ANNOUNCING: A 3 YEAR CREATIVE COLLABORATION INITIATIVE
We’re excited to proudly announce a Creative Collaboration Initiative between Soulpepper, The Musical Stage Company, Obsidian Theatre, Bad Hats Theatre and The Toronto Fringe Festival!
In response to challenges in the performing arts sector and building on strong existing relationships, we along with these four other organizations commit to collaborate on creative and capacity sharing projects that will help each company thrive and create a centralized hub of artistic activity for audiences to discover.
This Creative Collaboration Initiative focuses on community-building, shared capacity and creative cross-pollination, while allowing each organization to retain its unique artistic identity and autonomy. In practice, the initiative will include co-productions and presentations at Soulpepper Theatre, co-commissioning of new works, audience development and co-marketing initiatives, and a commitment for each partner company to amplify the work of the others. Each company will continue to present their own productions at any venue they choose and be free to collaborate with any other company.
Several collaborative projects are already underway, including:
- Alongside Crow’s Theatre and TO Live, The Musical Stage Company and Soulpepper are presenting the Canadian Premiere of A STRANGE LOOP in spring 2025
- The Toronto Fringe Festival creating a new festival hub at Soulpepper Theatre starting in 2025, with future plans to activate the Historic Distillery District and surrounding areas.
- Building on the success of THREE SISTERS in February 2024, Obsidian Theatre and Soulpepper Theatre are co-producing the World Premiere of TABLE FOR TWO by Akosua Amo-Adem in early 2025
- Following the incredible success of several productions since 2017, including the multi-award-winning ALICE IN WONDERLAND and PETER PAN, Bad Hats is developing a soon to be announced new production to be presented in late 2025.
The Creative Collaboration Initiative is an open invitation to Toronto audiences to discover some of Canada’s most exciting theatrical works by some of our city’s leading companies and build a new model for collaboration that will serve the arts sector for years to come.
As The Musical Stage Company endeavors to drive the evolution of musical theatre, we can’t think of more exciting and relevant organizations to collaborate with at this critical moment in Canadian theatre history. We’re eager to unearth new and unique ways of working together for our community, to reimagine how we bring theatre to the city of Toronto and introduce new audiences to the magic that happens when music and storytelling collide.
– Kate Supleve, Co-Executive Director of The Musical Stage Company
Photo by Dahlia Katz. Back Row (L to R): Laura Paduch (TO Fringe), Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu (Obsidian), Victor Pokinko (Bad Hats), Weyni Mengesha (Soulpepper), Michael Sinclair (Obsidian), Rachel Kennedy (TO Fringe), Paul Beauchamp (Musical Stage Company), Matt Pilipiak (Bad Hats). Front Row (L to R): Fiona Sauder (Bad Hats), Gideon Arthurs (Soulpepper).