Announcement: The Emerging Arts Critics Programme 2019-2020 Season
Intermission is proud to announce our involvement in this year’s Emerging Arts Critics programme. The EAC is a programme that helps aspiring arts writers with developing the tools they need to authoritatively write and review ballet, classical music, opera, and now theatre. In an effort to provide these artists with a wider platform for their work to be featured, Intermission is partnering with Soulpepper Theatre Company and theatre critic Robert Cushman to mentor this season’s participants. Robert Cushman and our editorial team will be coaching the writers in a one-on-one editorial process through to publication, along with The WholeNote Publisher and Editor-in-Chief David Perlman with Digital Media Editor Sara Constant, and Opera Canada Editorial Director Gianmarco Segato.
As well as the Soulpepper productions, participants will have the chance to see performances by the National Ballet, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Canadian Opera Company over the 2019-2020 season. The reviews for Soulpepper Theatre Company will be published on Intermission throughout the season. Other publications involved include The Dance Current, The WholeNote, and Opera Canada. Participants will also be mentored while writing and will attend critical writing and research skills workshops hosted by the National Ballet, TSO, COC, and Soulpepper as a part of the program.
The National Ballet of Canada launched the Emerging Dance Critics initiative in 2014 which eventually expanded for the 2017-2018 season to include the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to become the Emerging Arts Critics. We’ve listed the full performance schedule below. For more information about the EAC initiative, schedules, publishers, or the companies listed, click here.
Applications from Toronto-based aspiring arts reviewers between the ages of 19 to 29 are now being accepted. Applicants should send an email to media@national.ballet.ca explaining why they would like to take part in the program, along with a non-academic writing sample. Applications will be accepted until September 6, 2019.
2019-2020 Performance Schedule
The following are the productions that will be reviewed by the participants over the course of the season:
Soulpepper Theatre Company, The Young Centre for Performing Arts
• A Streetcar Named Desire, September 29, 2019
• Almighty Voice and His Wife, October 17, 2019
The National Ballet of Canada, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
• Giselle, November 6, 2019
• Orpheus Alive & Chaconne, November 15, 2019
Canadian Opera Company, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
• The Barber of Seville, January 19, 2020
Soulpepper Theatre Company, The Young Centre for Performing Arts
• To be announced, January 30, 2020
Canadian Opera Company, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
• Hansel & Gretel, February 6, 2020
The National Ballet of Canada, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
• New Crystal Pite & Chroma & Marguerite and Armand, February 29, 2020
• Romeo and Juliet, March 11, 2020
Soulpepper Theatre Company, The Young Centre for Performing Arts
• To be announced, April 2, 2020
Canadian Opera Company, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
• Aida, April 18, 2020
• The Flying Dutchman, May 1, 2020
Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Roy Thomson Hall
• Angela Hewitt Returns, May 13, 2020
• Beethoven 5, May 22, 2020
• Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, June 4, 2020
• Davis Conducts & Plays Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony, June 17, 2020
Mariam Ahmed
Mariam is Associate Editor at Intermission. Mariam earned her Honours BA in English literature from York University and recently completed a Graduate Certificate program from Centennial College in Book and Magazine Publishing. When she's not busy reading books and plays, she takes pictures of books for her "Bookstagram", watches as many movies and shows as she can, and is a self-proclaimed Chocoholic.
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