The Festival acknowledges its history of colonizing culture and is working diligently to understand its complicity in unjust systems that have excluded many from participating fully in the work on our stages. We are committed to continuously evolving our understanding of equity, inclusion and anti-racism and we acknowledge that the work of reconciliation is an ongoing journey. The Workshop actively seeks to partner with artists from equity-seeking groups and theatre makers whose talent, energy, commitment and creativity will shape the future of theatre, both at the Festival and across the country.
About the Program
The Langham Directors’ Workshop wants to nurture exciting directorial talent and provide you with the resources to explore, play, and hone your craft. We want to help you create inspired and boundary-pushing work – not only for our stages, but for your career and beyond. We offer emerging and mid-career directors the opportunity to explore innovative Shakespeare and classical works, lead large-scale productions at one of the largest stages in the country, and birth new plays with Canada’s finest playwrights. Throughout these explorations, we hope to provide mentorship opportunities, help grow your networks, and provide a space for authentic creative exploration.
- Participants will work as Assistant or Associate Directors on Festival productions. (Responsibilities may include assisting on understudy rehearsals and attending additional design and production meetings before the official residency in Stratford.)
- Participants will attend regular group meetings during the season from guest artists and talk with fellow Langham participants and program alumni.
- Participants will take part in a week-long intensive near the end of October, consisting of masterclasses, panel discussions, and other creative workshops – all devised with input from participants
- Participants will create a final presentation where they will choose and direct a scene/project that best represents their aesthetic. The Directors’ Workshop Presentations are usually held in the Studio Theatre in November (three weeks).
What We Offer
- Langham Directors are paid a fee, a housing subsidy, and travel expenses. Depending on the length of the rehearsal process and other factors, fees for the Assistant /Associate Directors usually range from $8,000 to $10,000.
- The Directors’ Workshop Presentation fee is approximately $2,500.
- Participants will be able to engage in a collaborative mentorship with established Festival directors, and have the opportunity to learn from guest artists and their Workshop peers.
- Participants can also take advantage of everything the Stratford Festival offers: tours, special events, tickets to productions, the Festival’s Archives and libraries, company classes taught by the Festival’s coaching staff, and both formal and informal opportunities to speak with senior staff and visiting artists.
Who We're Seeking
- We are committed to finding directors working in all types of theatre who wish to share their knowledge and skills at the Festival.
- We strongly encourage applicants who identify as First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Black, People of Colour, Mad, D/deaf, Disabled, and the 2SLGBTQ+ community. If you have any questions or concerns about your experience in this program, please email Esther at
langham@stratfordfestival.ca or call Bonnie Green, Associate Producer, at 1.800.561.1233 ext 2290.
- This program is designed for artists who have acquired foundational training (either from a training program OR through experience) and have worked as a theatre artist for at least two years. We are looking for artists who are committed to working as a director.
- Participants will need to be available on site full-time (usually eight to 16 weeks consecutively between February to August) from the first day of rehearsals until the opening or the understudy run of the show, whichever comes later.
- Participants will have to return to the Festival in the fall for the one-week intensive and to then direct their chosen piece at the Directors’ Workshop Presentation for an invited audience.
- The Workshop is only open to those who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
- Proof of Vaccination is required
Please Note: Special care will be taken in pairing Langham participants with directors of productions. The participant’s specific interests and the director’s requirements will be taken into account and both the participant and the director must first consent to working together.
How to Apply
We
understand that many communities find traditional application processes to be
stressful and inaccessible. We are committed to addressing any barriers to
access throughout the submission process as best as we can.
If you require support with the application or have any
access needs (ASL interpretation, deadline extension, etc.), please reach out
to us so we can assist. You can email Esther at langham@stratfordfestival.ca or
call Bonnie Green, Associate Producer, at 1.800.561.1233 ext 2290.
We
want to know about you and your art!
Please
provide the following information in either written, audio, or video format:
-
An artistic
statement describing you as an artist: What do you want to bring to
the Stratford Festival and what can the Festival do for you? Also tell us one
thing that inspires you. What is something that inspires you artistically?
What do you draw inspiration from? How does it inform your directing
practice? (three pages or five minutes to watch/listen maximum)
The “inspiration” can be a poem, a play, a song, a photo, a video, an object, a
person, a manifesto – anything. If you’re able to, you can also share a short
sample (link or file) of the inspiring item.
- A résumé or
CV (three pages maximum)
- Two references who know and
have seen your work. (Name, email, phone number, relationship to you.)
Please submit your application
HERE.
Applications are due Monday, September 12, at 11:59 PM (EST).
If you can, also email your submission with your “NAME + 2023 SUBMISSION” in the subject line to
langham@stratfordfestival.ca.
Download this information as a
PDF
Download this information as a
Microsoft Word document
Listen to this information on our
audio file
This call for submissions was written in consultation with Artist Consultant Angela Sun.