DO ONE UNIFIED AUDITION FOR OVER 30 DIFFERENT POST-SECONDARY THEATRE & FILM SCHOOLS ACROSS CANADA & NORTH AMERICA.

The portal is open between November 27th 2023 to January 31st 2024 and anyone in grade 11 or 12 or taking a gap year is welcome to apply. Also students that have completed CÉGEP (Grade 13) in Quebec can apply.

Requirements: 

1. Only current grade 11 and 12 students & those taking a gap year may participate in this program. Also students who have completed CÉGEP (Grade 13) in Quebec can apply.
2. College and universities are seeking actors (straight acting and musical theatre) in the Performance Auditions and designers (all areas), stage managers, directors, marketers, playwrights, and future theatre educators in the Tech/Production Portfolio Presentations.  See details below for specific requirements. 

Application fee: $15 (payable in the secure registration site via Credit Card).   For those needing financial assistance, please email: [email protected]

Questions about the application?  Accommodations for Students with Specific Needs? 

• All students are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the Canadian Unified Post-Secondary Theatre & Film School Auditions. If you have questions or need special assistance or other accommodations to be successful, please contact the Program Director Dana Ebtekar – [email protected] 

Timeline:

• Online registration window: NOVEMBER 27th to JANUARY 31st 2024 
• College application and audition viewing window: FEBRUARY 1ST TO 14TH 2024
• Callback Invite Day: FEBRUARY 15TH 2024
• Callbacks, interviews, and next steps: Schedule on your own directly with the programs who call you back. 

Do’s and Don’ts for Self-filmed Video Submissions:
There are many tutorials and articles you can search for to help you create a strong video submission.  Here are some key do’s and don’ts: 

• Do perform in a well-lit space with a neutral background.  Test the lighting and sound! 
• Do check the frame so that all of your physical choices are captured, but you’re not so far away that your facial expressions are lost.  Above the knees is usually good, with your face near the top quarter of the frame. 
• Do not have fancy camera panning, zooming in and out, or editing.  This is distracting and unnecessary. Simply editing your video to start right before you introduce yourself and ending after you say ‘thank you” will do! 
• You don’t need to spend a fortune on equipment.  The reps are looking at YOU and what you can do.  That being said, researching tips for getting the best lighting and sound quality in your home setup will pay off. 
• Try to deal with any potential distractions (pets, doorbells, phone rings, people walking thru, etc.) 
•  Don’t perform directly into the lens.  Focus beyond it or on an unseen other character if performing. 

Performance Audition Video Requirements: 
Auditions must be solo presentations–other students may not perform with you.

You will begin your audition with only an introduction: name, school, title of selection(s), playwright/composer/lyricist. You are allowed a maximum of three minutes (not including the introduction) for your performance.  Colleges are budgeting their viewing time accordingly and may choose for themselves whether to reject applicants who ignore the time requirement. 

In the performance category you may perform for a max of 3 minutes of material. Either two contrasting monologue selections or a musical theatre song or one song and a monologue.  If doing two selections, please film the entire audition as one continuous video with a pause to transition between the pieces. 

Musical auditions must have accompaniment—a cappella singing will not be accepted.  Your accompanist may be live in the room with you during filming or you may sing along with a recording.  It is strongly advised that you arrange for a pianist to provide you with accompaniment–recorded or live.  Do not sing over a cast album. 

When choosing your performance piece, please avoid selections with dialects, accents, and any classical material unless you have been specifically trained in these areas.  Costumes, scenery, and hand props are not permitted. Dress neatly—it makes a good impression.

Tech/Production Portfolio Presentations Video Requirements: 
Your portfolio itself should be converted to a PDF document and could include production photos, links to videos, original documents, writing samples, drawings etc. The colleges will scroll through this on their own to get a closer look at your work.   

In addition to uploading your PDF portfolio, Tech/Production Portfolio applicants such as theatre technicians, designers, stage managers, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, theatre educators, marketers etc. will be allowed a maximum of four minutes to present their portfolios on video.  Colleges are budgeting their viewing time accordingly and may choose for themselves whether to reject applicants who ignore the time requirement.   

You will begin your presentation with an introduction: name, school, and intended area(s) of study or interest.   Dress neatly—it makes a good impression.   

The auditors would like to see YOU guiding them through your material and sharing any reflections or anecdotes not captured in the portfolio document itself.  Remember, you will also upload a PDF of your portfolio for them to scroll through on their own. 

The video is a chance to capture your energy and personality as a theatre artist and to highlight the most impactful parts of your work: 

• If your portfolio is an all-digital slide show, consider taping yourself in “presenter view” like you would on a Zoom call, where the document and cursor are visible as well as your face speaking. 
• If your portfolio has physical materials such as set design models or costume/hand prop construction samples, you may want to display those in the frame and give the camera a closer look. 
• Clips from actual performances that feature your technical work can be great supporting resources but are not required and may burn through your four minutes.  Including links in your PDF may be a better choice. 

About Callbacks: 
In addition to viewing your audition or portfolio presentation video, college/university representatives may call students back for interviews or to see more audition work.  Callback invitations will be emailed to students by the individual schools on FEBRUARY 15th 2024.  You likely will not connect with the college reps on this day; instead, follow the directions included in their email to arrange a future call or meeting with them. 

If you do not receive a callback to a school you are interested in, you are welcome to reach out to that school and ask for feedback and to make a personal connection.  Sometimes, when a school hears from an eager student who has taken the time to research their program, they may go back and reconsider that student.  The schools are never required to give you feedback or a follow up, but it never hurts to send a thank you note for the opportunity. 

Mailing representatives personal thank you cards or emails shortly after the event is recommended. 

BC – 12 school options
– Douglas College
– New Image College
– Vancouver Film School
– Vancouver Acting School
– SFU
– CapU
– VanArts
– UFV
– UVIC
– Vancouver Island University
– Thompson Rivers University
– Canadian College of Performing Arts

Alberta – 5 school options
– University of Alberta
– Rosebud School of the Arts
– University of Calgary
– Ambrose University
– Macewan University

Manitoba – 1 school option
– University of Winnipeg

Ontario – 6 school options
– York University
– University of Windsor
– Queens University
– Brock University
– Randolph College
– George Brown College

Quebec – 1 school option
– Concordia University

Atlantic Canada – 2 school options
– Dalhousie University
– Memorial University

USA – 8 school options
– AMDA (Hollywood & New York)
– Savannah College Art & Design
– New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts
– American Academy of Dramatic Arts
– Cornish College
– New York Film Academy
– The New School
– Pacific Lutheran University