Arts opportunity

The Thousand Faces Festival Association welcomes  artists and groups from all disciplines to submit proposals for inclusion of their mythically-inspired performances, films, and visual works at the 2025 Thousand Faces Festival.

Festival Dates: June 21 & 22, 2025

Festival Overview

The Thousand Faces Festival is a multidisciplinary arts festival in Edmonton, AB that celebrates and nurtures Edmonton's and Canada's richly diverse cultural scene through mythic art and food. Since 2012 we have brought together performances reflecting the richness of diverse cultures found within our community. Dancers, musicians, poets, painters, playwrights, and performers from many cultures share mythic stories ranging from short poetry readings to feature-length multi-disciplinary epics in our home on Alberta Avenue. 

We strongly encourage submissions from people of all backgrounds and look forward to continuing our tradition of Edmontonians of all backgrounds  discovering what connects them to each other when they share their cultures’ deepest stories through the arts.

Submission Details

The festival team is accepting proposals for mythically inspired performances and presentations for our 2025 Festival, scheduled for June 21 & 22, 2025, at our home at the Alberta Avenue Community Centre (9210 118 Ave NW, Edmonton). 

New for 2025, all acts will perform on our outdoor stage between 2 PM - 9:30 PM on June 21, and between 1 PM - 5 PM on June 22. This stage will be located in the parking lot to the west of the Community Centre. We encourage presentations that not only showcase performers and stories of a culture, but that have an interactive element with the audience, whether that be active interaction within the performance, or a short workshop in the art form before or after the performance.

If you are interested in performing at this year’s Festival, we ask that you please prepare and send us a proposal which includes the following information:

• Whether you are submitting on behalf of an organization, a collective, or as an individual
• A bit about yourself (or your organization/group)
• Your history of past performance or artistic work (including links to samples of your work if possible)
• Your proposed performance or artistic presentation for the 2025 Thousand Faces Festival
• Why you want to perform at the Thousand Faces Festival
• The myth your piece is representing or responding to (see the paragraph below for how we define mythology)
• The discipline(s) involved in your performance or presentation
• The number of performers participating in your piece
• The anticipated length of your performance
• Whether parts of your performance may be presented in shorter parts (teaser performances), or if the whole performance may be shortened if required
• Any potential Technical requirements or support your presentation may need or want (in particular, any specific audio needs).

The main thing we ask is that you propose something that responds in some way to the world(s) of what we call mythology. What do we mean by that? To quote Joseph Campbell: "Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths”. To us mythology is, as Joseph Campbell also said, “ . . .the song of the Universe”. 

However, if you think mythology is a false construct, but believe in ancient stories or dreams for their deeper truths about the human condition and their possibilities for awakenings, please propose something that has to do with that! It can be as ancient, as modern, as reverent, or as lampooning as you want.

To apply, please email your proposal to info@thousandfaces.ca with the subject line “2025 Artist Application” by Monday, April 21, 2025.

Artist Benefits

The Thousand Faces Festival is proud of our long history of supporting mythically based storytelling from a wide range of cultures.  Benefits of performing at our festival include:

• Participating in a Festival that values artists and believes in fair compensation for their talent and hard work.
• Access to an artistic and administrative team that has extensive experience presenting a diverse array of culturally based artists and shining a light on the stories that underpin the performances
• The Thousand Faces Festival consciously creates and sustains an ecosystem of opportunity where artists may develop their craft in collaboration over the long term.
• The opportunity to engage with artists from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and disciplines. In the past this has lead to unique collaborative opportunities and development of performance works

*Please note  that you as the artist will be responsible for engaging and compensating any performers in your piece, travel to and from Edmonton, accommodations while you are in Edmonton, and any specialized technicians you may add beyond the sound technician provided by the Festival. Additionally, you will be responsible for all wardrobe, make-up, wigs, props, scenic, and sound design elements that may be required for your presentation. 

Questions? Email info@thousandfaces.ca for more information.

Overview 

 Application Deadline May 21, 2025

The Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award recognizes outstanding emerging Canadian dance choreographers or companies, celebrating new voices, ideas, and approaches to professional dance. Established in 1978 by the Clifford E. Lee Foundation, the award supports the creation and development of innovative choreographic work.

Applicants must submit a proposal for a full-length piece that explores a contemporary approach to dance in any style, designed for an ensemble of up to five dancers. The selected recipient will receive a cash prize, along with a creation residency in December 2025 and a production residency, subject to scheduling.

Description

The Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award is a combination of a $14,000 CAD cash prize for the commission of a new work and two residencies at Banff Centre. Banff Centre can support a company with up to five Canadian dancers, and a small team, including Choreographer, rehearsal director, stage manager, and designers. Both residencies include meals and accommodation for all company members at the Banff Centre.

First Residency (December 8–18, 2025):

• Focus on research and development.
• Provides studio space without technical support.

