20th women's work festival

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:
​
​ANNUAL DRAMATURGICAL WORKSHOPS

Cast of Beauty Beyond the Norms by Nicole Obiodiaka with dramaturgy by Modeline Longjohn.

overview

Our flagship festival is designed for playwrights with plays that are in the final/advanced stages of development and/or are almost ready for a production. The focus is on refining existing drafts through intensive dramaturgical support and audience feedback.

Submissions are open from August 1 to September 29, 2025, via the link below.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  • Gender Identity: Open to women and other marginalized genders.
  • Residency: Open to playwrights residing in Canada. International submissions are not accepted. 
  • Play Status: Submissions must be unproduced works. Plays that have had workshop productions as part of the script-writing process are generally accepted, but if the playwright is unsure whether a past presentation counts as "produced," need to contact us at the time of submission.
  • Play Development Stage: Plays should be in a developed stage, nearing completion, and ready for a final table reading with actors and audience feedback. 
  • Length: Full or partial drafts are accepted, with a preference for works 100 pages or under.​​​

IF SELECTED, PLAYWRIGHTS WILL RECIEVE:

  • A six-hour workshop with a dramaturge and actors.
  • Focused audience feedback.
  • Public Reading of either an excerpt or a full-length reading of your workshopped play
  • An honorarium of $500.
  • While travel is not covered, we explore options for accommodations and per diems support closer to the festival.​​

SELECTION POLICY

  • Three (3) plays will be selected.
  • At least one (1) selected play must be from a playwright residing in Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • At least one (1) selected play must be from an IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, and People of Color) or equity-owed artist.
  • If the selection pool does not allow us to fully meet these criteria, we reserve the right to select additional playwrights from outside Newfoundland and Labrador or those who do not identify as IBPOC or equity-owed artists.​

Before submitting, please review both programs to evaluate which is more appropriate for your work at this time.
​Need some guidance? Let us know!

Contact us at [email protected].
Submissions close September 29, 2025, at 11:59PM NST.