Theatre Creators’ Reserve

We are no longer accepting applications to the Theatre Creators' Reserve for 2009/2010. All of our funds for this season have been allocated. Please check back in September 2010.

The Ontario Arts Council’s Theatre Creators’ Reserve (TCR) Program is designed to assist professional theatre creators and informal collectives of creators to develop new work.

Tarragon Theatre sees this program as an opportunity to provide time for the creator to take their play to the next stage or two of its development. These grants offer the creator an opportunity to conduct research, or to work on a first draft or subsequent drafts of a play. If the project is a collective creation, the grant buys time to improvise/create in the rehearsal hall. In this case, please note that certain expenses are not eligible for TCR funding. If you have any questions about your grant, feel free to contact Tarragon for assistance.

In assessing and selecting the plays, Tarragon will apply the same principles we use when selecting writers and plays in general. We will be drawn to creators and plays that are akin to our aesthetic interests. For those creators unfamiliar with our work, the best example of our aesthetics can be seen in our productions. We want this program to be another means to begin and/or pursue relationships with creators that have an affinity with the theatre’s work or that simply excite us.

We are open to the variety of needs and approaches that each individual creator or collective may have, and to projects that are in all stages of development. Each application will be reviewed individually on its own merits and needs.

Equal consideration will be given to

• new ideas and plays presented to us by playwrights who have had an association with the theatre;
• creators who are new to the Tarragon;
• creators emerging on the theatrical scene;
• creators from diverse communities.

Before you write your application, please read the TCR Guidelines thoroughly. You can find them here.

The application consists of two parts:

• TCR Application Form (3 copies) from the Ontario Arts Council, available here, and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
• Support Material which includes:
• A concise summary of the play or project, maximum 1 page.
• A detailed development plan, complete with timeline and specific objectives, maximum 1½ pages.
• Background material (resume, biography) on the playwright and/or creator(s).
• A sample of recent work, maximum 10 pages.

When writing your support material, please keep in mind the following three factors that are key to recommending a play for a Theatre Creators’ Reserve Grant:

• the story of the play
• the clarity of the story in playwright’s mind
• the playwright’s clarity about the development path for the project.

Please submit materials by mail only to:

The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2010.

Because Tarragon Theatre often awards grants as we receive submissions of interest, we advise you submit your application as early as possible. In the event that we disburse all of our funds prior to January 15, 2010, we will post a notice on this website, and close submissions for the season.