Amplifier

Two-year support program for a playwright from Montreal who comes from a cultural community (first- or second-generation immigrant) or belongs to a visible minority, to develop a dramatic text, become familiar with various aspects of production, and complete an initial creative residency.

Voix théâtrales is a creative and support program designed for authors who wish to develop their skills as project leaders. Designed as a two-stage process, it first offers support for playwriting with the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD), leading to a reading with actors, then provides support for the initial creative stage with assistance from LA SERRE – arts vivants. Beyond the development of the work, the program offers participants the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the various dimensions of theatrical creation, from writing to production and project management.

Voix théâtrales and its complementary English-language program AMPLIFIER highlight the artistic and social contributions of artists from Indigenous, racialized, or culturally diverse communities working in either of Canada’s official languages. The program alternates annually between CEAD (odd years) and Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal (PWM) (even years) in order to support French-speaking and English-speaking artists in turn.

Who is eligible to apply?

Professional theatrical writers who are members of the Indigenous community (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) or other cultural communities, or who are first- or second-generation immigrants or members of visible minorities.

What are the program objectives?

With this program, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and its partners, the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD), the Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM) and LA SERRE – arts vivants aim to achieve the following objectives:

• promote the artistic and social contributions of culturally diverse or allophone theatre artists who create in one of Canada’s official languages
• provide meaningful support and level the playing field for Montréal theatre artists from Indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) or other cultural communities, or who are first- or second-generation immigrants, particularly in terms of inclusion, access to resources and services, visibility, legitimization, funding, etc.
• foster exchange between Montréal’s French- and English-speaking theatre communities while encouraging intercultural encounters and greater representativeness of culturally diverse artists from the Montréal theatre community and on the Montréal stage

More details about the program

The call for projects is launched alternately in French (odd years) and English (even years). Thanks to the commitment of our partners for the 2025 edition, the author will benefit from dramaturgical support from the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) and production and project management support from LA SERRE – arts vivants.

What type of assistance is provided?

A $13,000 grant and several support services to be paid over two years:

• $3,000 for writing work with CEAD (year 1)
• $10,000 for the creation of the laboratory, the residency, and the work of the winner and their collaborators with LA SERRE – arts vivants (year 2)

What is the duration of the support?

The project will be carried out over a two-year period.

What do the partners contribute?

Year 1 – January to September 2026

• 30 hours of dramaturgical support and 9 hours of dramaturgical workshops followed by a closed-door reading with performers, offered by:
  • The Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) – odd-numbered years
  • The Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal (PWM) – even-numbered years

Year 2 – September 2026 to December 2027

• 50 hours of production and management support provided by LA SERRE – arts vivants to carry out a creative residency of at least one week, which may conclude with a presentation of the work.
• 30 hours of free access to the Conseil’s studios

What types of projects are eligible?

• Theatrical writing projects
• Various types of texts are eligible such as written projects for theatre, such as scripts or other dramatic writing

What types of projects are eligible?

Research, creation and production

What are the general eligibility conditions?

• Be a professional theatre creator who identifies as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) or as being part of a cultural minority, including 1st or 2nd generation immigrant artists (as defined in the Conseil des Arts de Montréal’s glossary), working creatively in one of Canada’s official languages 
• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada on the application deadline
• Reside on the Island of Montréal
• Have written one theatrical work in one of Canada’s two official languages
• Be available to take part in the project activities for a period of two years and be available during the work periods defined in consultation with CEAD and LA SERRE – arts vivants from the start of the program

How many applications will be accepted?

Only one applicant will be selected. This is a one-time, non-recurring grant.

Who is ineligible to apply?

Applicants

• Artists who do not meet the eligibility requirements

Projects

• Projects completed before the Conseil’s decision is received (allow 12 to 14 weeks from the submission deadline)
• Projects that are essentially promotional
• Incomplete applications
• Applications submitted by an arts organization or artists’ collective
• Applications received after the deadline

Can specific populations receive additional financial support to submit their application or complete their project (accessibility costs)?

Yes. Accessibility costs refer to costs that certain individuals, particularly those who are D/deaf and/or living with a disability, must pay to take advantage, in the same way as others do, of the services and programs offered by an institution for research, to create, produce or disseminate their art. Reimbursement of part of these costs by the Conseil des arts de Montréal may offset the financial disadvantage.

The Support Fund for Accessibility Costs is a financial assistance measure that complements the Conseil’s other programs. The deadline to apply for support for accessibility costs is the same as that for the program being applied to.

Artists, collectives or organizations that have obtained financial assistance from the Conseil to carry out a project can also file an application for accessibility cost support up to three months after the decisions related to the successful project have been sent out, provided the project is not completed before the deadline to send out decisions for accessibility cost support applications.

Support is divided into three components:

• component 1 – Financial support to submit a grant application or to apply for one of the Conseil’s initiatives
• component 2 – Financial support for accessibility costs for a project funded by the Conseil
• component 3 – Financial support for presenter organizations for accessibility costs to welcome audiences who are D/deaf and/or living with a disability for a project funded by the Conseil

For more details, please see this additional information on the Support Fund.

How can I submit an application?

Visit the CEAD website to learn more and submit your application.

How are applications evaluated?

The jury for the 2025 edition will be composed of one representative from each of the partner organizations: the Conseil, the CEAD et LA SERRE – arts vivants.

All projects will be evaluated on merit; the projects’ comparative value will be taken into consideration.

What are the evaluation criteria?

The evaluation committee will pay particular attention to the diversity of practices, the artists’ level of experience, their specific needs and gender parity (LGBTQ+).

During its deliberations, the evaluation committee will take into account the project objectives set out above and the following evaluation criteria:

• artistic merit of the project
• artistic quality and originality of past productions
• impact on the artist’s career in the Montreal art scene
• project feasibility
• how realistic the proposal is

What is the response time?

Decisions will be sent 12 to 14 weeks after the application deadline.

How will the artist grant be paid?

The first installment of the grant offered by the Conseil ($3,000) will be paid through CEAD at the start of the project.

The second installment of the grant offered by the Conseil ($10,000) will be paid through La SERRE – arts vivants to support the stages related to the creation, production, and management of the project.

Commitments

Accepting payment of the grant constitutes, for the artist, an undertaking to complete the activities covered by the grant and to comply with the accompanying conditions, which will be communicated upon selection of the application.

Artists agree to:

• carry out the proposed project as planned
• notify the Conseil as soon as possible if unable to carry out the project in the fiscal year for which the grant was awarded. Depending on the situation, a full or partial refund may be requested
• if requested, submit activity reports and financial statements at the required times
• if applicable, include in the report photographs, videos or any other relevant, royalty-free visuals that the Conseil may use for promotional or archival purposes

In addition, organizations, collectives, artists and their representatives agree at all times not to communicate with members of the evaluation committees or members of the Council’s Board of Directors in any matter relating to the management, evaluation or decisions related to their application.  

The Conseil des arts de Montréal staff are available to answer questions about the application evaluation process and decisions.