CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators
Applications are now open for Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators.
This third-party recommender program assists Ontario-based professional theatre creators, and informal collectives of creators, by funding them to create and/or further develop new work. While the funding comes from the Ontario Arts Council, applications are made to, and funding decisions are made by, the theatre companies enrolled in the program. The Musical Stage Company is proud to be enrolled as a Recommender.
Through this granting program, The Musical Stage Company will fund any type of musical theatre creation or development activity submitted by eligible applicants. You can request an amount between $1000-$3000 for your project.
Applications are due at 1 PM EST on Thursday, November 19th, 2026.
Applications must be made through the Ontario Arts Council’s online application portal (NOVA). You must register for a NOVA account to apply. Please refer to the Ontario Arts Council website for full program and application guidelines.
Selection committee:
Michael Rubinoff (Artistic Director)
Jenny Weisz (Producer)
Rohan Dhupar (Metcalf Intern Artistic Producer)
For any questions, please email our Senior Fundraising and Audience Development Officer Colette Richardson at coletterichardson@musicalstagecompany.com.
PRIORITIES
We are seeking new musical theatre work that uses music to illuminate the human condition and where the music is integral to the emotional journey of the storytelling. Applicants should have some material (outline, song samples, script samples, etc.), as well as confirmed collaborators for book, music and lyrics. We are not interested in pieces where all pieces (music, book and lyrics) are written by the same artist at this time.
ELIGIBILITY
You are eligible if you are:
- Professional theatre artists who are residents of Ontario with a permanent physical address in Ontario.
- Ad hoc groups/collectives composed of a majority of Ontario residents.
- The applicants must have no outstanding reports to the OAC and that the maximum number of applications is not exceeded (5).
You must meet the eligibility criteria found in the Program Guidelines on the Ontario Arts Council website.
You are not eligible if you are:
- An organization
- Non-professional applicants
- Employees or board members of the recommending theatre organization, or immediate family members of staff or board members
GRANT AMOUNTS
You may request an amount between $1,000-$3,000* for your project.
What our Recommender Grant funds:
- Any type of musical theatre creation / development activity submitted by eligible applicants.
What this program does not fund:
- Creation of non-theatre work (i.e. film, radio, TV, fiction, poetry, etc)
- Workshop costs, except when the intention of the workshop is creation not workshops leading towards rehearsal or production.
- Productions
- Activities in French ( (see the Théâtre – projets francophones program)
The activities for which you are requesting funding:
- Cannot start before our deadline
- Cannot finish before you receive your grant results, up to six weeks after the deadline
- Must be completed no more than two years after you receive the grant results
*Note: Grant amounts are typically under $3000 to best accommodate as many applicants as possible. If successful, you may receive less than your requested amount. You cannot apply to this program if you have an overdue final report in any OAC grant program.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications are completed and submitted through the Ontario Arts Council’s online application program (NOVA). Interested applicants must register for a NOVA account to apply. The deadline to submit your application for the Musical Stage Company is Thursday, November 19th, 2026 at 1pm EST.
Please submit the following supporting materials in addition to the project description and Artistic Merit questions on NOVA:
- C.V. (mandatory)
- Script Sample (Max 10 pages)
- Audio/Visual (Max 2 songs)
Please note that recommenders no longer notify applicants about grant results. All applicants will be notified by OAC through their Nova account.
If you receive a grant you must submit a final report in Nova upon completion of the project. See Terms and Conditions — receipt of OAC project grant funds for more information on reporting obligations.
For full application details and to register for a NOVA account please visit the Ontario Arts Council website here.