Posted: February 7, 2022

Deadline to submit: March 7, 2022

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Now accepting submissions for the 2022 Playwrights' Gym cohort!

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Green Thumb Theatre’s Playwrights’ Gym is a paid playwright training program led by Artistic Director Rachel Aberle, and supported by the Y.P. Heung Foundation.

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The Playwrights’ Gym provides time to study and develop skills specific to creating for Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) — with a focus on work that tours to schools.

Unlike a traditional playwrights’ unit where writers focus on one specific project for the duration of the program, each week of the Playwrights’ Gym will focus on different aspects specific to writing for touring TYA. The program will be comprised of group discussion of reading materials, self-paced writing time, weekly writing themes, and one-on-one discussions.

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This program is open to emerging and mid-career playwrights based in the Lower Mainland of BC who have an interest in creating work for young audiences. If you are not based in the Lower Mainland, but have strong ties to the area, please contact us to outline the specifics of your case.

We will be accepting four (4) participants in this year’s unit. As an active measure to dismantle inequity in the theatre sector, two (2) positions in the Playwrights’ Gym have been earmarked specifically for BIPOC playwrights. We encourage racialized candidates to self-identify as they feel comfortable.

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Program dates: May 30, 2022 – June 24, 2022

Participants should plan to spend up to 30 hrs/week on Playwrights’ Gym related activities. This includes up to 12 hours of “in-class” time between Monday and Friday, with the remaining time devoted to self-paced creative exploration. Class time to take place in a COVID-safe in-person environment or over Zoom, depending on the active public health orders in May.

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Honorarium: $3,000 per participant

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Deadline to submit: March 7, 2022

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To apply please submit:

1. An artistic resumé and contact information for two professional, academic, or personal references (PDF format)

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2. A writing sample (PDF format) that is either:

- A maximum of 3 pages of dialogue OR

- A maximum of 1 page of a solo show

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3. A personal artistic statement (PDF format, max. 2 pages, font size 11 or larger) outlining the following:

- What themes or narratives you are most attracted to as a writer.

- What your understanding of Theatre for Young Audiences is and what speaks to you about this type of work.

- (optional) Details of how your practice is informed by your identity, as you feel comfortable

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Please submit documents as email attachments by March 7, 2022 to submissions@greenthumb.bc.ca with the subject line:  PLAYWRIGHTS’ GYM APPLICATION – your name

If you applied to last year’s Playwrights’ Gym and would like to be considered for this intake, you are encouraged to update and resubmit your previous application!

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If you have any questions pertaining to this posting, or require assistance with your application, please contact Aliya Griffin, Tour & Education Manager, at submissions@greenthumb.bc.ca or by phone at 604-254-4055 (224). Please note that due to staff working in office on a limited basis due to COVID-19, voicemails are checked once per week.

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Green Thumb Theatre is actively seeking to dismantle inequity in the theatre sector, and is committed to furthering access and equity in our work. We strongly encourage applications from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals, and welcome members of those communities to self identify as they feel comfortable. Green Thumb also recognizes that artists and contractors are informed by all facets of their identities. We welcome applicants to inform us of their pronouns if they wish, and to include details about how their identity informs their practice and needs as they feel comfortable. All Green Thumb staff, contractors and volunteers will be asked to sign off on Green Thumb’s Anti-Oppression and Anti-Harassment Policy. This can be found at: https://www.greenthumb.bc.ca/resources/anti-oppression-anti-harrassment-policy

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About Green Thumb Theatre:

Green Thumb Theatre is a force within the field of theatre for young audiences, not only in British Columbia, but across the country and throughout the world. Green Thumb Theatre creates, produces, and tours plays that explore social issues relevant to the lives of children, youth, and young adults. We provide theatre that celebrates the language and stories of today’s generation and culture to stimulate empathy, debate, and critical thinking.

As a touring company, Green Thumb Theatre’s work often takes place throughout the traditional homelands of most of the Indigenous Nations and cultures across British Columbia and beyond. Green Thumb's offices are located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.