Stages & Spaces: space access program

For Artists

Intrepid Theatre is home to three venues: the Intrepid Studio, the Metro Studio, and the new Festival Hub. These busy downtown spaces are home to our festivals, programming and residencies, alongside local creatives, artists, companies and collectives who use these venues for one-night events, workshops, classes, and shows year-round. We want to activate these creative spaces even more, and infuse them with vibrant energy, lively ideas, fresh collaborations and support local performance artists and theatre-makers. 

Making Space

We know how difficult it is to find creation space, a rehearsal venue, a room to sit with your ideas and dream, or a dedicated desk to write your next great show (or grant).

We are responding by creating this new program that makes space available for free for local artists, collectives and companies in our three spaces. 

In this initial pilot, we will support three to four projects in 2025, depending on scale and available dates. The use of space is very flexible, adaptable, and should fit each project – there is no cookie cutter formula here. Let us know what your needs are. 

Support and spaces will vary and could look like:

• Dedicated desk hours to finish an in-progress script, then workshop time in the Hub, and a public reading at the Intrepid Studio
• Creation/rehearsal time in the Intrepid Studio to work/rehearse a show, then touring the show to other venues/festivals
• A technical residency at The Metro Studio, followed by a two-night show at the venue (staffing costs to be discussed)
• A research and exploration residency at the Intrepid Studio, working with designers or a dramaturg
• Facilitating workshops/community dialogues at The Hub to aid in research for a devised creation, then desk time to collect the notes to bring into a rehearsal at a future date
• A two-day workshop at The Metro Studio to test a specific design element with designers
• An archival recording of an existing show, in front of an invited audience
• A technical residency or workshop at either venue, followed by a multi-day run of the show
• A week of dedicated desk time to finish a project grant
• A weekly puppet-building workshop for 6 weeks to work with community members on building puppets and puppeteering for an outdoor performance

To Submit

Send a short pitch, no longer than two pages written or a 5 minute audio or video recording, that outlines: your proposed project; what your space needs are; any technical/production needs; your ideal time/date range for the project in 2025; and tell us a bit about yourself as an artist/collective/company. 

Due to our own programming and space use, projects cannot happen in August or November 2025.

In addition to free space, successful applicants will also receive complimentary tickets to shows in the 2025 season, and mentorship with Intrepid staff on anything from marketing to preparing budgets to applying to festivals to writing a tour rider, etc.

There is no fee to apply, and applications are due by 5pm on March 28, 2025. Please send any questions and all applications to artistic director, Sean Guist sean@intrepidtheatre.com