Innovative. Inclusive. International.

Over the last decade, the Citadel has developed and produced 22 World Premieres, 13 of which have been subsequently produced elsewhere, taking the name of the Citadel and Edmonton around the world. The emphasis of new Play Development at the Citadel is on innovative ideas, including large-vision projects, work that challenges the traditional actor-audience relationship, and dynamic collisions of different artistic mediums. We are actively commissioning projects that exist simultaneously in both digital and live spaces. We strive to be inclusive, reflecting the diversity of our communities and featuring a breadth of new stories, voices, and perspectives. Our vision is international. We are exploring partnerships and sharing across Canada and the globe while retaining an emphasis on Edmonton-based artists and stories – placing them in the international spotlight.

Our multi-faceted approach to the play-development process involves working with playwright/creators to catalyze their process and bring the component parts together. This includes:

COMMISSIONS

We seek out promising new voices and exciting established playwrights to engage in writing specifically intended for Edmonton audiences and the Citadel stages. Commissions can take the form of traditional plays or musicals, but may also lead into alternative arenas such as podcasts, “happenings” in spaces other than onstage, digital and live integration projects, and beyond.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COLLABORATIONS

We work to pair with artists and companies from across the globe, fostering exciting, genre-defying work – collisions of different art forms, including theatre, dance, film, podcast, circus, and music. These unique international collaborations bring new experiences to our audiences and bring Edmonton to the world.

WORKSHOPS & READINGS

The Citadel provides opportunities for theatre-makers to develop their projects with professional artists in a laboratory setting: text workshops to hear the work aloud; physical workshops to explore new ideas on their feet; and design workshops to delve into conceptual innovation. Our audience is engaged in the development process through workshop showcases – a vital step in which the public enables creators to discover the project anew through their response.

the labs

Our two Labs are places for theatrical experimentation and learning, bringing playwrights together over the course of the theatre season to work on large scale individual projects, and dramaturgs together to expand their knowledge and understanding of how they can support this kind of large scale work. Both focus on on creating and supporting innovative projects that speak to a wide audience and reflect a diverse approach.

The goal of the Accelerator program is to support these new works as they navigate their paths to World Premieres at the Citadel and elsewhere and to build capacity and skills in local writers and dramaturgs.

Collider is a new play development festival that celebrates and helps bring to life new stories and scripts for larger stages showcasing a mix of local artists and artists from across the country and beyond.