Programs + Initiatives

Hello: Performers Intake

Deadline to Apply: September 26, 4:00pm

Click for Performer Application

Timeline

Eligibility & Expectations

How do I apply?

I've been invited to participate! What's next?

FAQs

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Timeline

Here are the important dates to remember:

September 26, 4:00pm - Deadline to apply
September 28 - Applicants receive notification of results
October 20 - Deadline for invited participants to submit materials

Eligibility & Expectations

Expand the accordion below to learn about whether you're eligible to apply, and what to expect if your application is approved and you are invited to participate.

How is Hello different from the Unified General Auditions (UGAs)?

While the UGAs functioned as general auditions for hiring companies in BC, Hello is a variation on our previous Designers' Spotlight program, focused on sharing introductions with hiring personnel. In addition to performers and designers, the program includes folks with experience in the areas of stage management, production management, and technical direction.

The goal of this program is to offer a platform for hiring personnel to get to know local theatre workers who are looking for employment, and to get a sense of who each individual is, both as a person and as an artist or arts worker.

Am I eligible to apply for the Hello program?

You must be based in British Columbia and seeking to be hired as a theatrical performer between now and December, 2024;
You have experience and/or training as a live theatre performer;
If invited to participate, you must be a current GVPTA Individual Member (sliding scale starting from $10) to confirm your spot in the program.
Performers who participated in the 2022 Unified General Auditions are eligible to apply for this intake.
Performers who participated in the April, 2023 Hello intake can opt to keep their existing Hello profiles active until February 28, 2024

Priority will be given to those performers who are:

An emerging theatre artist; and/or
Identify as being from an underrepresented community (This may include, but not limited to: First Nations, Inuit, or Métis peoples; racialized artists; person who has/is blind, low vision, limited mobility, neurodiverse, deaf, hearing loss; living with a disability; minority language communities; LGBTQ2+); and/or
New to British Columbia (moved to BC between 2020 and 2023); and/or
A mid-career or established theatre artist or arts worker looking to expand their work into a new facet of the industry.

What should I expect if my application is approved and I am invited to participate?

Performers invited to participate in Hello can expect the following:

Those whose applications have been approved and are invited to participate will be notified by September 28.
Invitees will submit a profile package containing a self-recorded video introduction, artist showcase, a headshot, and resumé. See "I've been invited to participate! What's next?" below for further details and guidelines.
All profiles will be available to watch by invited directors and company representatives over a three-month period.
Invitations for job interviews, auditions, or callbacks are at the sole discretion of each attending production company or director, all of whom will contact you using the information on your resumé. See FAQ for more details.
Please note: Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance to the program.

What companies have participated previously and accessed artists' materials?

Who might you expect to access your recording, resumé, and other materials? Applications to access the viewing platform are accepted from companies and independent directors on a rolling basis.

As an example, directors or hiring personnel from the following companies participated in Spring, 2023:

Arts Club Theatre Company

Axis Theatre Company

Blackout Art Society

Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre

Carousel Theatre for Young People

Delta Stageworks

Exact Resemblance

Gateway Theatre

Miracle Theatre

Neworld Theatre

Pacific Theatre

Pi Theatre

Presentation House Theatre

rice and beans theatre

Ruby Slippers Theatre

Savage Society

shameless hussy productions

The Dance Centre

United Players of Vancouver

vAct (Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre)

Zee Zee Theatre

Application requirements: How do I apply?

Please note: Submitting an application does not guarantee an invitation to participate.

1. General Details

Your full name, email, and phone number;
Your pronouns;
Your location in B.C.;
Which of the following you identify as:

Emerging theatre artist or worker; and/or
Mid-career or established theatre artist or worker (and why the program would benefit you now); and/or
New to British Columbia (moved to BC between 2020 and 2023).

Whether you participated or were invited to participate in either Hello or the UGAs in the past.

2. Headshot

One headshot in PDF or JPEG format (maximum 10MB);
File format must include your Full Name, Content of file, and PDF/JPEG format. (e.g. FirstName_LastName-Headshot.pdf);
Digital dimension equivalent to a 8 x 10” printed shot;
Please ensure the headshot looks like you.

3. Theatrical Resumé

One document, a maximum of two pages in PDF format (maximum 10MB);
File name must include your Full Name, Content of file, and PDF format. (e.g. FirstName_LastName-Resume.pdf);
Ensure your name and contact information are included;
Recommended: List your theatre credits at the top of the resumé;

Tip: Search "Sample Theatre Resume" online for some clear examples of formatting, typically a three-column format.

4. Professional Associations

Indicate whether you're a member of any other professional associations or unions.

Click for Performer Application

I’ve been invited to participate! What’s next?

Following the application review, performers who are selected to participate in the Hello program will be asked to submit a self-recorded video to be viewed by directors and hiring personnel.

Your recording will include a self introduction outlining your artistic practice and relevant skills as a performer, AND an artistic showcase of your choice (monologue, song, dance/movement piece, or other talent). The total video length should be three (3) to five (5) minutes. It may not exceed 5 minutes.

Each director will have access to watch your video and to download your headshot and resumé, in order to directly contact performers they wish to see for a specific callback at a later date.

Note: Callbacks are at the sole discretion of each attending production company or director, all of whom will contact you using the information on your resumé. See FAQ for more details.

If invited to participate, you must be a current GVPTA Individual Member (sliding scale starting from $10) to confirm your spot in the program.

Performer Profile Video Requirements

Performers will submit a video, three (3) to five (5) minutes in length.

Your single video file must include, in the following order:

Name and pronouns
Introduction: Tell viewers about your artistic practice, relevant skills, and interests as a performer.
Artistic showcase of your choice

It is up to you how you choose to divide your time, but the entire video must not exceed 5 minutes.

