Prologue’s 2025/2026 Season

Call for Artists

Prologue’s 2025/2026  Artist Call – Virtual Information Session

Prologue will be hosting a complimentary virtual Artist Information Session on Monday, October 21 at 1:00pm (EST) on Google Meets. This information session will work to provide more detailed information about the application process as well as any questions artists may have regarding our 25/26 Artist Call. 

Please fill out the RSVP form below and a meeting link and additional information will be provided before the meeting.

Call for artists offering both in-person and digital performances and workshops in schools and communities for the 2025/2026 season

Are you a performing artist with a passion for reaching young people through the performing arts?

Prologue Performing Arts is seeking professional performing artists to join our 2025-26 roster of artists working in schools and communities across Ontario. Prologue Performing Arts is a not-for-profit charitable organization that facilitates opportunities for young people to experience the performing arts within Ontario. Impacting communities for over 50 years, each season Prologue reaches over 300,000 children and youth through 1,000 performances and workshops across Ontario. Prologue works with performing artists in all relevant disciplines (dance, theatre, music, storytelling, spoken word, puppetry and others) who reflect the diversity of Ontario to deliver performances and workshops in schools and community venues. Artists selected for the 2025-26 Artist Roster will receive compensation based on negotiated artist fees for all school and community engagements throughout the year.

For 2025-26, Prologue has identified a series of focus areas – including theatre, BIPOC lead creation projects/programs, Indigenous programming, French and bilingual programming, interactive workshops, programs for high school students and artists who self-identify as belonging to an Ontario Arts Council Priority Group – described below – that address current gaps in the Artist Roster.

Prologue asks that any proposed applications have both a digital and an in person offering for the 2025-26 season.

The following criteria will be used in selecting artists for the 2025-26 season:

  • Artistic excellence and impact in terms of creativity, technical skill, cultural relevance and production quality
  • Appropriate for intended audience (grade level, curriculum content)
  • Unique work that adds to the diversity of Prologue’s current and future programming (art form, discipline, content and themes, intended grade-levels and curriculum connections)
  • Work and company reflect the diversity of Ontario’s population and arts community
  • Work that addresses topics/issues that are relevant to school audiences and educators, enhances the school curriculum and explores relevant educational topics (such as social justice, mental health and well-being, equity and inclusion, FNMI studies, FSL studies, for example)
  • Production is accessible to schools (cost to schools, technical requirements, artist availability through the year)
  • Artist/company is available to tour within and outside of the Greater Toronto Area
  • Artist/company is available for a minimum of 6 weeks throughout the school year
  • Available support materials and opportunities to enhance the performance (e.g. Q&A, study guides, workshops).
  • Ability to deliver a 40-45-minute performance and/or workshop (+ Q & A) in a school setting
  • Performance is fully or largely completed and ready to present to schools both digitally and in person
  • Experience performing in schools or to youth audiences is considered an asset
  • Please review Prologue’s website for information on the current season of artists

Steps for Submission

Phase 1 – Material Submission & Review
Artists interested in joining the Prologue season are invited to apply through the submission form linked below or via e-mail with the Prologue Application Package. Incomplete applications will not be considered for review by the Program Committee.

Submissions will be reviewed based on Prologue’s Program Committee evaluation criteria in March, 2025.

  • Applications will go live – October 8, 2024
  • Deadline to submit applications is December 13, 2024
  • Artists will be contacted with the results of Phase 1 by March/April, 2025

Phase 2 – Preview Performances

If selected, Prologue will contact you to schedule a preview of your performance or workshop and discuss your digital offerings in more detail.

If we are unable to preview an artist’s work in person, we will do our best to arrange a viewing method that works for both the artist and Prologue. This may look like a virtual presentation of the work or video tape. Please contact the organization to request a virtual viewing if required. These requests will be considered on a case by case basis, and not all requests may be approved.

Program Committee members will view your program and Prologue staff will follow-up with any questions or recommended adjustments.

 

  • Artists will be notified of the Program Committee’s final decision by late April 2025
  • Artist fees will be negotiated with Prologue following Phase 2 review
  • Selected artists will be invited to join the 2024/2025 season company of artists in time for the season launch in May/June 2025

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Programming and Outreach Manager Bremely Karthigesu at [email protected].

Submission of application form and materials must be made through the Google form linked below.

Prologue Performing Arts is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we are committed to creating an inclusive company culture.

If this traditional model of submitting an application doesn’t work for you, please don’t hesitate to contact Bremely Karthigesu at [email protected] and we will find an alternative method that works for you.

Application deadline: December 13, 2024