OFFTA 2027 – Call for proposals
LA SERRE is launching a call for projects to discover the projects that will be supported and presented at the 21st edition of OFFTA.
The OFFTA is a festival dedicated to emerging, experimental creation in live arts. Created alongside the Festival TransAmériques (FTA), it showcases creators whose committed, singular approaches explore new artistic trends. The OFFTA aims to decategorize contemporary artistic practices and their respective audiences. It presents and produces events that both challenge established norms and question modes of representation, fostering cooperation and coming-together. It enables artists to share performances that shift spectators’ perspectives and open up new artistic spaces. It presents and produces events that shake up established conventions and question modes of representation, by encouraging encounters and cooperation.
PRESENTATION
The selected projects will be presented at OFFTA 2027. The 21st edition of the festival is planned to take place between May 26 and June 10, 2027.
Selected projects are presented for an average of two or three performances. For the 2027 edition, and subject to change, fees per performance would range from $500 to $1,400.
SUPPORT
LA SERRE places particular importance on providing support throughout the year preceding the presentation of projects. Between August 2026 and August 2027, the support offered will focus on three areas:
- SPACE: Projects are welcomed for two weeks residencies in our big studio. Each residency week is supported by a $500 stipend. In addition, artists are entitled to 200 hours in the small studio and free access to co-working spaces and the writing room throughout the year.
- SHARINGS: In place of dramaturgical development activities, artists will be invited to propose nourishing moments of practice-sharing among themselves. The forms these Sharings may take are multiple, and the artists offering them will be remunerated. Project leaders are expected to propose one activity and to participate in the majority of the other artists’ proposals. The fifteen or so planned Sharings will be grouped into four or five days of collective exchange.
- STRUCTURAL SUPPORT: This support will focus on administrative and production aspects of the projects and will include workshop and co-working days, as well as individual guidance from the LA SERRE team (at least 5 hours per project).
The supported projects are also considered for all opportunities that arise around LA SERRE, including local and international residency exchanges.
*The proposed residencies and activities will be held in collaboration with the projects supported through the Radial Residencies program and YOU ARE HERE. In addition to the projects selected from this call, OFFTA 2027 will present projects curated by LA SERRE and its partners.
CALL AND PROCESS
We welcome proposals of diverse forms: in all languages, unconventional projects that defy norms, Premieres, remounts, indoor or outdoor, site-specific performances, remote or online performances, conferences, and more.
The OFFTA call is open to projects expected to be completed by spring 2027. These works will be presented as complete, in optimal conditions for them to shine within the festival.
The project selection process will be carried out by a committee, formed by Claudel Doucet, Artistic Director of LA SERRE. The committee will be looking for:
- Creative approaches and methods that stand out for their uniqueness, the quality of their foundations, and the relevance of their planned creative processes;
- Interdisciplinary exploration;
- Proposals by emerging artists or proposals in emerging and/or experimental disciplinary fields or aesthetic;
- The alignment between the resources offered by LA SERRE and OFFTA and the needs of the project;
- Works that enable the creation of an exciting and coherent program for OFFTA;
- The use of collaborative methodologies and respectful protocols;
- The interest and availability of artists to get involved in the dramaturgical and structural development activities offered by LA SERRE;
- The relevance and commitment of artistic practices within communities or in response to contemporary realities;
- A diversity of artistic forms, realities, and cultures represented.
ELIGIBILITY, HOSPITALITY & ACCESSIBILITY
This call is open to Canadian projects only. However, please note that travel and accommodation expenses to Mooniyang/Montreal/Tio’tia:ke are not covered by the program.
OFFTA expresses its commitment to historically underrepresented voices and marginalized identities. We are determined to promote an inclusive selection process. If you encounter accessibility obstacles when submitting your application, do not hesitate to seek assistance from LA SERRE, which will be available to support you.
To explain in greater detail the various support programs offered by LA SERRE, we’re holding a webinar in English on Tuesday April 7, 2026 at 5:30 PM.
Join us by clicking here!
Proposal submission deadline: May 3rd, 2026, 11:59PM
Responses: end of June 2026
Start of support: August 2026
Presentation: between May 26 and June 10, 2027
Submit your project via the online form.
For questions, contact Éva Patenaude; epatenaude@laserre.ca
*You may be asked to meet or provide additional information during the selection process.
Radial Residencies 26.27 – Annual Call
LA SERRE launches its annual call of Radial Residencies for the 26-27 season.
