The Ottawa Fringe Festival is once again serving as a recommender for the Ontario Arts Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators program!

To be eligible for the program you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Ontario. Specifically for Ottawa Fringe grants, you must be a professional artist (as defined by the OAC) living and creating in Ottawa.

Ottawa Fringe is looking to fund under-represented, emerging, and new generation artists, living and creating in Ottawa. We will only fund artists who live in Ottawa.

Submission Instructions:

You will be asked to submit the following items:

• C.V. (mandatory)
• Script Sample

Application deadline is November 20, 2026 at 1pm EST. For more information on the program and how to apply, please click here.

The Ottawa Fringe Festival is hiring for the position of Technical Director. This role reports to the Executive Director and is responsible for the delivery of technical services for the Arts Court Theatre rental program, Fringe festival and undercurrents festival.

Application Deadline: November 22, 2026
Start Date: Immediately

We may interview qualified candidates on a rolling basis before the posting closes, so we encourage you to apply early.

Duration: This is a full-time permanent position.
Hours: 37.5 hours/week, with the ability to work overtime during festivals and some events.
Salary: $50,000.00 per annum.
Other: 2 weeks paid vacation; group health benefits plan.

Who We Are:
The Ottawa Fringe is an organization committed to empowering audiences, and encouraging artists to take risks, pursue their visions, and develop their skills. The organization manages the Arts Court theatre and arts spaces and produces two festivals, the Ottawa Fringe Festival and undercurrents. The Ottawa Fringe Festival is an non-curated, annual, Ottawa-based summer festival that provides emerging and established artists an opportunity to produce their work. The winter festival, undercurrents, is a bilingual curated festival that showcases the best original, contemporary theatre created by local, national, and international artists.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
▪Oversee Arts Court Theatre spaces and equipment;
▪Work with rental clients to successfully deliver their events;
▪Support Theatre Manager in liaising with rental clients and festival artists to coordinate technical requirements;
▪Collaborate with the Executive and Artistic Directors on technical aspects of the Ottawa Fringe and undercurrents festivals, and other events;
▪Hire, train, and oversee technical staff;
▪Provide technical oversight and support for the organization’s technology systems and ticketing operations;
▪Assist the Theatre Manager with facilities upkeep including maintenance, and ensuring that facility’s systems are up to date and maintained;
▪Generate plans, schedules, and plots as needed;
▪Support Theatre Manager in prep work for the Fringe and undercurrents festivals;
▪Work as Theatre Technician, as required, on events presented in Ottawa Fringe venues covering all aspects of Theatre and Live Event Production including, but not limited to, stage carpentry, lighting, sound, and projection. This includes Ottawa Fringe programming and/or rental clients;
▪Uphold Arts Court Theatre’s commitment to health and safety standards throughout all rental spaces.

The Technical Director will work closely with the Executive Director to determine additional responsibilities and/or update the scope of duties. The Technical Director also works closely with the Theatre Manager.

REQUIRED SKILLS:
▪Knowledge of all departments of theatre production;
▪Technical skills in stage carpentry, lighting, sound, projections, and special effects;
▪Experience leading and supervising crew;
▪Knowledge in drafting programs and able to interpret drawings;
▪Knowledge of current safe rigging practices and procedures;
▪Ability to program and operate Qlab, ETC lighting consoles and audio consoles;
▪Experience with Google Office Suite is an asset;
▪Experience with CAD/Sketchup or similar software is an asset;
▪Basic electrical skills, including soldering and minor repairs, are an asset.

QUALIFICATIONS:
▪Share and actively uphold the values of the Ottawa Fringe, including support for and celebration of diversity, equity, and inclusion;
▪Commit to upholding a safe and inclusive space for co-workers, artists, and patrons, including taking actions to ensure an environment free of harassment, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia;
▪Degree in Technical Theatre with minimum two (2) years experience working in professional theatre OR equivalent combination of training and experience;
▪Comfortable working at heights and capable of climbing ladders and scaffolding;
▪Familiarity with & comfortable using power tools;
▪Able to lift 50lbs;
▪Exceptional organization and time-management skills;
▪Ability to adapt quickly to new and changing deadlines, circumstances, and challenges;
▪Self-motivated and able to work effectively independently, and also take direction well;
▪Standard First Aid and Working at Heights certifications are an asset;
▪Bilingualism is an asset.

HOW TO APPLY:
Here at Ottawa Fringe, we’re actively encouraging and prioritizing applications from equity-deserving groups. Equity-deserving groups can include those who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Trans, Non-binary, Queer, Disabled, and intersections of these identities. We are committed to providing staff with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment and fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace.

Please send to the hiring committee (jobs@ottawafringe.com) and introduction letter and resume describing your qualifications by November 22, 2026. Only candidates selected for an interview process will be contacted.

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