CALL FOR SUBMISSION: Tremors 2023

Submissions due September 11th, 2022

For more information, or to apply, contact: jiv@rumble.org

 

Call for Submissions: TREMORS Festival 2023

 

Key Dates (Subject to change | Confirmation upon programming offer)
Shared Residency period (optional): May 8th – 19th, 2023
Tech period: May 20th – 24th
Performance Dates: May 24th – May 27th
Festival Location: Progress Lab 1422, Vancouver, BC, CAN (Unceded MST)

 

Call Details

 

We are seeking 25 – 30 minute presentations to program in Tremors 2023. Submissions are welcomed from individuals, collectives, and organizations.

While presentations are not expected to be “complete” they should in “performance mode.” Even if that performance mode is a bit rough. Another way of describing it is that work showcases at Tremors should be able to engage an audience. A staged reading at music stands, for example, is unlikely to be programmed. (But you can absolutely make a case for it.)
 

What we Provide:

  • A presentation fee ($3-6,000 CAN depending on scope)
  • Performance Space
  • Shared Residency Space (if desired/available)
  • Shared Festival Lighting Design
  • Venue Calling Stage Manager for tech and performances
  • Festival Marketing and Promotion
  • Archival of performance
  • Mentorship on Grant Writing and Long-Term Project Management for artists relatively new to producing their own work.
  • Additional support as requested within our capacity.

 What you Provide (if programmed:)

  • 2-4 showings of 25-30 minutes of performance
  • Relevant information on technical needs
  • Relevant information on project and company (performers, collaborators, etc) for marketing and promotional purposes
  • A prompt script or Cue Sheet for tech. (Templates can be provided)
  • An Open Studio visit (if desired) to discuss your work prior to the festival performance dates. (May also be to an invited audience)

Festival Details

 

What is TREMORS?

  • Tremors is Rumble’s biennial festival of live performance.
  • Tremors currently showcases “works-in-development” as well as complete projects no longer than 30 minutes.
  • Tremors is a shared platform between artists, and is envisioned to take the form of an “art party meets night market.”
  • Tremors 2023 will offer two stages (“Semi-public” & “Semi-Private”)* which will run simultaneously throughout the night.

When is TREMORS?

  • Tremors will take place in Vancouver (Unceded Coast Salish Territories, MST) between May 24-27th , 2023.
  • In addition to these performance dates, all artists and relevant company members must be available May 20th – 24th for the technical period. (Special exceptions can be made for artists travelling from out of town.)
  • Artists and collectives programmed in Tremors 2023 will also have access to shared residency space from May 8th -19th leading up to their showcase at the festival
  • Please note: Dates are currently subject to change and will be confirmed along with programming offers for selected participants. (If dates change, entire schedule to likely take place one week earlier than noted in this call for submissions).

*Description of Semi-Public & Semi-Private Spaces

Semi Public “Cab Stage”

  • This is a small space that opens into a covered parking lot.
  • Work is also viewable/can be heard by passers-by.
  • The geographic location is a mostly residential neighbourhood just off commercial drive.
  • Better suited to acoustic performance.
  • Limited lighting control (semi-outdoor)
  • Not the best place for excerpting your electric prog-rock epic
  • Well suited to presentational forms (storytelling, stand-up, monologue, theatrical forms relying on audience bio-feedback)
  • Well suited for small cast (1-3) projects

Semi Private “Studio”

  • This is a larger black box creation space.
  • Venue is located indoors.
  • Work is only viewable festival attendees.
  • Well suited to work that requires control of lighting.
  • Well suited to projects that need to get loud.
  • Well suited to projects that require silence.
  • Better suited to larger cast projects (3+)
  • Better suited to your electric prog-rock epic

 

Required Submission Materials

 

Section A: Project Proposal – 2 pages max (PDF)

a) Artist Intro
Tell us about your current artistic practice. What you’ve been working on lately, what your current artistic questions are, anything about yourself and your work that you would like to introduce, particularly if it helps to understand your project.

b) Project Description
Please describe your project, including what stage of development it is at. (IE how far along are you to realizing it, what have you done so far, etc.)

Things that might be useful:

        • How long have you been working on this project?
        • What keeps you excited about it?
        • Do you find yourself stuck on something about it?
        • Why do you think Tremors would be a good place for your project at this time?
        • How could you benefit from your piece being presented in dialogue with other artistic peers?
        • How could a 25-30 minute development presentation catalyze your exploration?

Section B: Supplementary Info

  • Submit a short bio for each confirmed participant (125 approx words)
  • If you predict other team members, but those roles are unconfirmed, please note them as well. (ex. + 2 Actors + 1 Musician)
  • Are you interested in a specific space (Semi-Public Cabaret / Semi-Private Studio) or are either spaces definitely not viable for what you’re pitching?
  • Could you make use of residency space in the weeks of May 8th – 19th ? If so, how much time would you be looking for, and what tech support might you need?

Section C:  Support Materials

Please submit any relevant support materials that you feel would help us better understand either your project, or you as an artist. This can include script excerpts (maximum of 10 pages), previous critical material or reviews, letters of support, and audio/video excerpts (up to 5 minutes long, submitted as digital links e.g. YouTube, Vimeo, Soundcloud, Spotify).

Submissions should be sent, via e-mail, to jiv@rumble.org by September 11th 2022, 11:59pm with Subject Line: TREMORS 23

 

FAQ

 

  • What if my project is longer than 25-30 minutes?
    • That’s ok! We encourage showing excepts, or other creative approaches to exploring your work.
  • Are you producing my show?
    • No! we are presenting your show or work-in-progress showing.
  • What does presenting mean?
    • Presenting is one form of arts showcase largely speaking. It means that we do not have creative control over your work, and that it’s not your responsibility to focus on anything else except the artistic piece.
    • So for example – front of house, box office, technicians, most marketing – anything to do with hosting the audience – is the presenters.
  • Wait, so who’s producing my show?
    • You are! (Or a producer you might hire/collaborate with)
  • What do I need to do to produce my show?
    • That depends on your show.
    • But generally it involves communicating with the presenters (Us), hiring artists onto the show, and providing a healthy workspace.
    • It may also involve grant writing depending on the scope of your show.
  • What do you mean by scope of my show?
    • Some projects are larger than others.
    • If a project requires 30 people, for example, this is a lot of people working.
  • How do I know if my show is of a scope where I should plan on writing grants/finding additional support.
    • Again, it does ultimately depend on the show and also how much you feel as a producer is a fair wage.
    • So for example, if your piece is already largely “finished” and you just want to try presenting it to the Tremors audience – you may not need more than a few days to rehearse and perform.
    • In which case, just the Tremors fee might be enough to make that happen ($3-6,000).

About Rumble

For nearly 30 years Rumble has operated as a chameleon in our local community, with a strong priority on sector development. Though our artistic vision has morphed along with our leadership since our inception, one of Rumble’s core aims has always been to respond to our ecology using our infrastructure to enhance, strengthen, and develop the independent theatre community in Metro Vancouver; located on the unceded and occupied territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

 

Rumble is currently stewarded by a decentralized leadership team: Jivesh Parasram (Artistic Director), Christie Watson (Managing Director) and Jarin Schexnider (Operations Manager). We are committed to activating cross-sectoral discussion, to collaborating, and to creating alternative models of presentation and production that support engagement opportunities for underrepresented communities in a larger national artistic dialogue.