Theatre Alberta is excited to announce that the RBC Foundation has provided a generous donation in support of our plans to provide interim programs and services for emerging theatre artists while the 2020 editions of Artstrek and Emerge have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 public health pandemic.

“We’re so pleased to be able to help Theatre Alberta continue with their programming for emerging artists,” said Jerilynn Daniels, Director, RBC Community Marketing and Citizenship, Alberta & Territories. “We appreciate and value the unique offerings that Theatre Alberta brings to developing artists.”

Artstrek, Theatre Alberta’s summer theatre school for teens held at Red Deer College, has been running since 1960, and Emerge, our general audition showcase of post-secondary acting graduates from across the province, has been running since 2004. We are incredibly grateful for the RBC Foundation’s support of these programs in 2019, and eager to offer them again in 2021! In the interim, we are designing alternative supports for Artstrek and Emerge participants. On July 24 we held an online celebration to commemorate what would have been Artstrek’s 60th anniversary. More online events and services will be announced in the coming weeks and months to keep us connected and learning throughout the year!

 

The theatre community in Alberta is both large and small at the same time. There are many  internationally renowned artists, companies, and festivals that call Alberta home, and we also produce some of the most intriguing small/independent theatre anywhere in North America. We need artists ready and eager to work in many different contexts, and enough opportunities to keep artists inspired and employed. Theatre Alberta’s mandate is to encourage the growth of theatre in Alberta, and we believe there is no better way to accomplish our goals than to provide young Albertans with the skills, knowledge, and self-assurance to create and participate in live theatre. This is especially important in 2020, as the future of our industry remains precarious for at least the short-term.

Participation in either or both of Artstrek and Emerge provides young Albertans essential networking opportunities and fosters relationships with a wide variety of colleagues. We are developing complementary and FREE programs and services designed to meet the continued career development needs of Alberta’s emerging theatre artists, until and hopefully beyond when our traditional programming can safely resume. These programs and services will also provide supplemental income opportunities for underemployed artists in our community. Our goal is to provide key supports, connections, and hope/positivity in a time when these are greatly needed.

The RBC Foundation recognizes the vital role the arts play in our communities, and they understand the need to ensure our future artists are given the chance to develop and thrive. With support from the Foundation, Theatre Alberta will be able to continue to provide leadership, mentorship, and networking opportunities for emerging theatre artists from across the province. We are honoured again this year to work with the RBC Foundation to foster the next generation of Albertan theatre artists.