Canadian Theatre Training Summit
On March 27, World Theatre Day, the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) and the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology / Institut canadien des technologies scénographiques (CITT/ICTS) hosted a national conversation, bringing together education and arts leaders from across the country, to address the current state of theatre training in Canada.
The Summit welcomed more than 40 participants representing a broad cross-section of institutions and organizations from across the country. Discussions focused on key shared challenges, including recruitment, program restructuring/merging, financial sustainability, and sector wide advocacy/messaging. There was broad consensus that the industry is currently facing a significant shortage of skilled arts workers- particularly in the areas of technical production and stage management. Participants noted the need for stronger, collective advocacy to address these challenges, noting that if current conditions continue to be normalized, the impacts on the industry at large will be widely felt for years to come.
The Summit also underscored that arts education prepares students for a wide variety of career paths, opportunities that are not always clearly communicated to parents and prospective students. Participants agreed that improving awareness of these pathways will not only support students’ career planning but also strengthen recruitment into arts programs, helping to sustain the Canadian theatre sector for the future.
“An industry is only as strong as its people. This conversation underscores the urgency of the challenges facing theatre training and why we must keep the dialogue and advocacy going to ensure a robust, resilient, and responsive talent pipeline,” said Brad Lepp, Executive Director of PACT.
Led by facilitator Jeanne LeSage, participants explored potential solutions and pathways forward, with a focus on sustaining programs, strengthening internal and external advocacy efforts for arts education, and engagement strategies that begin earlier in high school. There was a commitment from participants to continue to have open and positive dialogue and to work together to advance opportunities around recruitment and advocacy.
“By coming together today, we strengthened our collective ability to identify solutions and to advocate for the future of arts education, both for today, and for our industry needs in the future. This marks an important first step forward,” said Jacquie Lazar, Executive Director of CITT/ICTS.
Both organizations are committed to continuing this dialogue and advancing actionable strategies that support the long-term viability of theatre education and training across Canada.
About PACT:
PACT is the collective voice of professional Canadian theatres, a leader in the performing arts community, and a devoted advocate of the value of live performance. PACT represents over 170 professional English-speaking theatre companies operating in communities across the country, ranging from the largest performing arts organizations in Canada, to smaller theatre companies that serve their audiences in a wide variety of communities; from rural to urban, commercial to independent, theatre for young audiences, culturally specific companies, and everything else in between.
Website - www.pact.ca
About CITT/ICTS:
The Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology / Institut canadien des technologies scénographiques (CITT/ICTS) is a national arts service organization that promotes the professional development of its members and the betterment of the Canadian live performance community.
Website - www.citt.org