Call for Submission National Queer & Trans Playwrighting Unit

Persephone Theatre is proud to be part of the brand-new National Queer & Trans Playwrighting Unit, lead by Zee Zee Theatre.

“Zee Zee has identified a gap that exists in the Canadian theatre ecology. Time and again we see a lack of queer and trans plays being produced on stages across Canada” The Zee Zee website states. “What started as a four year hunt for our own programming purposes led us to country-wide, conversations with many other artists and producers who all share the view that as curators, producers and presenters of theatrical seasons it is a challenge to find queer and trans focused work.

Persephone is one of a consortium of ten national producing companies searching for five playwrights working towards their best and most ambitious work to date for this first ever, entirely 2SLGBTQQIA+, virtual playwriting unit resulting in a canon of new Canadian intersectional plays being developed for production. Learn more about the National Queer & Trans Playwrighting Unit HERE.

Who should apply?

• Emerging and mid-career writers with a specific project in mind.
• Zee Zee Theatre is based in on the traditional, unceded, and occupied territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, but locations of the workshops and readings will be in various other cities determined by the eventual makeup of the unit.
• Participants must be permanent residents of Canada.
• Zee Zee Theatre is continuously working to make all our programs accessible. We encourage writers with a lived experience of disability to apply for all of our programs. We are also an equity-seeking company, with a history of working with artists from numerous communities. We are dedicated to creating spaces within which Indigenous, Black, people of colour, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, and people with intersectional identity perspectives can lead and create. Flexible timing, virtual sessions, attention to time of day and duration of work can all be designed with the artist to maximize creative satisfaction. · All artists, contractors, staff and volunteers must adhere to Zee Zee’s Community Guidelines.
• The Unit is led by Vancouver’s Playwrights Theatre Centre’s Dramaturg, Creative Engagement, Joanna Garfinkel, and each of the five participating playwrights will be matched with one dramaturg to work with for the duration of the ten month unit.

Application materials

1. A letter detailing:

• What are you currently seeking to move your practice and project ahead?
• What cohort/peer collaborations and conversations are you interested in forging?
• What are your most compelling questions right now as a playwright?
• What current and ongoing commitments and obligations do you have?
• What obstacles are currently in between you and your goals?

2. A pitch detailing your specific project:

• Either a short (500 word) description or a 5 minute maximum video submission of the idea that you want to focus on during the Unit.
• Include any co-producing relationships, community or peer collaborations in place, or previous development history if applicable.
• Commissions from or for other companies are not eligible.

3. A recent, completed, full-length work, play, performance, installation, documentary, that you feel represents you as an artist and can demonstrate a history of completion.

4. Your theatre resume/CV.

5. If there is any other context or content that you would like to provide, please include it in the format that makes sense to you. And if you prefer an alternative means of applying, please contact Zee Zee directly.

When you’re ready to apply Please combine all materials into one PDF, and email to [email protected] including “Unit Application” in the subject line.

Please apply by July 5, 2022. Artists will be notified by September 1st, 2022 with the Unit beginning October 3rd, 2022. Learn more HERE.

Other Information:

WHO IS PART OF THE NATIONAL QUEER & TRANS PLAYWRIGHTING UNIT?

The consortium is made up of Gwaandak Theatre (Whitehorse), Zee Zee Theatre (Vancouver), the frank theatre (Vancouver), Theatre Outre (Lethbridge), Persephone Theatre (Saskatoon), Theatre Projects Manitoba (Winnipeg), Native Earth Performing Arts (Toronto), Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (Toronto), Imago Theatre (Montreal), Neptune Theatre (Halifax).

WHY IS PERSEPHONE TAKING PART IN THIS UNIT?

“I am hopeful this endeavour will allow Persephone to build new, meaningful relationships with queer and trans artists from across the country. I want queer and trans folks here in Saskatchewan to know Persephone Theatre values them enough to tell their stories on our stage, and to advocate for them with other theatres,” Persephone Theatre Artistic Director Heather Cant said.

“I particularly hope this program will inspire queer and trans artists from the prairies to create, and for them to know they don’t have to leave for a larger city in order to have their work valued and appreciated. Persephone Theatre does not have a specific queer mandate – but we can be a home for queer work. As a regional theatre, we are meant to serve the entire community, which must include queer and trans artists and audiences.”