Second Residency (Dates TBD):

• Focus on production development.
• Scheduled based on project timeline and Banff Centre availability.
• Takes place in a venue space that is suitable for the project.
• Includes three technicians (lighting, sound, and staging) for two weeks.
• Concludes with a public performance.

Requirements

• Open to emerging Canadian choreographers (citizens or permanent residents) who have had only one or less mainstage presentations of a full-length dance work.
• Open to any style of contemporary dance.
• Applicants should have access to a company of up to five dancers for the creation and production of the work. If an applicant does not have access to a company, Banff Centre can facilitate arrangements with a suitable professional company on site.

Due to the generous support of Clifford E Lee Foundation all program fees including accommodation and meal plans for both residencies are fully covered.

Apply now

Sage Theatre is excited for you to apply to the IGNITE! Festival!

The festival takes place June 4 - 7 2025 in the Pumphouse Theatres. Projects occupy both the Victor Mitchell and Joyce Doolittle Theatres.

For nearly 20 years, the IGNITE! Festival of Emerging Artists has put a focus on helping develop Calgary’s rising talent by presenting their work to the public and connecting them to a network of established industry professionals.

Sage Theatre and IGNITE! Festival provide rehearsal space, production support, marketing of the festival, and an honorarium to all of the artists involved.

Be a part of Calgary’s IGNITE! Community – submit your project to the festival and share your creativity with the stage! Or submit yourself as an artist interested in being paired with a project!

Applications open until April 8.

Application links:

Project Application Form: https://airtable.com/appI6iliTWyhSs80b/pagHMOZ84BBQYwAAD/form

Individual Artist application form: https://airtable.com/appI6iliTWyhSs80b/pagUpC7kOv4kKLo8J/form

In 4-weeks, you’ll learn how to creatively express your burning thoughts, dreams, and passions with conviction! Throughout this series, you'll explore your favorite moving works of art and take part in group discussions. You’ll also have the chance to create your own work and say what’s on your mind in a safe, collaborative, and supportive environment. 

This class is great if you love music, poetry, movies, theatre, and more. Come ready to discover your power through words and images! 

Register here: accessarts.ca/whats-on/say-it-like-you-mean-it

Ado Nkemka is a pop-rock musician and multidisciplinary writer (theatre, poetry, journalism) with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Her artistic practice and education inform her perspective, channeling her visceral responses to personal experiences through art while interrogating power, her own identity development, as well as her relationship to self and the outside world.   

From 2022-2024 she was a part of Mount Royal University's Artist as Changemaker residency program, collaborating with the Alcove Centre for the Arts on a project titled "Letters to my Younger Self; Exploring Inclusivity in the Arts." She has also worked on Western University's FAARM project since early 2024, sharing her songwriting knowledge with NaAC artists. 

Ado has performed at Sled Island, SoundOFF Summit, and FoundFest, among other events. She was a part of the 2023-2024 TD Incubator program offered by Arts Commons and also participated in MacEwan University's TD Artist in Residence program. Ado's music has been broadcasted across Canadian radio stations including CBC, CKUA, X.92.9, UMFM. 

Ever wanted to dance like your favorite pop stars? This 8-week class is all about learning fun, energetic moves inspired by the biggest names in pop music. No experience needed—just bring your energy and get ready to move. 

We’ll break down iconic choreography from music videos, making it easy to follow and fun to perform. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just looking to try something new, this class is for you. 

Our Community Dance Classes at NaAC are for anyone 18 and older, no matter your dance skills, gender, or background. All movement styles and abilities are welcome! 

Register here: accessarts.ca/whats-on/music-video-moves-popstar-edition

About the instructor:

Performing Arts Manager, Ashley Brodeur, became enthralled with the National access Arts Centre in the dance studio. After leading a movement session, her time with the artists at the NaAC ignited a passion that has inspired a career shift holding great potential of impact to the performing arts ecosystem. Creator and Director of Maven Movement, providing professional level performance and training opportunities on an equitable scale has been her focus for the past 7 years.

 With professional performance credits that include Culture Shock Washington, D.C., the Dubai Shopping Festival, The Fringe Festival, TIFF, BravoFact!, collaborations with brands such as Loreal, Labatt and XBox, Toronto’s Choreographer’s Ball and the Much Music Video Awards with PSY, she believes it is essential to ensuring high caliber performance opportunities are available to all, especially those underrepresented in traditional professional atmospheres. 

An attendee of the BFA Dance Program at York University, the Commercial Dance Program at George Brown College and the Professional Training Program at Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, she has actively trained in Los Angeles, Toronto and Saint Petersburg, Russia. Previously, she has taught coast to coast in Canada, the Dominican Republic and has shared her skills with hundreds of students throughout various school residency programs.

A long-time faculty member at the School of Decidedly Jazz and iLLFX Education, she has also guest taught at numerous dance studios throughout Ontario and Alberta resulting in an extensive wealth of knowledge and adaptability to dance and the performing arts.