For an entire year, artists or collectives will benefit from multifaceted support, rooted in a supportive research and creation space that favors experimentation, free from any expectation of production.
SUPPORT
This program is specifically aimed at supporting projects. Between August 2026 and August 2027, the support offered will focus on three areas:
- SPACE: Projects are welcomed for two weeks residencies in our big studio. Each residency week is supported by a $500 stipend. In addition, artists are entitled to 200 hours in the small studio and free access to co-working spaces and the writing room throughout the year.
- SHARINGS: In place of dramaturgical development activities, artists will be invited to propose nourishing moments of practice-sharing among themselves. The forms these Sharings may take are multiple, and the artists offering them will be remunerated. Project leaders are expected to propose one activity and to participate in the majority of the other artists’ proposals. The fifteen or so planned Sharings will be grouped into four or five days of collective exchange.
- STRUCTURAL SUPPORT: This support will focus on administrative and production aspects of the projects and will include workshop and co-working days, as well as individual guidance from the LA SERRE team (at least 5 hours per project).
The supported projects are also considered for all opportunities that arise around LA SERRE, including local and international residency exchanges.
*The proposed residencies and activities will be held in collaboration with the projects supported through the OFFTA and YOU ARE HERE.
CALL & PROCESS
We welcome proposals in various forms of performing arts. We are enthusiastic about supporting atypical projects that do not conform to norms, either in form or content. We are equally inclined to receive proposals for fundamental research projects from practitioners who are developing a performance project or who are simply interested in developing their practices more broadly within the setting of LA SERRE.
The project selection process will be carried out by a committee, formed by Claudel Doucet, Artistic Director of LA SERRE. The committee will be looking for:
- Creative approaches and methods that stand out for their uniqueness, the quality of their foundations, and the relevance of their planned creative processes;
- Interdisciplinary exploration;
- Proposals by emerging artists or proposals in emerging and/or experimental disciplinary fields or aesthetic;
- The alignment between the resources offered by LA SERRE and the needs of the project;
- The use of collaborative methodologies and respectful protocols;
- The interest and availability of artists to get involved in the dramaturgical and structural development activities offered by LA SERRE;
- The relevance and commitment of artistic practices within communities or in response to contemporary realities;
- A diversity of artistic forms, realities, and cultures represented.
ELIGIBILITY, HOSPITALITY & ACCESSIBILITY
This call is open to Canadian projects only. However, please note that travel and accommodation expenses to Mooniyang/Montreal/Tio’tia:ke are not covered by the program.
LA SERRE expresses its commitment to historically underrepresented voices and marginalized identities. We are determined to promote an inclusive selection process. If you encounter accessibility obstacles when submitting your application, do not hesitate to seek assistance from LA SERRE, which will be available to support you.
To explain in greater detail the various support programs offered by LA SERRE, we’re holding a webinar in English on Tuesday April 7, 2026 at 5:30 PM.
Join us by clicking here!
Proposal submission deadline: May 3, 2026, 11:59 PM
Responses: end of June 2026
Start of support: August 2026
Submit your project via the Online Form
For questions, contact Éva Patenaude; epatenaude@laserre.ca
*You may be asked to meet or provide additional information during the selection process.
YOU ARE HERE 2026 – Call for proposals
In collaboration with Théâtre Aux Écuries, VOUS ÊTES ICI / YOU ARE HERE is an intensive, multidisciplinary creation residency offered to recent graduates of various performing arts programs in the city. This initiative brings together French- and English-speaking creators in dance, theater, performance, and circus arts, thereby fostering artistic exchange and exploration. It provides an opportunity for early-career artists to develop a creative project, culminating in public presentations. VOUS ÊTES ICI allows for experimentation and sharing around the artists’ creative approaches. It is both a meeting place and a vivarium for the artistic voices of the next generation.
Program Overview
Organized by LA SERRE – arts vivants, VOUS ÊTES ICI takes over the theater spaces for a week of intensive creation dedicated to exploring, reflecting on, and sharing artistic projects. The 12th edition will take place from October 25 to November 1, 2026. The LA SERRE team supports participants throughout the week, culminating in three performances on October 30, 31, and November 1, 2026. Audience members are invited to roam freely to discover 10-minute short-form pieces. Feedback sessions are organized to allow artistic teams to gather constructive feedback for the next stages of their creative process. Two preparation days will take place beforehand: the first on September 10, 2026, and the second on a date to be determined in October. Selected projects also have access to studio time at LA SERRE as well as structural and dramaturgical development activities throughout the 2026–2027 season.
