Prize: $5,000

This award is generously supported by the family, friends, and colleagues of John Palmer.

THE VISION:

An award-winning playwright, theatre director, and filmmaker, John Palmer was never afraid to shake things up.  As one of the first champions of home-grown Canadian theatre, he made a career out of it.  As a teacher and mentor, John was drawn towards young artists who rejected conventional ideas and he inspired them to make art that agitated the mainstream.  He was generous with knowledge sharing, respected alternate perspectives, and was interested in ideas of importance to different groups and generations.

Family, friends, and colleagues hope to carry on John Palmer’s legacy of using theatre as a medium to challenge and change conventional thinking.  As a senior and experienced playwright and director in theatre, John also nurtured friendships and mentorships with the next generation of theatre artists. 

THE PURPOSE:

This award will help the next generation of storytellers for the stage to push boundaries and foster intergenerational collaboration and friendships within the theatre community.

THE PROCESS:

An experienced PGC Member will nominate a new generation artist to be recognized as a (future) change-maker in theatre. A Jury will consider all applications and determine a shortlist and recipient in the same manner as PGC’s other awards.

THE AWARD SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• The Nominator must be a member in good standing with Playwrights Guild of Canada.
• The Nominator is an experienced theatre creator with 25+ years of experience.
• The Nominee does not need to be a member of Playwrights Guild of Canada.
• The Nominee is someone who identifies as a storyteller for the stage, is practicing (primarily) in Canada, and has less than 10 years of experience.
• The Nominee has been involved in at least one staged production as a playwright or director.
• The Nominee is someone who uses their artistic practice to disrupt the status quo.
• The Award package must include:
  • A nominator’s statement with a 250-word limit
  • A bio for the nominator
  • An artistic statement from the nominee with a 500-word limit
  • A CV for the nominee
  • A bio for the nominee
• The Nominator and Nominee should each address how the candidate mirrors the vision of the award.
• The award is not tied to a specific project or artistic work. It is intended as career support, with no budget or reporting requirements.
• Complete nomination packages must be submitted as per PGC’s online awards guidelines.
• The winner of this award, and the nominator, will be asked to join PGC for a recorded interview/discussion in October 2023, to chat about their artistic practice and to celebrate intergenerational collaboration or friendship in the theatre community. Highlights may be aired during PGC’s 2024 Tom Hendry Awards events.