Ensemble (n.) –
A group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.

Arts Jobs for theatre artists

Each summer Crane Creations Theatre Company hires a group of actors to share with them how to become a professional actor in Canada. Arts Jobs are rather precarious, but we aim to create a stable foundation by equipping you with the skills you need in order to work in culture.

The objective of this program is to expand your ideas and knowledge about theatre while providing you with unprecedented insight into the Canadian industry, and prepare you to become a successful professional emerging artist in the performing arts scene. This is not one of your typical acting jobs, acting classes or workshops. This is an honest, action packed skills training program.
Some of the questions we tackle are: What makes good theatre? How to become an Actor?

We also try to investigate what is currently being produced, to better understand what theatre’s role has been throughout history. Financial tools and training are also provided to participants and information on funding opportunities for artists as well.

We specifically focus on how to become an actor in Canada, and the unique challenges that come along with building a career out of our passion. We believe artists like you deserve to understand how the industry works to be able to best participate in it, and keep landing those arts jobs.

Get your vocal cords ready, we hold auditions every year, in May.

A guide on:

How to start your own theatre company

Starting a theatre company requires artistic expertise but the success of the company will depend on budgeting, marketing, project management, and human resources. This workshop will provide you with in depth understanding what is needed to start and grow a successful theatre company from the grand up. You will learn:

• What is the difference between a collective, non profit and a charity?
• What are a Board of Directors, Bylaws, and a business plan
• How to set up a foundation for a prosperous theatre company?
• How to fundraise?
• How to select programming and build your audience?

Learn how to:

Get paid while traveling with your touring workshop

Did you know there are thousands of festivals around the world that pay artists from around the world to perform? Would you like to travel to interesting destinations, while being paid as an artist? This workshop will teach you:

• What is the difference between presenting and touring?
• What kind of work are festivals looking for?
• What you need to consider when creating the work to increase its potential to be selected for international touring?
• Where to find festivals to pitch to?
• What to include in your pitch?

Learn the basics of:

Budgeting for the live arts

How do you even start preparing a Budget?

What different types of revenue does a not-for-profit theatre company earn? Which fees do I pay the artists, the director and the designers? These are things that you will discover with the help of Crane Creations Theatre Company Artistic Director Andreja Kovac.

Andreja has worked on projects with budgets over $5 million. She is an expert in project management, has the equivalent of an MFA in directing from her home country of Slovenia, and is also a graduate of Canada’s National Theatre School directing program.

Join us to understand the basics of what it takes to plan, create, and balance a budget for a performing arts project.

Fund your project:

Learn the basics of how to write a grant. Then actually write one.

Come and learn about the ins and out of building a budget for a project;

Planning for professional fees (artists, directors, stage manager, designers, etc.)

Knowing how to make grants work together

What funding bodies exist in Canada?

How long should I plan my projects in advance?

Andreja Kovac is a successful theatre director from Slovenia who graduated from the National Theatre School’s Directing program. She is the founding Artistic Director of Crane Creations Theatre Company, and is committed to helping emerging artists transition into the professional field, and understand the business of theatre.

What you will gain:

• Artistic Skills: Explore classical and contemporary text, improvisation, theatre around the world and their relevance and impact on arts jobs and society today.
• Orientation in Arts Jobs: Honest insight into professional organizations, structures and systems in place and how to navigate them successfully
• Financial Skills: Budgeting and financial literacy delivered in a comprehensible and easy to understand way, tailored for theatre artists’ needs.
• Leadership: Debate complex questions and develop ideas and strategies how to build not only your career but theatre ecosystem in Canada and Internationally.
• Touring in the Arts: Discover how artists around the world use international touring as a source of income, and learn how to create shows that can allow you to participate in that market.
• Digital Skills: Discover how blog/content writing can earn you additional income, promote your work, while mastering WordPress, one of the most desired skills in todays job market.

How can you apply?

For Actors

1. Application: Easy to use online application form
2. Questionnaire: Complete our skills and knowledge form
3. Availability: Schedule your audition online
4. Audition: 1 contemporary, 1 classical monologue
5. Callback: 60 minutes long, in the form of a workshop
6. Interview: A Human Resources regular job style interview
7. Receive Results

For Producers and Stage Managers

1. Application: Easy to use online application form
2. Questionnaire: Complete our skills and knowledge form
3. Availability: Schedule your interview online
4. Interview 1: Meet the team and answer some questions
5. Interview 2: A 60 minutes long group interview
6. HR Interview: A Human Resources regular job style interview
7. Receive Results

What we value

Inclusion

Passionate and committed to reflect the population of Canada as much as possible we want to see its reflection in arts jobs. We don’t type cast. Submitting your headshot is not mandatory, we do not want to judge you by your looks. We want to solely look at your education and experience.

Actors are invited to sit in on auditions. It’s the best way to learn how to improve by seeing the audition process from the other side. If you would like to sit on our audition panel, pease apply here.

Transparency

We are happy to share statistics like: how many applications we received, people auditioned and got hired. All candidates have transparent insight into our selection process, in order to prepare well and understand the odds of getting hired.

Your privacy is respected at all times by never sharing your name or personal information; all information shared is for statistical purposes only to help us improve inclusivity and representation.

Support

We try to provide as much information about how we work and how to succeed in getting hired. Check out our professional development opportunities, read 10 tips for getting hired, and for fun, take our quiz about the theatre world!

After the program is done we do our best to stay in touch with you, and help you build your career. Do invite us to shows and tag us on social media when you have good news to share.