Participating in YIF

How old do I need to be to participate?

Our mandate states that we serve youth ages 16 to 25, and our programs are catered to this age range. Our festival programming is also targeted at those ages, although there may be some age suggestions or content warnings. Each of our programs have a recommended age range for participation, but anyone within our age range is welcome to apply for any of our programs.

What’s the commitment like? 

We have a variety of ways to get involved as a participant at YIF!

• Writers are expected to work 25-30 hours throughout their 3-month mentorship.

• Directors will work 10-15 hours with their mentor before auditions, attend audition weekend (approximately 14 hours total), and spend up to 6 hours per week in rehearsals (for a maximum of 70 hours of rehearsal over 3 months).

• Stage Managers are typically expected to attend audition weekend (approximately 14 hours), up to 10 hours of additional meetings with their production team (director, producer, and any assistant stage managers or designers involved) and mentorship group (their mentor and other stage management mentees) before, during, and after the rehearsal period, and up to 6 hours per week of rehearsal (for a maximum of 70 hours of rehearsal over three months).

• Actors are expected to attend up to 70 hours of rehearsals, complete additional “homework” such as learning lines, and attend all their scheduled performances.

• Designers are expected to participate in mentorship in the form of group workshops and/or individual meetings, and attend meetings with their production team and rehearsals as necessary, for a total commitment of up to 20 hours.

• Improvisors are expected to participate in 8 hours of practice and all their scheduled performances, for a total commitment of up to 12 hours

• Workshops take place throughout the year, and require no commitment outside the length of the workshop itself (typically 1-3 hours)

Is this a paid opportunity?

At this time, all participants (playwrights, directors, stage managers, designers, performers) are volunteers. We are looking to expand to offer microgrants to access programming. Stay tuned for updates.

I’m from out of town, can I still participate?

YIF is open to all Ottawa/Gatineau region youth. Right now, we are focusing on local artists, but this includes rural residents and Ottawa valley residents (have a question about your region? Contact us!). A number of our programs can be accessed entirely or partially through remote means- these programs still prioritize youth who are locally based, but if you worry about commute or have travel plans during our season, contact us at info@youthinfringement.ca to see what opportunities you can partake in remotely.

How is COVID-19 impacting the YIF programming?

At Youth Infringement, we are putting safety first. We require masks at our auditions and other events where larger groups who might have varying comfort levels gather. We provide free rapid tests and respirators to participants, and support them in determining rehearsal safety protocols that are appropriate for their group, and are working on providing more air filtration support at events.

Scripts

How long should my script be?

YIF is a one-act play Festival and scripts should be between 25 and 45 minutes. If one page is one to two minutes, that’s between 13 and 45 pages. We recommend that you submit a 10-page draft as a start, and you will work with your mentor to develop the script into a full one-act show.

Do I need a full-formed idea to get in?

Absolutely not. We encourage the creation of new work: if you are passionate about your idea, we want to hear it!

Devised Theatre Proposals

What is devised theatre?

Devised theatre (or collective creation) is created collaboratively by an ensemble- this can include a director or choreographer who is not on stage for the final version of the performance, or everyone involved can be onstage. Processes vary (and your mentor can introduce you to new methods of doing it!) and might include starting points including (but certainly not limited to!) written works, visual materials, a character, plot, or setting, or an overall theme to explore.

Do I need an ensemble to apply?

You can apply individually, as a whole team, or as a partial team! If you apply as an individual or partial team, we can connect you with up-and-coming performers, stage managers, designers, and more. Devising teams who are in need of more performers attend auditions, so if you’re looking to get involved in this stream but don’t have a fully formed proposal, you can join a team by auditioning as well.

What makes a good proposal for a devised piece? What are you looking for?

A good proposal communicates what ideas you already have, as well as what you’re looking to accomplish. You shouldn’t have every aspect of your piece figured out before you begin creating, but we do want to know where you are in your creative process and where you want to go, and ideally we’d like to hear a bit of the “what, why, who, and how” of your piece:

• What is your idea? (Some questions to consider: How would you propose this to someone interested in working on it? Do you have a particular starting point, theme etc? Do you have an intended format?)

• Why do you want to explore this idea? (and why through a devised process?)

• Who is your team? (Some questions to consider: How many people? In what roles? Do you have people lined up? Are you seeking people with a connection to your subject matter?)

• How do you plan on working on this piece? (Some questions to consider: do you have ideas of exercises/things you might do in rehearsals? Will you be seeking out source material- sourcing submissions, reading works, etc?)

Auditions & Rehearsals

When are rehearsals?

For the 2024-2025 season, the rehearsal period will span from January to March 2025. Rehearsals tend to be a few hours a week. The 2025 festival will take place mid-March 2025 for two weeks.

When are auditions?

Auditions will be taking plan in late November 2024. Check out our work with us page for all the latest calls!