Emerging Creators Unit 2021/22
Call for Submissions
Due Monday, October 4, 2021 at 11:59pm.
The Emerging Creators Unit offers an intensive, process-focused opportunity to develop your artistic practice and producing skills. As part of this training program, artists are invited to apply with a project that will serve as a vehicle to advance their artistic practice.
The Emerging Creators Unit is an artist-driven, mentor-supported creative model; we look for strongly motivated emerging queer and/or trans artists who have an ability to work independently.
We encourage artists who are interested in developing their unique process of theatre creation, and are ready to take their practice to the next level. The Emerging Creators Unit supports a wide definition of “theatre”, and is open to a variety of themes, form, and/or content.
The unit is co-led by Tawiah M’Carthy and Philip Geller, returning for their second year. This year, the directors and participants will co-curate a pathway of learning and development that supports their unique and individual artistic voice. The program may include monthly ECU meetings and Emerging Artist Producer Series workshops, as well as individual biweekly check-ins with Tawiah and Philip.
This year’s unit is process-focused, and will conclude with a paid artist-led in-studio residency and the opportunity to share an artistic offering as a part of Buddies’ Queer Pride Festival in June.
If you have any accommodation requests, require support, or have any questions about the program or the application process, please email Tawiah, Philip, and/or Daniel (Buddies’ Interim Programming Director) at ecu@buddiesinbadtimes.com. If you would like to direct your question or request to a specific person, please include their name in the subject line (For example: Attn Philip: Request).
Office hours
You’ll find more information about the program and how to apply, but if you have more questions, or just want to chat about the program, we’re offering two drop-in office hours over Zoom, hosted by Tawiah and Philip.
Friday, September 24, 12-1PM EDT
Saturday, September 25, 12-1PM EDT
*NEW* Friday, October 1, 5-6PM EDT
Zoom login
Web:
Join Zoom Meeting
Phone:
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+12042727920,,83642402436#,,,,*265965# Canada
+14388097799,,83642402436#,,,,*265965# Canada
1 647 374 4685
Meeting ID: 836 4240 2436
Passcode: 265965
Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kd8FfzHLeZ
What to expect?
This year’s program will focus on the development of professional artistic practices for independent queer and/or trans theatre artists, combining research and creation with producing and arts administration. This year’s program will allow participants to investigate the dynamic challenges and possibilities that emerge when developing an independent artistic practice, especially in our current cultural, political, economic, and artistic landscape.
The Emerging Creators Unit will include:
- An honorarium for participation in the program
- A paid artist-led in-studio residency, with provided space, production/technical support and a project mentor
- Active participation in Buddies’ Queer Pride Festival programing in June of 2022 in Toronto
- Opportunities for promotional marketing support (i.e. artist profile on the Buddies’ website, promotion on social media platforms, blog posts, and photoshoot)
This year, the directors and participants will co-curate a pathway of learning and development that supports their unique and individual artistic voice. Including collectively choosing mentors, guest artists, areas of research and creation, and developing timelines that support their creative journey. The unit may also include:
- Bi-weekly individual check-ins with Tawiah M’Carthy and Philip Geller
- Monthly ECU-group meetings
- Monthly workshops with the Emerging Artist & Producer Series led by invited artistic leaders and practitioners
The ideal candidates are:
- Creators interested in examining, exploring and developing a professional independent artistic practice
- Choreographers, performers, playwrights, directors, performance artists, and creators whose practice intersects within multiple artistic disciplines
- Artists wanting to engage in intellectual discourse and investigation about their artistic creation and producing/production processes
- Creators interested in the artistic and development practices of Buddies in the creation and programming of new works
- Creators with at least 2 years of experience creating and/or producing performance-based work
- Based in the Greater Toronto Area
How to apply
- A one-page cover letter or a 3-5 minute video (YouTube or Vimeo links) that provides responses to these prompts:
- How do you describe your current artistic practice?
- What are the identified gaps in your artistic practice? How do you imagine this program and Buddies supporting you in filling these gaps?
- A short description of a project you are interested in working on through the program.
- Your CV or biography (one-page)
- Please include your phone number and email on your documents.
- If you’d like to join our Emerging Artist Producer Series (EAPS), please add a sentence in your cover letter/video expressing your interest. Everyone who applies and expresses interest will be included in the EAPS programing!
Please email your submission in a single PDF document (if submitting a video send the link, and any information required to view the video in your pdf document) to ecu@buddiesinbadtimes.com, no later than Monday, October 4, 2021 at 11:59pm. Early submissions are encouraged. Please use the subject line: “Emerging Creators’ Unit Submission-[Name]”.
**Please label files “[firstname].[lastname] – ECU22”**
If you have any accommodation requests, require support, or have any questions about the program or the application process, please email Tawiah, Philip, and/or Daniel (Buddies’ Interim Programming Director) at ecu@buddiesinbadtimes.com. If you would like to direct your question or request to a specific person, please include their name in the subject line (For example: Attn Philip: Request).
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is committed to equity. We encourage applications from queer, trans, Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, d/Deaf and disabled applicants. We are committed to creating inclusive, barrier-reduced outreach practices and work environments; and, adjudicating and selecting with regard to ethnicity, age, race, disability, physical and mental ability, or any other characteristics that contribute to the diversity within our communities.
About Tawiah + Philip
Tawiah is a Ghanaian born, Toronto based Theatre Practitioner, notable as a playwright, performer, director and dramaturge. His credits include Black Boys (Saga Collectif), Obaaberima (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre) and Yɛn Ara Asaase Ni (Obsidian Theatre – 21 Black Futures). Tawiah is a founding member of Saga Collectif and Blue Bird Theatre Collective and has worked at theatre companies such as, Soulpepper Theatre, Stratford Theatre Festival, Shaw Theatre Festival, Factory Theatre and The National Arts Centre. Tawiah trained at York University and is currently the Artist Outreach and Development Coordinator at Canadian Stage.
Philip Geller is a Métis (Red River) and Jewish (Ashkenazi) artist and educator, who is focused on decolonizing his process by listening to and dialoguing with ancestral and cultural knowledge. Their practice includes land-based creation, circular storytelling, and destabilizing hierarchical power structures in the rehearsal process, with a focus on anti-oppressive/anti-racist modalities. Philip is a Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship funded Master of Fine Arts directing candidate at York University. Philip works as the Mentor for the Director’s Lab at the Paprika Festival, an instructor at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre, and the Residency Director and Designer for Gwaandak Theatre. As a storyteller he has worked across Turtle Island as an actor, director, producer, clown and devisor. Philip will be continuing their learning by pursuing a Master’s in Urban Indigenous Education.
Emerging Artist & Producer Series
Buddies is pleased to announce the continuation of the Emerging Artist & Producer Series, running from January to June 2022.
After a very successful pilot last year, the Emerging Artist & Producer Series (EAPS) officially returns! EAPS is a space for emerging artists and emerging producers to meet each other, share skills and ideas, and learn from established professionals in their field. Last year we hosted a profound workshop by d’bi young anitafrika and two social events that brought together the queer/trans artistic community.
This year’s EAPS programming is growing, and will include three hands-on workshops from established artist professionals and two social events to further community growth. We will work with a curation team of past EAPS participants and the new ECU to decide on the specifics of this year’s programming.
Everyone who applies to the Emerging Creators’ Unit and expresses interest in their application to join EAPS, is welcome to all our workshops and events free of charge.