Call for Proposals 2020: SummerWorks Performance Festival

Artists, dreamers, innovators and change makers: we want to work with you.

SummerWorks is a curated festival widely recognized as one of the most vital platforms for launching new performance in Canada. We are interested in continuously re-imagining and innovating the possibilities for performance- how it is created, presented and experienced.

SummerWorks is a place for you to explore new territory, to take up space, be heard and take creative risks. We are currently seeking proposals for our 30th edition, taking place August 6th-16th in Toronto, Canada. Proposals are encouraged from established and emerging creators working across all disciplines and artistic traditions.

DEADLINE: Friday, January 10th, 2020 11:59pm

SUMMERWORKS PRESENTATIONS CALL

SummerWorks seeks proposals for new projects that will be ready for presentation in August 2020. We are interested in works and artists that tackle urgent and complex questions of our time; that celebrate curiosity, wonder and adventure; and that expand the possibilities of what performance can be. Works for theatre, gallery, outdoor, and nontraditional settings are welcome, as are proposals for site-specific and immersive contexts. Proposed works should have some previous development or presentation history.

SUMMERWORKS LAB CALL

The SummerWorks Lab is a place for exploration, experimentation and process. SummerWorks invites proposals for projects to be shared with an audience at a crucial stage of development as well as experiments that use the Festival as a laboratory to test new ideas. Works for theatre, gallery, outdoor, and nontraditional settings are welcome, as are proposals for site-specific and immersive contexts. Of particular interest are projects that will benefit from audience engagement and feedback during the Festival, with the potential of this to inform the future of the work.

SPECIAL CALL: PUBLIC WORKS

Our Public Works programming brings artists and audiences together in the public realm to experience our city in new ways. How does the city shape how we move? What else is possible? How can this be realized through performance? Of particular interest are projects that play with momentum and time. Proposals for outdoor, non-traditional, site-specific and immersive contexts are expected; and works created for audiences to traverse a location or the landscape of the city are encouraged. 3-5 projects will be selected for this special call and be provided a guaranteed fee of $1,500 CAD to $5,000 CAD (dependent on scale and budget of the project). These performances will be free to the public and should be designed with accessibility in mind.

KEY INFORMATION

• Deadline for all calls: Friday, January 10th, 11:59pm EST
• Reading Fee: A $35 reading fee will be due along with your application. This will need to be paid with credit or debit card via the online form.
• Applications are made online through the links below. Please review and prepare all parts of the application before you begin to complete the form. The form cannot be saved mid-process. You can download a PDF of each application form below.
• Accessibility: If you require an alternative mode of application, please contact Rosanna, rosanna@summerworks.ca or call 416-628-8216
• Notification: Applicants will be notified of our decisions by April 2020

APPLICATION FORMS:

SummerWorks Presentations
(PDF Preview)

SummerWorks Lab
(PDF Preview)

Special Call: Public Works
(PDF Preview)

Please only select one stream to apply for per project

SUMMERWORKS PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 2020

DOWNLOAD LARGE PRINT VERSION OF THE CALL, KEY INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US

• Selected projects will be featured during the Festival (August 6 – August 16th, 2020).
• The Festival provides a framework, which includes Festival publicity and marketing, technical and performance scheduling, box office, front of house management and administrative support. If you’re not in an outdoors, non-traditional or site-specific venue we’ll also provide a venue, technical staff and lighting designer.
• Presentations can expect 5 performances in the Festival.
• Labs can expect 3 performances in the Festival.
• Artists participating in Presentations or Labs will receive 70% of their box office revenue.
• Artists participating in Public Works will be provided a guaranteed fee of $1,500 CAD to $5,000 CAD; dependent on scale and budget of the project.
• Projects are typically provided 30 – 60 minute timeslots. If your project is longer, please explain in your proposal. If your project is 30 minutes or less you’ll be considered for curation as a double-bill with another performance work.
• Access to free workshops from industry leaders in producing, marketing, production, audience engagement and accessibility.
• An artist pass, providing you with highly discounted rates for all performances, events and free access to workshops during the 11-day Festival.
• An engaged and collaborative team. We provide mentorship and advice for all productions in the Festival, so if you’re unsure if something is possible, get in touch! We want to hear about big ideas and help make them reality.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

Rosanna Lowton, Festival Producer: rosanna@summerworks.ca