ON Criticism – The 2025/26 Theatre Critics Lab

Following the success of What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab, four southern Ontario theatres — the Grand Theatre (London), Talk is Free Theatre (Barrie), Tarragon Theatre (Toronto), and Theatre Aquarius (Hamilton) — are once again teaming up with Intermission Magazine to support the next wave of theatre critics.

About the Lab

Co-led by Intermission’s Karen Fricker and Liam Donovan, ON Criticism will bring together six Ontario-based writers — both emerging and experienced — to hone their skills in writing meaningful, diverse theatre criticism.

Running from October 2025 through March 2026, the Lab will feature:

• Two monthly Zoom sessions (guest speakers + writing workshops)
• A focus on four productions across the partner theatres’ seasons
• Hands-on mentorship and editing with Intermission’s team
• Published articles in Intermission Magazine to build your portfolio

Participants will also receive a $700 honorarium.

Deadline

Applications are open now and close at 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 15, 2025.