Applications for the Creative Producers program are Now Open until November 8, 2026 at 11:59pm ET!
About
The Creative Producers Program is a meeting place for emerging creative IBPOC producers to develop, discuss, and practice methods of producing, administration, and arts leadership as they plan and create a final project for the 2027 Paprika Festival.
The theme of this year’s program is: Producing for Impact.
The selected candidates will be guided in leading projects that urgently address something we are missing. They will envision live performance projects that make significant contributions – to the artistic landscape, to local community, to immediate causes, to their personal development, and/or to a more sustainable sector. How will this project blow the socks off the seat of our pants?
Whether you identify as a producer first, or a creative first, is up to you. In the Creative Producer program, you will be exercising both of those muscles to bring your project to life.
Two creative producers will be offered a tailored five-month live performance producing curriculum led by the program facilitator. Topics will include Identifying Audience, Critical Production Path, Hiring and Contracting, Budgeting, Rehearsal Practices, Marketing and Publicity, Team Management, Communications, and Producing Accessibly. The creative producers will be guided to make their own reflections on the ethics of live performance creation, and on live performance as a community-building tool.
Interested creative producers will apply to this program with a project they wish to produce at the Paprika Festival. This could look like: a short, polished selection of scenes from a new work; a live performance arts market; a ball; etc. They will implement learnings from this program to establish their own producing process for a showcase opportunity of their project at the Festival in May 2027. They will also receive a small budget to hire collaborators and cover production costs, free rehearsal space, mentorship, and more (see below).
*Ideally, artists in this program will be focusing solely on producing their project, and not taking on other roles such as directing, writing, acting, designing, etc.
What kind of stories do you urgently wish to share? If given a stage, 30-45 minutes of people’s time, and a budget of two thousand bucks, what would you do? What do you think is the most impactful thing you could do?
Jake Runeckles
Facilitator
Jake Runeckles (she/her) is a Toronto-based producer, performer and musician intent on creating live performances that are joy and laughter and rage outlets for trans women – that reckon with their dehumanization and celebrate their magnificence. She uses her classical training in theatre, voice, and piano to twist canonical works and subvert cisnormative and heteronormative expectations. For the past 10 years, missjakieana has worked with (and snubbed) some of the largest presenters in Canada’s performing arts scene.
This program is for:
- People of colour who are emerging in their producing practice. We especially encourage queer and trans folks to apply.
- Creators who come from diverse practices and backgrounds, including but not limited to dance, drag, community organizing, health etc.
- Artists/Producers who want to dream about new ways of producing and building a more sustainable live performance sector
- Folks who have a project that feels impactful and urgent for this current moment (at this time we are not considering projects within the Western ‘classical’ genre – we are looking for exciting contemporary works!)
- Applicants who have a project that will fit within the container of Paprika: a 5 month program (roughly 3 months for the project timeline) with a $2,750 budget
- Individuals who are prepared and excited to be the creative lead on a project, and are motivated to work independently with the support of Paprika and mentors
What you receive
- $2,500 honorarium
- 10 hours of mentorship from the professional of your choice
- A $2,750 budget to hire actors, designers, and collaborators and bring your Festival presentation to life
- Up to 25 hours of free rehearsal space at a TO Live venue (downtown or North York)
- 7 company-wide training days where you will learn from professional artists about topics such as accessibility, marketing and communication, pitching your work, networking, and more
- Tech and a public staged reading in a professional theatre venue
- Promotion of your project on Paprika’s social media and marketing materials
- A section in the Festival Program and a professional headshot
- Technical guidance and training for your team before moving into the theatre venue
- The support of a Venue Technician, Production Manager, Lighting Designer, Assistant Festival Stage Manager, as well as Box Office, Front of House, and Festival Staff
- Professional archival photography and videography of your Festival presentation
- Access to free tickets to theatre productions across the city (and beyond!)
- Snacks and meals at Training Days and some program meetings
Time commitment
Approximate time commitment:
- 24 hours in group sessions (beginning Jan 19, every other week on Tuesday evenings, some are in-person and some are online)
- 30 hours in training days (January 10, January 27 online session, February 7, February 21, April 3, April 18, May date TBD)
- 10 hours of mentorship to be scheduled between you and the mentor of your choice between February – May 2027, online or in-person
- Approximately 40-60 hours on independent work to bring your project to life, including hiring a team, rehearsing, and producing a 30-45 minute final project for the 2027 Paprika Festival
- Attend your project’s tech day during the Festival Tech week (one four-hour session between May 3-9, 2027 – exact date TBD, will be communicated to you by mid-March)
- Attend your project’s showcase during the Festival week (Two performances between May 11-16, 2027 – exact date TBD, will be communicated to you by mid-March)
Eligibility
The Creative Producers program is open to IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour) emerging artists who are 18+. Artists must be eligible to work in Canada.
This program was designed for artists under 30, however, we recognize that emerging artists can be any age. We invite folks over 30 who are new to their craft to apply.
We highly encourage and will prioritize applicants who are from equity-seeking groups — including those who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Trans, Non-binary, Queer, Fat, Disabled, Mad, Neurodivergent, low income, and intersections of those identities. We will also be prioritizing applicants who have not received formal training in the program’s main discipline.
Location
📍Toronto / Online
Accessibility
Paprika seeks to lower barriers for all its programs. This year, we are offering transportation support when requested, food and snacks at program events, as well as a $2,500 artist honorarium.
Face masks will be required for all full-company meetings, and during group sessions, the use of face masks will be discussed and decided upon by each program. Paprika will provide KN95 or N95 face masks (or equivalent) upon request. Face masks will be required throughout Paprika’s Tech week and Festival (with the exception of performers) in May 2027.
Internet access and a smartphone, tablet, and/or computer are required for participation in Paprika’s programs. Our programs are not accessible to Deaf or Blind artists at this time. Group meetings can be recorded and shared internally to accommodate schedule conflicts and emergencies with prior notice to program facilitators and Paprika staff.
Company-wide Training Days take place in the following locations:
- The Young Centre for the Performing Arts / Soulpepper Theatre (physically accessible, although there are cobblestone roads in the Distillery District, gendered washrooms)
- Paprika Office (elevator requires staff assistance to use, non-gendered washrooms)
The Paprika Festival tech and performances will take place at Native Earth Performing Arts’ Aki Studio, which is fully physically accessible for audiences. The Aki Studio tech booth is not fully physically accessible as it has a flight of stairs leading up to it. The Aki Studio has a non-gendered washroom backstage, and gendered washrooms in the lobby.
The Creative Producers program will meet at the following location:
- Paprika Office (elevator requires staff assistance to use, non-gendered washrooms)
If you have any more questions regarding the accessibility of this year’s programs, please reach out to Amanda!
A note on the use of AI
We at Paprika prefer that applicants do not use AI-generated materials in their applications – however, if you use AI tools for access, we will ask you to disclose which tools you used and how you used them.
We will not be using AI to screen applications and will never upload your application to an AI model.
Application support
We’ve compiled the most frequently asked questions about Paprika programs and answered them here!
We’re happy to arrange an application process that’s best for you. If you have any questions, require additional support or an extension, please email Amanda. We will try our best to respond to emails within 48 hours.
Click here to view the application questions in a separate document. Note that this is not the application form, but a way to preview the questions!