needs and communicate them with the team
• Manage accessible performance listings and calendar
• Organize and setup access spaces on festival grounds
• Support accessible performances

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Comfortable assisting patrons and artists
• Strong computer skills and experience using Google Suite
• Detail-oriented and able to track information
• Able to work well in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with AODA customer service standards is an asset
• Experience with accessibility initiatives or website updates is an asset
• Bilingualism is an asset

Do you have a spare room and a passion for the arts? Become a Billet Host and welcome an out-of-town artist into your home during the festival! Not only will you be offering them a comfy place to rest, but you’ll also be creating a meaningful connection with the exceptionally talented people who make Ottawa Fringe so special.

In recognition of your generous support, the Ottawa Fringe will provide a full festival pass to every billet host, meaning you get unlimited access to see as many shows as you want, all for being a great host! 🏠 + 🎭 = 💜

Become a Billet Host

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

Call for Proposals: undercurrents 2028

Submissions for undercurrents 2027 are now closed. Our submission form will remain open for productions interested in being considered for undercurrents 2028. We are seeking local French- or English-language works, as well as national tour-ready productions in either language.

The undercurrents festival model enables us to dedicate more resources, attention, and support to each participating show, which makes the festival both highly competitive and selective.

We encourage you to submit your most compelling project and will meet with all shortlisted artists and teams before final selections are made. 

Our priorities are:

• We are committed to centering the voices of BIPOC artists, QTBIPOC artists, Deaf and Disabled+ artists, and 2SLGBTQ+ artists.
• Developing high-quality, local work. We’re passionate about growing Ottawa’s theatre community and showcasing its extraordinary talent.
• This year, we are extending a direct invitation to Indigenous artists to submit proposals or reach out to us with ideas. We recognize undercurrents has historically operated within Euro-centric frameworks, and we know that creating space for Indigenous works, as imagined by their creators, requires time, trust, and relationship-building. We are committed to engaging in meaningful conversations toward that goal.

We’re excited to receive your submissions and look forward to learning more about the projects you’re creating.

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

Apply Here