Equity Lottery Program

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 who 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.

Equity Lottery Benefits

Each year, two Lottery spots are designated for equity-seeking Artists: 

• Local/National Equity Lottery Spot – Eligible Artists based anywhere in Canada can be entered into this Lottery. The recipient’s Lottery fees are waived. 
• Local Equity Lottery Spot – Eligible Artists based within 50km of Edmonton can be entered into this Lottery. The recipient’s Lottery fees are waived, and they also receive the Mowat Diversity Award. The Award includes the benefits listed above, as well as a $500 cash prize and mentorship support. Learn more about the eligibility and benefits of the Mowat Diversity Award here. 

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. 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 into the appropriate lottery category. 

Application Process

To apply, complete the Festival Lottery Application, including the Equity Lottery section of questions. Applications must be submitted via Eventotron by Monday, November 23, 2026 at 11:59pm ABT.  

The Lottery draw will take place on Monday, November 30, 2026. Applicants will receive a link to watch a livestream of the draw. All applicants will be notified of their results within 24 hours of the draw. 

If you need help submitting your application, or if you would prefer to submit your application over the phone or in-person, please contact us at programming@fringetheatre.ca or call 780-448-9000. We are happy to help you!