conVERGE 2023
APPLICATION
conVERGE is a residency and mentorship program that supports emerging and early-career Indigenous, Black, and artists of colour to develop work, offered through a partnership between Intrepid Theatre and Puente Theatre.
The program was founded in 2021 by Mercedes Bátiz-Benét, artistic director of Puente Theatre, and Holly Lam, former associate producer at Intrepid Theatre.
In its inaugural year, conVERGE won the CRD Com-munity Impact Award at the 2021 Greater Victoria Regional Arts Awards.
Apply to conVERGE:
Submit your answers to the questions outlined below as a written document, video or audio recording to mercedes@puentetheatre.ca.
Applications for conVERGE 2023 close September 29th, 2023 (11:59 pm). All applicants will be notified of selection results by October 2nd, 2023. Please note only one artist will be selected for conVERGE 2023.
If you have accessibility accommodations we can support, or any questions, please contact Mercedes at mercedes@puentetheatre.ca. Video and phone calls can be set up through email inquiries.
About You
Name
Email
Phone Number
Pronouns
Eligibility
Our conVERGE residency supports Indigenous artists, Black artists, and artists of colour who currently reside on Lekwungen and/or WSANEC territories, colonially known as Greater Victoria.
Do you identify as IBPoC? Please specify.
Are you currently based on Lekwungen and/or WSÁNEĆ territories (Victoria)?
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Your Project
Tell us about the project you propose working on as part of conVERGE 2023. (500-1000 words/2-5 minutes)
Exploration and experimentation will be part of the development process, but you should demonstrate that you have a solid starting point. You may also submit a sample of work as support material—a video clip, sound clip, image, etc. This is not required, but if you feel it will give us a better idea of your work and what your proposed idea might be like, it is welcome.
Tell us about yourself. (500-1000 words/2-5 minutes)
Brief bio, what sort of work you create, or anything else you'd like us to know about you. Describe your project, idea, or concept. (500-1000 words/2-5 minutes)
What is the basic form (is it theatre, storytelling, movement-based, interdisciplinary, etc.)? What will you be working on and exploring during the residency? What will you be using the space for? What excites you about the project or idea? Why is it important?
Are there participants in your project other than yourself?
Any collaborators or cast members needed? Would you be working with anyone else during your micro-residency? The residency is geared toward individuals, but you can collaborate with others if you so choose.
What are your goals or dreams for the future of this project or idea? (500-1000 words/2-5 minutes)
Knowing your goals will help us pair you with a well-suited mentor.
Mentorship
What area of interest would you like your mentorship to be focused around?
e.g., dramaturgy, directing, acting, choreography, costume, set, and/or lighting design, self- production, marketing, production design, grant-writing, live streaming & digital platforms, etc.
How does your chosen mentorship focus area relate to your proposed project?
What do you hope to get out of the mentorship and from your mentor? What qualities do you value in a mentor?
Who is your dream mentor(s)? What would your ideal mentorship opportunity look like?
Do you have anyone in mind for your mentor? Think outside the box, reach for the stars. They don’t have to be local. One of the positive aspects of our new world order is that we can know connect virtually to anywhere and anyone in the world. A virtual mentorship gives you the opportunity to connect with someone anywhere in the world. Why would they be a good mentor for this project? Please give us your top three choices for your ideal mentor.
The Residency
Please answer the following questions about different aspects of the conVERGE residency.
The selected artist will be given a maximum of 30 hours of studio time at the Intrepid Theatre Club for Part 1 of the residency plus an additional 10 hours of studio time for Part 2 of the residency.
Part 1 of the residency will take place during October, November, and/or December 2023 and Part 2 of the residency will take place in December 2023 with a possibility to extend to January 2024. Specific dates and times will be determined in consultation with the selected artist.
Which dates are you available for Part 1 of your residency? You can note your order of preference, availability, or any comments you may have.
Development & Creation Space
Will you use the Intrepid Studio space, or would you be completing the residency virtually?
What’s your best guess of when/how often you would want the space? (daily, mornings, evenings, weekends, etc.)
Presentation of Work & Online Community Gathering
Are you interested in doing an online presentation of your work in development?
If health regulations permit, would you want to hold a small in-person presentation? If interested, what do you envision for a presentation?
Would it be a reading, a workshop presentation, something else?
Are you interested in holding an online community gathering?
This could be in conjunction with a presentation, if you choose to do one, or a separate part of your process.
If interested, what do you envision for an online community gathering?
Would it be a place to get feedback on your work, a Q&A, something else?
Accessibility
Do you have any access needs we can support that will make the residency work best for you?
e.g. captioning for online meetings, language support or translation, ASL interpretation, physical access needs, sensory needs, technology support.
Do you have access to a computer/phone to attend online meetings, and access to a location with internet? Please specify if necessary.
In developing your project, are there access initiatives, such as ASL interpretation, captioning, audio description, or relaxed performance practices, that you’d like to incorporate or learn more about?
This could be either to incorporate into your presentation, if you choose to do one, or to build in for future iterations of the work.
Protocol and Decolonization
Living in Canada, we are all implicated in colonialism, in different ways depending on if we are Indigenous or settlers, and our histories of family, migration, and diaspora. In the arts sector, Eurocentric/Western theatre traditions are overvalued to the detriment of Indigenous and non- Eurocentric practices, and decolonization can be seen as disrupting these norms and values.
Are there ways you would like to engage with or think about protocol and decolonization throughout your working process or as part of your project? Please explain.
Additional Support
In addition to your focus area mentor, you will have dedicated mentorship time with Puente's artistic director and conVERGE producer, Mercedes, as well as ongoing admin support from Intrepid.
Safe(r) Spaces
We know IBPOC artists often face barriers to feeling welcome, included, and safe in many settings, including in theatre and the arts. Is there anything that you would like to see as part of conVERGE that would create a safer space for you?
File Upload (optional)
Please feel free to attach any supporting material, sample of work, your video/audio application recording, or any links you may have.
Is there anything you would like us to know about your supporting material/sample of work/application recording/links?
How did you hear about conVERGE?
Thank you for taking the time to apply to conVERGE!
Have fun with the application and good luck!