In honour of our 50th Anniversary, PGC has dubbed 2022 the Year of the Playwright to draw attention to how essential playwrights are to the Canadian theatre landscape and beyond. Canada’s playwrights, performance-creators, and storytellers are the lifeblood of our rich and diverse theatre culture. So why do we still disproportionately program plays imported from the US and the UK? How does this accurately represent our nation and unique cultural identities? By investing in more original theatre from our local creative communities, we can help shape our culture in exciting ways, cultivate more engaged audiences, and build our presence on international stages around the world. During the Year of the Playwright, we are calling on all theatre practitioners, organizers, and supporters to help us celebrate the artists who work tirelessly to create the most precious cultural resources: our stories.
How Do I Get Involved?
There are numerous ways to get involved in our Year of the Playwright celebrations. These are a few activities we encourage you to participate in:
Host a Year of the Playwright Event
Our PlayConnect program makes it easy to invite playwrights to your local theatres, schools, institutions, businesses, and community spaces. Funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, our program provides reading fees and transportation funding to host a playwright at an in-person gathering or online. Our dedicated team is here to support you and will even help promote your activities as an official Year of the Playwright event. This is a fantastic way to further engage patrons and show your support for local theatre artists. Learn more about how to host a PlayConnect event HERE and direct inquiries to: marketing@playwrightsguild.ca.
Dramatize Your Bookshelves
Is your local library, bookseller, or school lacking a sufficient selection of play publications from Canada? No community should be denied access to the astounding canon of dramatic literature available in Canada. The Canadian Play Outlet is a one-of-a-kind, online bookstore operated by PGC that sells and distributes the work of our members, boasting a selection of over 2700 plays! Make an investment in play literacy by ordering a collection of plays to feature on your bookshelves. You can even host a reading and book signing at your venue! Our staff is incredibly adept at helping you curate your selections. Browse our books HERE and direct inquiries to: orders@playwrightsguild.ca.
Share Your Pride
Whether you are an artist, arts advocate, or audience member, everyone is invited to join the party! We’ve created a variety of custom images for you to download that can be shared on all your digital platforms including a series of fun digital stickers you can use to create your own designs.
We encourage you to share your own stories about the impact that a playwright or the art of playwriting has had on your life using the following prompts: I/We Celebrate Playwrights Because, I’m Proud to Be a Playwright Because. If you or your group are currently presenting or studying a play created in Canada, share your pride with stories, photos, and videos online by using the hashtag #yearoftheplaywright. Please share your materials with us directly and we’ll repost to our followers. Download our Media Assets below and direct inquiries to: communications@playwrightsguild.ca.
Advocate
Take your pride further by acting as a Year of the Playwright Advocate! There are no limits to how you can contribute your creativity to the cause. Do you have an idea for an initiative or an event you’d like to pitch in support of our celebration? Email us at communications@playwrightsguild.ca and we will be more than happy to engage with you further.
Here’s a few more ways to show your support:
Canadian theatre schools can make a pledge to The Pledge Project to help improve equity, diversity, and inclusion in the plays produced in their seasons.
Play presenters can check out our recent SureFire lists from 2018 and 2020 and our special 50th Anniversary edition from 2022 to find high-quality, unproduced, and/or under-produced plays written by women, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming theatre creators.
You can also make an investment in the next 50 years of PGC by donating to our $50 for 50 Years campaign. All proceeds will help enhance new and existing programs that support the vitality of the playwriting community.
Event Listings
Throughout the year, we will be listing all the events and initiatives associated with our Year of the Playwright celebrations. Check back here regularly to learn about what’s happening in a city or town near you!
Port Hope Arts Festival – Marcia Johnson & Rob Kempson – Saturday, August 13th 2022 11am-3pm EDT
Shipwright Sessions – Jiv Parasram- Wednesday, August 31st 2022 6:30 pm EDT
Indigenous Playreading Series – Quebec Drama Federation – August, September, and October
