4th Line Theatre, Canada’s premier outdoor theatre company, is pleased to announce it will once again be recommending playwrights to receive funding of between $1,000 and $3,000 to develop new works through the Ontario Arts Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators program. Ontario-based professional theatre artists and artists’ collectives are eligible to apply to 4th Line Theatre by the closing date of January 13, 2023 at 1:00 PM. The Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the government of Ontario, is the primary funding body for professional arts activities in the province.

 

4th Line Theatre will administer the granting program with the primary goal of supporting as many worthy, regional, playwriting projects as possible. As a secondary priority, the theatre company will also be looking for projects that align with its artistic mandate: To preserve our Canadian cultural heritage through the development and presentation of regionally-based, environmentally-staged historical dramas, with special consideration for culturally diverse artists and collectives, artists living with a disability. Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell explains, “I understand the financial challenges faced by playwrights and the OAC’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators is vital to supporting their writing projects.”

 

Application forms are to be completed online on the OAC website. Interested applicants will need to create a NOVA account and follow the instructions for submission. If interested applicants have any questions about the process, please contact 4th Line Theatre by email at submissions@4thlinetheatre.on.ca or by phone at 705-932-4506. The applications will be reviewed by Managing Artistic Director Kim Blackwell.

 

Funding decisions are based on the artistic interest of the project, the quality of the artistic examples given and the impact of the program on the artist’s development. A positive funding decision will then be forwarded by 4th Line Theatre to the OAC for final recommendation. Grant amounts will be determined by the number of approved applicants and the funds available from the program.