Residency in contemporary playwriting in Paris
The goal of this residency is to give playwrights the chance to spend two months at Théâtre Ouvert, Centre National des Dramaturgies Contemporaines, in Paris.
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Partners
Introduction
Go to Mon dossier CALQ This link will open in a new window and complete your grant application online.
Before submitting an application, artists are advised to read the program over carefully. If you have any questions after reading the program or if there is anything else you would like to clarify, please email or phone the program manager. The manager can also provide information and advice on how to present your project and what to include in your application.
Foreword
The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), in partnership with Théâtre Ouvert, Centre National des Dramaturgies Contemporaines, is offering a residency for Québec creators.
This initiative is in line with our goal of encouraging artistic exchanges between Québec and France, while consolidating the Théâtre Ouvert’s strong interest in Québec playwriting, developed over a decade of collaboration with the Festival Jamais Lu.
Lasting two months, this residency offers a professional, stimulating setting, designed to support artists as they develop their playwriting projects.
The artist selected will benefit from:
- personalized support from the Théâtre Ouvert team;
- dramaturgical support from a French director;
- workshops on the text with apprentices from the École supérieure de comédiens par l’Alternance’s (ESCA) Studio Asnières;
- regular discussions with professional theatre artists from Paris, fostering artistic reflection and enriching collaboration.
These activities are designed to encourage reflection, stimulate creation and broaden perspectives on the project through interactions with peers and professionals.
In addition to workshops and meetings, time for research and writing will offer the artist the space they need to advance in their work.
A highlight of the residency will be participating in the Jamais Lu Paris festival, jointly produced by Jamais Lu and Théâtre Ouvert. During this event, the text under development will be presented as a dramatic reading, led by the director who worked with the artist, and performed by the apprentices at the ESCA. This performance before an audience and French theatre professionals will provide exposure for Québec playwriting on the international stage.
During the residency, the support provided will enrich the dramaturgical project, deepen reflections on theatrical forms and stimulate new artistic collaborations.
By strengthening ties between Québec creators and professionals in France, this program is part of a dynamic of enduring cultural exchanges, helping reinforce the presence of Québec artists on the international stage.
Objectives
Conseil's studio-apartment residency program has five objectives:
- To support and stimulate artists by making available to them a suitable environment and the means to produce and disseminate their works.
- To foster artistic renewal for artists and writers by giving them access to a new and stimulating cultural environment.
- To facilitate exchanges of artistic or literary viewpoints and contribute to the formation of durable ties between artists from Québec and abroad.
- To promote the work and career development of Québec artists internationally.
- To develop new networks for artistic creation, production and dissemination.
Residency characteristics
Discipline concerned
Theatre
Target applicants
This international residency is for theatre artists with at least two years of artistic practice.
Length of stay
The length of the residency is two months, between mid-September and mid-November 2025.
Grant amount
The maximum amount of the grant is $7,000.
The grant enables artists to pay the costs of their personal insurance and travel, living, and project-related expenses.
Residency conditions
Accommodations for the artist selected will be provided by the CALQ at the Centre des Récollets. A workspace will be provided by Théâtre Ouvert throughout the residency.
Location
Théâtre Ouvert, théâtre d’essais et de création
Théâtre Ouvert, théâtre d’essais et de création, offers different modes of action to bring new and original dramatic texts to audiences. The permanent team, which forms the reading committee, reads manuscripts (it receives around 500 manuscripts every year) to identify budding authors whose talent deserves to thrive.
From our origins to today
Théâtre Ouvert grew from Jean Vilar’s invitation on July 23, 1971 at the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs, at the Festival d’Avignon. Becoming permanent in 1976, it opened its doors at the 4bis, Cité Véron in Paris in 1981. In 1988, it became the first Centre Dramatique National de Création devoted exclusively to the discovery, promotion and dissemination of texts by authors from emerging generations in all their diversity. In 2011, Théâtre Ouvert became Centre National des Dramaturgies Contemporaines. In 2014, Caroline Marcilhac succeeded the founders Lucien and Micheline Attoun in heading up the Théâtre Ouvert.
An art and experimental theatre resonating with the voices of the world
Théâtre Ouvert’s mission is to support contemporary playwrights and artists who, through their unique, poetic perspective, help forge and legitimize new representations of the world, stage the words of those who have no voice and open up new sensitive horizons.
The Théâtre Ouvert is a vibrant, exciting place where a contemporary theatre repertoire is written and tested, at the table and on the stage, through the École Pratique des Auteurs de Théâtre, studio visits and other residencies, and dramaturgical support for texts in creation, editing and open interventions.
Théâtre Ouvert presents over 100 public openings a year, combining newly created shows, festivals and participative projects.
Théâtre Ouvert, Centre National des Dramaturgies Contemporaines, is subsidized by the Ministère de la Culture, the Ville de Paris and the Région Ile-de-France.
Eligibility
General criteria
Concerned artistic field
Theatre
Discipline
In this context, theatre includes theatre for adults, children’s and youth theatre and puppet theatre or any other related form of artistic expression.
