Apply to the 2025 ALERT Resident Company program
After a successful pilot year, the 2025 ALERT application intake is now open!
The ALERT Resident Company program is a customized 7 month training opportunity for companies/collectives with one or more works-in-development, with the intention of moving from one phase of development to another. The program culminates in a public presentation during the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival (July 16-27, 2025).
The successful ALERT Resident Company will receive a $2000 bursary and engage in a series of free workshops and training sessions tailored to the Company’s unique needs. They will also be paired with professional mentors throughout the term. The program gives the Company access to a dedicated ALERT program coordinator, experienced HFTco senior staff, and the broader network of the Hamilton arts and culture sector through HFTco’s existing partnerships. They will be invited to attend HFTco staff meetings and events.
The ALERT Resident Company will be supported by two Junior Producers to be recruited via open submission. The Junior Producers will be selected by the Resident Company in consultation with HFTco staff. The ALERT Junior Producers will support the ALERT Resident Company through the full program term and attend all ALERT workshops and training sessions along with the Company.
ELIGIBILITY:
ALERT Resident Company applicants must:
- Be an existing company or collective.
- Have a minimum history of 1 (one) public production or showing as a company/collective.
- Have no more than 5 years of experience.
- Be based in the Greater Hamilton Area (ex: no more than 40km from City centre).
PROGRAM DATES:
ALERT Resident Company – January 1 to July 31, 2025
ALERT Junior Producers – February 1 to July 31, 2025
Applications for the ALERT Resident Company program close at 11:59pm, December 1st 2024.
Please contact Managing Director Franny McCabe-Bennett with any questions about the program or the application process.
The Artistic Leadership and Entrepreneurial Training (ALERT) program is a professional development program designed for emerging artistic leaders 18 years and over who want to help define the theatre culture in Hamilton. Participants take part in workshops with arts professionals and are partnered with professional mentors. The program runs on a two-year cycle, with one year focused on Artistic Producing and Leadership Skills (Producing Stream) and the second on Devising and Performance (Artistic Creation Stream).
ALERT runs from fall 2024 to spring 2025.
THIS YEAR:
Applications open soon for this year’s Company-in-Residence, and TWO paid Junior Producer positions in support of the Resident Company’s work.
The ALERT Artist Development program would not be possible without the generous support of our partners:
Producing Program Activities
The ensemble selected for the 2023/24 Producing Stream will:
- Take part in 4 devising theatre workshops designed to lead the ensemble from the entry point in creation to the final production,
- Take on a specific role in the creation of a live performance for the 2023 Frost Bites event,
- Participate in individual mentorship sessions with artists specializing in the focus areas selected,
- Create and present a devised production at Frost Bites 2023 (Feb 15-20),
- Contribute to the visioning for the annual PD Day and Monologue Slam and assist in the production of the event on March 25, 2023.
Who Should Apply for ALERT?
- Emerging artists 18 years and over with less than 5 years professional experience*
- Preference will be given to local, new-generation artists (18-30 years) but artists of all ages who are new-in-craft are welcome to apply
- Applicants with an interest in the arts and a background in community-building, social work, and administration are also encouraged to apply
- Aspiring leaders in the performing arts who are energized by the possibilities of extending accessibility and developing a care-centered approach to art-making
- Artists and arts managers who want to gain employable skills by participating in the reimagining and relaunch of an active local indie production company
- Theatre-makers who are energized by the possibilities in Hamilton
Applications can also be completed over the phone. Please call 289-698-2234 to make arrangements.
Applications Now Open!
Apply online today! Applications can also be completed over the phone. Please call 289-698-2234 to make arrangements.
Submission deadline: November 4, 2023
2022-2023 ALERT Cohort: Artistic Creation Stream
Fateme Abdiyan
Jordan M. Burns
Jordan M. Burns (they/them) is a Disabled, Indigenous, Two-Spirit, Neurodivergent, multidisciplinary artist from Treaty 3 territory on Turtle Island. Jordan M. serves as a co-founding artistic director with Third Wheel Theatre Co., this position has allowed them to explore an assortment of roles as director, producer, puppeteer, actor, and playwright. Jordan M. is also a proud honours graduate of York University's B.F.A. Theatre Acting program and Humber College’s Theatre Performance program and York’s B.F.A. Acting program. Some of their favourite credits include Salt Baby (dir. N. Robitaille), Mno Bimaadiziwin (dir. H. Barnes), Art Ambulance (dir. D. Anderson), The Cat in the Hat (dir. S. Prelletz), The Echoes II: Pigeon Pie (dir. M. Wodzinska), Take Me To Your Garden (dir. J.M. Burns), and A Pineberry’s Past (writ. J.M. Burns).
See what Jordan M.’s working on now by following @ThirdWheelTheatreCo & @BurnsBright97 on Instagram!