Video specifications:

All submission videos must be in .MOV or .MP4 format
Resolution: 720 p - 1080 p (HD)
Compressed files preferred (maximum 200 MB)
No camera movement
Filmed horizontally

Introduction Specifications

This is an opportunity for viewers to learn about who you are and what you care about as a performer. In the video please share the following:

Your artistic practice - Who are you as a person and performer? What are your values as a performer? What kind of work is your favourite?
Relevant Skills - Any relevant skills from your resumé you’d like to share?

Artist Showcase Specifications

Please select one (1) artistic showcase that you feel best represents who you are and your greatest strength as a theatrical performer. Showcase options include:

Theatrical monologue OR
Song (a capella or accompanied) OR
Dance/Movement piece OR
Any other talent that you feel will best represent who you are as a person and a performer

Frequently Asked Questions for Performers

Click the questions below to expand the accordion and read more.

1. How does the Hello program work?

Performers invited to participate in the Hello program will submit a video of up to 5 minutes in duration that includes an introduction and artist showcase. These videos, along with performers' resumés and headshots, will be accessible to participating directors for approximately three months.

2. How is this different from the UGAs?

While the UGAs functioned as general auditions for hiring companies in BC, the Hello program focuses on sharing performers’ introductions with hiring personnel.

3. How do I get invited to participate?

Review the eligibility criteria and fill out the application form linked at the top of this page by the deadline. Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee an invitation to participate in the program.

4. How do I become a GVPTA member?

If you are invited to participate in the Hello program you will be required to have a current GVPTA Individual Membership to confirm your spot.

If you are not a current member, invitees will be asked to complete a membership application form and pay an annual fee (sliding scale from $10). Find more information about becoming a member here.

5. Why are you not hosting Qualifiers this year?

In previous years, prior to the pandemic, we hosted Qualifiers for the Unified General Auditions in order to assess performers to be invited to participate. Because the Hello program is online and is no longer structured as an "audition," Qualifiers are not required.

Applying for the Hello program does not guarantee an invitation to participate.

6. If I'm accepted, how long can my profile video be?

The total video should be 3 to 5 minutes.

You can split the time between introduction and artistic showcase as you like, but the full video cannot exceed 5 minutes.

7. Does my artistic showcase need to be memorized?

Yes, in order to showcase yourself in the best light, any monologue or song shown in your artistic showcase should be memorized.

8. Will I get a callback from any of the directors?

Callbacks are at the discretion of each director and producing company, all of whom will be provided with your resumé to reach out to you directly.

GVPTA is not a producing organization, and will not hold any callback auditions or be a liaison for any of the participating companies.

9. Who will see my performer profile?

All GVPTA Member Companies are invited to view the video submissions. Independent directors and non-member companies are also invited to participate if they intend to hire or create work in the next year. Given the shift to digital profiles which can be viewed over the course of three months, we cannot guarantee the number of directors or which individuals from the companies will view your profile.

For our current list of GVPTA member companies, check our member directory.

10. Can I submit to multiple Hello program streams?

Yes. Those who work in multiple fields may submit up to two applications. If you choose, you may apply as a Performer and either as a Designer OR as an Arts Worker. A separate application is required for each program stream.

We encourage you to apply and, if invited to participate, discuss the full range of your artistic practices in your video(s). To be accepted through multiple two streams you must have an existing professional practice in both areas.

If you have space in your resumé (maximum of 2 pages), we suggest adding any other relevant work experience or skills you'd like to share with potential collaborators (e.g. stage management, technical directing, production management, event planning, etc).

11. I participated in the April, 2023 Hello Program. Can I create a new video and artistic profile?

No. Artists who took part in our last Hello program intake are welcome to keep their profiles active until February 28, 2024, or have them removed at the end of September. You can apply to create a new video in Spring, 2024.

12. What are some video and audio best practices and advice? Can I view an example?

General best practices for filming your video:

You’re welcome to film yourself with your phone, video recorder, or video camera;
Make sure you have front lighting so we can see your face;
Try your best to record in a quiet room or at a time with the least amount of background noise. Audio quality is key!
Do not use overlay filters or effects while filming your video;
Make sure you are framed in the shot and about 3/4s of you is visible (torso up), and camera is at eye level (not from above or below shots);
Avoid camera movement;
Do some research beforehand on your video settings. If you are new to self-taping check out the articles below:

Backstage has extensive articles on tips when filming (note that this is for a self-tape context for film and TV, please read articles as a reference; these are not requirements for our submission process): https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/guide-perfect-self-tape-1758/
Circle.hd breaks down video terminology when it comes to our requirements of video resolution and size: https://www.circlehd.com/blog/how-to-calculate-video-file-size

13. What technical support can the GVPTA offer for submissions?

If you have specific technical complications for your submission our team can try and help, although we have limited resources ourselves.

Specifically if you have trouble with your media files (video or audio) being attached to our online form, then feel free to use either WeTransfer or shareable Google Drive link and send that to Mishelle at mishelle@gvpta.ca.

Please let us know if you have any barriers or challenges as you prepare your materials.

Articles on alternatives for submitting video or audio files:

WeTrans fer is a free to use platform (although you can sign up to get more features) where folks can transfer files and prevent further compression (ie prevents file quality to be compromised). If you need a quick tutorial on how to use it, check out this video (made by JayCLife). Troubleshooting for WeTransfer can be found here on their Help page.
Google D rive Sharing is a way to use your Google Drive to share files (make sure to upload those files in your Drive first). If you need a quick tutorial on how to set up a shareable file via Google Drive, check out this video (made by LAT IT Trainer).