Equity Lottery Program

We are committed to an ongoing effort to support an inclusive, accessible, and diverse theatre arts community.

Everyone must start somewhere, but not everyone has equal access to the opportunities and resources to do so. To address this, we use a Lottery system to award equity-seeking Artists support for their Festival show.

In this instance, equity-seeking refers to an Artist whose self-identifies as a voice that is traditionally underrepresented and under-resourced on theatre stages and in festival settings. For example, equity-seeking Artist may identify as but not limited to an Indigenous Artist, Artist of colour, queer Artist, disabled Artist, or neuro-divergent Artist.

Because fringing is for everyone, we encourage all Festival Artists to become pro-equity advocates. A pro-equity Artist is any Artist who is committed to removing barriers and holding space so all voices can join the conversation.

Equity Lottery Benefits

The Equity Lottery is given annually to one local and one local and/or national equity-seeking Artist who applies to participate in the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. The Equity Lottery recipient will receive:

in-kind support including one lottery venue spot, technicians, lighting, sound equipment, box office support, marketing, public relations and advertising in support of their show; and
reimbursement of the Festival application fee in full.

Unsuccessful applicants will be placed in the general Festival Lottery in accordance with their designation as a local or national artist, providing them an additional chance to secure a Lottery spot – further elevating the scope and inclusivity of the theatre arts represented.

Two Lottery spots are designated for equity-seeking artists:

Local Equity Lottery Spot – Eligible local Artists are entered into this Lottery. The successful Artist will also receive the Mowat Diversity Award. The Award includes the benefits listed above, as well as a $500 cash prize, and mentorship support. Artists who are unsuccessful will be entered into the draw for the national equity Lottery spot and the general Festival Lottery, providing them two additional opportunities to be drawn. Including in-kind contributions, the value of this award is $10,000. Learn more about the eligibility and benefits of the Mowat Diversity Award here.
National Equity Lottery Spot – Eligible national Artists are entered into this Lottery. The recipient will receive the benefits listed above.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants must be:

An indoor theatre Artist;
the lead Artist of the project who self-identifies as equity-seeking (equity-seeking may not be extended to the subject matter of the work or additional Artists contracted to support the creation and production of the work);
18 years of age or older;
a local resident (living in or within 50km of Edmonton) or national (living in Canada) for at least one year prior to the application deadline;
a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or have a valid work permit; and
available to participate in the upcoming Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, including any necessary technical rehearsal time in advance of the Festival.

Evaluation

Applicants are self-selecting and will automatically be entered into a lottery draw for the Equity Lottery. Please note, all applications will be vetted by committee to ensure adherence to the eligibility guidelines above. Any applications that do not meet the award eligibility will be removed from the Equity lottery and placed in to the appropriate lottery category.

Application Deadline

Applications for this award are currently closed. The deadline to apply for the Equity Lottery was November 18, 2024.

Application Process

If you need help submitting your application, or if you would prefer to submit your application over the phone or on paper, please contact Victoria at victoria.dejong@fringetheatre.ca or call 780-448-9000 ext. 8934. We are happy to help you!

To apply, complete the Festival Lottery Application, including the Equity Lottery section questions. Applications must be submitted and completed in full electronically via Eventotron. Applicants will be determined via Lottery. The successful recipient will be notified via email immediately following the Lottery draw

Artists who are not successful will be entered in the general Festival Lottery in accordance with their designation as a local or national Artist.

Equity Lottery Program