Profiles
Professional artist
To be eligible, you must be a professional artist and have minimal experience in one of the disciplines supported by the CALQ. The CALQ considers professional artists those who:
- declare themselves to be professional artists;
- produce works or practice an art on their own behalf or offer services for payment, as creators or performers, in disciplines within the CALQ’s jurisdiction;
- have been recognized by their peers;
- publicly present or perform works at sites or in a context recognized by their peers.
For the purposes of this program, the term “artist” also includes writers, storytellers, architects and craftspersons.
- Eligible artists include the Inuit and members of Canada's First Nations residing in Québec.
- Artists must be continuously engaged in their artistic practice and must have received recognition from their community or on their territory as practitioners of their art form, whether traditional or contemporary.
- For the purposes of the CALQ's programs, the term "artist" also includes writers, storytellers and artisans/creators.
Status
The applicant must be a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant as contemplated in section 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. In both instances they must normally reside in Québec and have resided there for at least the preceding 12 months.
Applicants who have resided outside Québec for two or more years are considered ineligible for the Conseil's programs, unless they have maintained their status as a Québec resident.
In this instance, it is the applicant's responsibility to demonstrate his eligibility by submitting proof of participation in Québec's health insurance plan, as administered by the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec.
Conditions
These rules govern all CALQ grant programs.
You can submit up to five separate applications and receive a maximum of five grants per CALQ fiscal year, from April 1st to March 31st. All applications submitted, including those deemed ineligible, are counted in the annual maximum.
Applications with a fixed date:
The fiscal year a grant application falls under is indicated under the application date for each program in the ''Presentation of the application'' section. You can only submit one application per registration.
Apply any time:
Travel, Circulation of Works Within Québec, Circulation of Works Outside Québec:
Applications submitted between March 1st and 31st inclusively are counted for the following fiscal year.
Others :
Applications received between February 24 and March 31st inclusively will be recorded in the following fiscal year.
You may not have more than three projects being considered, supported or under way at the same time.
If you have received financial support from one of the CALQ’s grant programs, you must produce a Grant Use Report within three months after the completion of the project. To be eligible to submit a new application, you must have submitted Grant Use Reports for all projects that have reached their end, and these reports must be approved by the CALQ. The official end date for the project is the date you set when applying.
Failure to meet deadlines for the submission of projects will render your application ineligible.
Ineligibility
- Projects carried out under the supervision of an educational program are ineligible.
- A project that has already been rejected by the Conseil is ineligible for this program.
- A group legally constituted as a not-for-profit or profit-making company or general partnership is ineligible for this program.
- Incomplete applications.
Amount of the grant
The maximum amount of the grant is $7,000.
The grant enables artists to pay the costs of their personal insurance and travel, living, and project-related expenses.
Expenses covered by the grant
Grants awarded by the Conseil under the Studios and studio-apartments section enable recipients to cover the cost of personal insurance, travel, living expenses, visa fees and costs related to carry out their projects.
The grant recipient is responsible for obtaining all of the documents necessary for his sojourn abroad, including a visa when the host country demands it.
Applicants do not have to submit an itemized budget to support their application.
Financial support is available for artists with disabilities with a view to ensuring access to CALQ's services. Please complete the relevant section of your official form if you would like to submit an application.
Evaluation of applications
Evaluation criteria
- Artistic quality of the work
- Interest and relevance of the project
- Feasibility of the project
Process
All applications are evaluated on their merits, based on the specific objectives and assessment criteria for each of the program components. The selection process takes into account the comparative value of the projects and the available credits.
The applications are evaluated by a jury whose members must appear in the official roster of resource persons (this roster is approved by CALQ's Board of Directors).
For reciprocity-based residency programs and specialized residencies, a jury commissioned by the artistic director of the foreign host organization reviews the applications. Recommendations are submitted to CALQ's Board of Directors for approval. Decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
Three months after their mandate has been completed, CALQ makes public the names of the Quebec-based jury members.
Ethics
Board members, employees and members of juries and committees of the CALQ are subject to Codes of ethics and professional conduct This link will open in a new window. All must act in good faith in performing their duties and refrain from taking part in any discussion concerning a grant application that risks creating a conflict of interest. Confidential or privileged information transmitted to them may not be used for personal reasons.
Decision
The Conseil will inform applicants of its response to the application approximately three months after the application deadline.
An applicant registered for Mon dossier CALQ will receive an email inviting him to consult his online file to find out the result.
If the application is successful, along with the announcement letter the applicant will receive a document describing the terms and conditions governing the use of the grant.
If the application is unsuccessful and the applicant is not registered for Mon dossier CALQ, the Conseil will communicate its decision in writing.
After receiving the results, the applicant may request the jury's or the evaluator's general rankings of the project for each evaluation criterion.
The CALQ wishes to reiterate that its decisions are final and without appeal. No form of verbal abuse, harassment or intimidation towards its team after a decision is rendered, nor at any point in the application process, is tolerated.