Shayna Burns
Shayna (she/her) is a Disabled, Neurodivergent, LGBTQ+ multidisciplinary artist actively practicing as an actor, singer, director, aerialist, producer, and creator. Her artistic practice comes from a body-first approach, our bodies know more than we give them credit for and can tell the missing pieces words can’t. She is a co-founder of the Third Wheel Theatre Collective, engaged in the creation of original devised works exploring and bringing to life the unsought absurdities of society. Trained classically, and singing most of her life, she recently appeared in the original musical NeverWonder (Phat Tracks); and debuted in her first Opera Conan and The Stone of Kelior (Mightier Productions). Additional recent theatre credits include LuminUS (Clay & Paper), Take Me To Your Garden (Third Wheel Theatre Co.); as well as Willow (Fresh Ideas).
See more of what Shayna is up to on Instagram!
@crayshayshay
@thirdwheeltheatreco
Patrick Campbell
Sungwon Cho
Sungwon Cho (he/them) is an emerging interdisciplinary artist with an interest in directing, writing and design. After acquiring their Bachelor of Arts at McMaster University, Sungwon has been developing theatre in Hamilton with a focus on giving space to underrepresented voices. He strives to create work that interrogates injustices and forms connections between individuals with disparate experiences.
Previous works include: House Key Project (Hamilton Fringe 2022, Porchlight Theatre, Lighting Design), Riders to the Sea (Brave New Works 2022, Theatre Aquarius, Lighting and Sound Design) Relative Loneliness (Hamilton Fringe 2021, Open Heart Arts, Stage Manager/Designer) and Lost in Translation (McMaster Honours Performance Series 2021, Director/Writer/Performer)
Faezeh Daemi
Junxue Mo
Johnny Thirakul
Johnny Thirakul is a Lao-Canadian actor and creator from Hamilton, Ontario.
Having recently earned his BFA with Specialized Honours in Acting from York University’s Theatre Program, his recent acting credits include 1184, his professional theatre debut, as well as Everybody, The Late Wedding, and Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again., as part of the Theatre@York Acting Conservatory. During his academic career, he received The Jean Gascon Award and The Mac Shoub Scholarship for demonstrating exceptional achievements in performance.
Johnny is currently signed with Toronto-based agency SoHo Management, and is a Program Assistant at the Theatre Aquarius Arts School, where he was an alumni.
He aspires to grow his creative work in hopes of inspiring young IBPOC artists, with an emphasis on Asian-Canadians, to pursue their artistic endeavours. Johnny is ready to share his enthusiasm for craft and desire to connect with those he crosses paths with along his career.
2021-2022 ALERT Team, Producing Stream
Catherine Allen
Lexi Bardy
Jordan Burns
Jet Coghlan
Chelsea Haraburda
Justin Shaw
Brianna Seferiades
Olivia Zotti
Mentors
ALERT members will receive a professional introduction to a leader in the theatre industry for a coffee chat, an opportunity to form a new connection and network. Past mentors include:
Daniel MacIvor
Placement Organizations
ALERT members in the Producing Stream will have a 10 hour placement with a theatre company or artist. Previous placement organizations include:
Theatre Aquarius
Pat the Dog
Jumblies Theatre
Previous Public Workshops
In addition to the ALERT team workshops, current ALERT members gain free entry to public workshops held during their cohort year.
Previous ALERT Cohorts
Resident Company 2023-2024
femmepire
Kitoko Mai
Claud Spadafora
Junior Producers
Lian McMillan
Teryn Lawson
2022-2023 Participants
Mohad Abdiyan
Jordan M. Burns
Shayna Burns
Trick Campbell
Sungwon Cho
Fay Daemi
Faith Mo
Johnny Thirakul
2021-2022 Participants
Catherine Allen
Lexi Bardy
Jordan M. Burns
Jet Coghlan
Chelsea Haraburda
Justin Shaw
Brianna Seferiades
Olivia Zotti
2020-2021 Participants
Carly Anna Billings
Sophie Hughes
Manisha Maharajh
Mykola Paskaruk
Olivia ‘Margo’ Prunean
Kit Simmons
2019-2020 Participants
Nathalie Cortes
Olivia Hopen
Matthew Lazaris-Brunner
Micaela Morales
Rachel Offer
Ryan Percival
2018-2019 Participants
Luis Arrojo
Beekaa Abraham
Aaron Joel Craig
Khaleel Gandhi
Rebekka Gondosch
Victoria Hudson-Muir
Anthony Raymond Yu
Dylan Vandemaele
2017-2018 Participants
Krista Colosimo
Michael Kras
Lily Sutherland
Emma Grafham
Stephanie Hope Lawlor
Jamie Milay
2016-2017 Participants
Adam Lemieux
Adam Bryan
Carlyn Rhamey
Claudia Spadafora
Rose Hopkins
Jesse Horvath