undercurrents

Call for Submissions

 

undercurrents is Ottawa’s festival of contemporary theatre and will be taking place February 5-15, 2025. We seek submissions from the following artists:

  • French and English Ottawa based stage-ready productions
  • French and English National stage-ready productions
  • French and English 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, Immigrant and Refugee 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 participating artists (maximum three pages)
  2. Biographies/CVs of lead artists
  3. A script sample or completed script
  4. Additional support material (optional): tech specs, reviews, photos, or letters of support

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. You may then submit your application by email to director@ottawafringe.com.

Have questions before submitting? Want to learn more about undercurrents?

Check out our undercurrents FAQ document.

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

The application period for 2025 is closed.

undercurrents Shows FAQs

*Over the last few years, there have been two categories of shows included in undercurrents festivals: Mainstage Shows and the Discovery Series. For our upcoming festival, we are moving away from asking applicants to place their show in one of these two categories since they don’t necessarily apply to all projects. And we’re interested in hearing about all shows regardless or lengths and production history. We hope this will help us program a festival that can easily accommodate shows of various genres, in both traditional / non-traditional theatre spaces and with production value that doesn’t necessarily fit a festival model. Further FAQ information can be found here.

 

1) Mainstage Shows

These shows typically run between 50-80 minutes (though exceptions can be made) and are usually performed in the Arts Court Theatre, a 130 proscenium theatre space. Each show is guaranteed 3 performances during the run of the festival. That said, we are fans of theatre pieces that defy form, space and time so if your project doesn’t adhere to what we’ve mentioned above – apply anyways!

Each show will be paid a guaranteed presenting fee. The festival will also offer travel support and per diem (to cover accommodations) to national artists and free rehearsal space at Arts Court to local productions. In addition, the festival will provide marketing and promotion for the production; box office, venue, and venue services staff; as well as technical staff and support.

Note that all ticket revenue returns to the festival. Tickets are sold following a tiered “Pick Your Price” model.

2) Discover Series

Discovery Series productions are new short works-in-progress or live art/ installation pieces, typically running 30 minutes in length (and maximum 45 minutes in length). They are performed in our Atelier Theatre, a 40-50 seat black box space. Each show is guaranteed 2-3 performances during the run of the festival.

Each show will be paid a guaranteed presenting fee and will have access to free rehearsal space at Arts Court. Travel support may be available to Discover Series shows on a case by case basis. In addition, the festival will provide marketing and promotion for the production; box office, venue, and venue services staff; as well as technical staff and support.

under development is the Ottawa Fringe’s new play development program, inviting local artists/collectives to work on their new creation pieces in residence at Arts Court.

under development offers rehearsal/creation space and access to professional development opportunities, workshops, and Fringe resources. under development artists have access to administrative, dramaturgical, production and technical support from Fringe staff. When funding permits, under development artists will also be offered an honorarium to support the project.

Participants have the freedom to create based on their own process and timeline, with access to resources on an as needed/requested basis. under development participants meet regularly with Fringe staff and as a group for updates and to share their work.

This round of the under development residency program is generously supported by the Donner Canadian Foundation. Deadline: July 18th, 2024.

Apply Here