Presentation of the application
Registration deadline
April 10, 2025.
An application filed for this grant program will be treated in the 2025-2026 financial year.
An artist who wishes to apply for this grant program must fill out the appropriate application form and provide a complete file, making sure to include all the requisite items.
The date of submission online or the postmark is deemed to be the date of receipt of the application. Incomplete applications and those submitted after the application deadline are not accepted.
Choice of host facility
The applicant is invited to present a project for a specific location and must submit a brief justification supporting his choice.
Application form
Important
The CALQ will not be accepting applications by mail. Mon dossier CALQ This link will open in a new window is the favoured channel for transmitting an application and for finding out the status of your file.
If this transmission mode is not available for the present program or if you cannot use it, the CALQ will receive the application file by WeTransfer. Instructions for sending are provided on the Application form – detail project.
Apply online
Mon dossier CALQContents of the application file
For some reciprocity-based residency programs and specialized residencies, candidates are advised to attach a two or three-paragraph summary describing the project in the language of the host country.
The required file contents are detailed on the application form.
Any documents or supporting materials received by the Conseil after the application deadline will not be submitted for evaluation.
The Conseil cannot be held responsible for the loss of submitted items or damage sustained by such items during shipping. Applicants are urged to never send the originals of items or supporting materials required for a grant application.
Subject to the provisions of the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information, the Conseil respects the confidentiality of the documents and information in its possession and of those sent to it.
Applicants must promptly notify the Conseil of a change of address so that mail can be sent to the new address.
Sojourn Abroad
The grant recipient is responsible for obtaining all the documents necessary for his sojourn abroad, including a visa when the host country demands it.
Do not hesitate to contact the cultural team at the Québec delegation, government office or field office responsible for the territory where you will reside to take advantage of the resources that the team can offer you.
Contact information for Québec government delegations, offices and field offices abroad is available on the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie This link will open in a new window.
Obligations and reports
Awarding of grants
- The Conseil determines the amounts awarded taking into consideration the funds available, budgets submitted and eligible expenses.
- The grant will be disbursed in the month following the announcement. However, to proceed with a payment, the Conseil must be informed of the grant recipient's social insurance number. In accordance with tax legislation, a grant recipient is bound to declare the amount of the grant awarded. The Conseil issues a tax slip to each grant recipient and submits the list of grant recipients to the ministère du Revenu.
- For the studio and studio-apartment residency program, the grant will be disbursed two months prior to the beginning of the residency.
- For the studio and studio-apartment residency program, the artist selected undertakes to comply with the applicable conditions and rules, whether communicated by the host organization or the institution overseeing the residency or posted on their website, as the case may be.
For further information…
- The Conseil cannot support the same project more than once. Moreover, the Conseil may not award a grant in respect of the same expenses related to a project already supported under another program of the Conseil or any other organization whatsoever.
- By cashing a grant cheque, the artist enters into a commitment to carry out the project planned and comply with the conditions governing the use of the grant.
- The grant recipient has three years from the application registration date to complete the project supported. The end of this period is the project expiry date. Should the artist fail to comply with this condition, the Conseil may demand repayment of the amount disbursed. Moreover, should the artist die or be disabled prior to completion of the anticipated activity, the Conseil may demand repayment of the grant prorated to the state of advancement of the activity.
Report on the use of a grant
The grant recipient undertakes to submit a detailed report on the use of the grant or the results of the research. This report must be submitted within three months after the end of a project. To be eligible to submit a new application, a grant recipient must have submitted the reports on the use of grants for all projects that have reached their end date, and these reports must be approved by the Conseil. The official project end date is determined by the candidate upon registration.
Visibility and use of the Conseil’s logo
Standards governing visibility
- When the project results in public activities such as exhibitions or publications, the Conseil's logo or a mention of its contribution must appear on any documentation, promotion or advertising materials.
- The grant recipient must comply with Standards governing the use of the Conseil's logo This link will open in a new window.
Further eligibility
Failure to comply with any of the foregoing conditions may jeopardize an artist's eligibility to submit a subsequent application.
Tools and references
Partners
This exchange is made possible with the cooperation of the Théâtre Ouvert, théâtre d’essais et de créationThis link will open in a new window.
Contact info
The contact information for the Québec government offices abroad (delegations, bureaus, and trade offices) can be found on the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie website This link will open in a new window.
Reference documents
Synoptic table (124 KB) of the studios and studio-apartments eligibility per artistic field and professional experience (PDF).
- Frequently Asked Questions This link will open in a new window
- Code of ethics and professional conduct governing jury and committee members and assessors hired by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (65 KB)
- Glossary This link will open in a new window
- Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information This link will open in a new window
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act This link will open in a new window
- Act respecting the professional status of artists in the visual arts, film, the recording arts, literature, arts and crafts and the performing arts This link will open in a new window
- Policy governing juries, committees and assessors (365 KB)