In the spirit of openness, while the call is primarily aimed at graduating students from the spring 2026 class, the invitation is open to artists with equivalent alternative backgrounds, including those whose paths have not been academic.
Subscription Procedure and Eligibility Criteria
Using the application form, applicants describe their artistic approach and residency project (max. 500 words). A maximum of 8 projects will be selected to participate in the event. The selection committee consists of the artistic director of LA SERRE – arts vivants and former participants of VOUS ÊTES ICI. The committee will select projects based on their artistic quality and feasibility. It will strive to present a variety of artistic disciplines and ensure equity (in terms of ability, culture, and gender).
Eligibility Criteria
- Be a recent graduate of an art school in the metropolitan area or have an equivalent alternative background
- Be fully available from October 25 to November 1, 2026, plus 2 preparatory days (September 10, 2026, and a date to be determined)
- Complete the online form by June 11, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
Proposal submission deadline: June 11, 2026, 11:59 PM
Responses will be communicated in August 2026.
VOLUNTEERING OFFTA 2026
Each year, the OFFTA, a festival of the performing arts, could not take place without the team of dedicated volunteers who become part of the festival community and contribute to its renewed success.
We are currently looking for volunteers for the 20th edition of the festival, which will be from May 29 to June 7 2026. Being a volunteer at the OFFTA is an opportunity to see the shows in the program, to discover the backstage of the festival and to get actively involved in the performing arts local scene by joining a dynamic team.
To join our awesome team of volunteers, simply fill out this online form.
PAMSKODATEGW 2025-2026 – Call for proposals (CLOSED)
Online Form
Project description
This project offers a 12-month accompaniment for an indigenous artist in living arts, offering a braid of support: studio residencies, a creation grant, structural accompaniment and dramaturgical support. In addition, to broaden the scope of their voice and establish meaningful dialogues, the artist will attend and actively participate in the next two editions of OFFTA and FTA, including curating the 2026 edition of OFFTA. The artist or collective selected following this call for proposals will also be placed in dialogue with performer, choreographer and independent curator Ivanie Aubin-Malo for a one-week residency outside Montreal.
PAMSKODATEGW, it’s :
- A $4,000 creation GRANT, as well as various fees related to the residencies, and contribution for the OFFTA 2026 festival;
- Access to SPACES at LA SERRE, including a two-week residency in a large studio and a 400-hour residency in a small studio. You’ll also have ongoing access to a writing room, as well as our co-working spaces;
- Personalized structural and dramaturgical SUPPORT with LA SERRE and a mentorship with an artist of your choice. LA SERRE also invite you to participate in all the dramaturgical activities of the Résidences Radiales program’s cohort of resident artists, and in our thematic co-working days;
- A one-week RESIDENCY outside Montreal, guided by performer, choreographer and independent curator Ivanie Aubin-Malo ;
- NETWORKING opportunities as part of the 2025 and 2026 editions of the OFFTA and FTA festivals. The artist or collective will have free access to all OFFTA performances and activities, as well as to some shows and events of the FTA festival for the next two years;
- A COMMISSARIAT experience for the 2026 edition of the OFFTA festival. The artist or collective could, for example, take part in the programming committee, recommend satellite projects and activities, lead a conversation or collaborate on editorial reflection. Their precise role will be defined in the light of their practice and interests;
- A SHARING that could take the form of a public performance during the season or a presentation/activity as part of the OFFTA 2026 festival.
Read more about the call
Call process
Projects will be selected by a committee of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, thinkers and activists, convened by Claudel Doucet, Artistic Director of LA SERRE. They will give priority to projects that focus on :
- The match between the resources offered and the needs of the project, in particular the interest and availability of the artist or collective to become involved in dramaturgical activities, to take advantage of structural development activities and to benefit from offered residency opportunities ;
- A process offering transformative experiences, marking a significant advance in the practice of the artist or collective and its collaborators;
- Interdisciplinary exploration or singular approaches to writing;
- Use of collaborative methodologies and respectful dialogue protocols;
- Relevance and engagement of artistic practices within communities or with contemporary realities.
Projects can be submitted in various forms (written, voice recording or video). See the form provided.
Deadline for submissions: March 21st, 2025, 12:00 p.m
The decision will be announced at the beginning of April 2025.
If you have any questions about the project or the call, please send an e-mail to developpement@laserre.ca.
This program is made possible with the support of the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
Proposal submission deadline: March 21st 2025, 12:00 pm
Online Form
