Artists, dreamers, visionaries, activators and community creatives – WE NEED YOU! 

Do you have a love for creating and performing public art?

Do you have a strong relationship with the places and spaces in downtown Hamilton?

Do you want to contribute to the creative conversations within the arts community?

Then this opportunity is for you!

Be a part of this year’s Fringe On The Streets—an exciting multi-artist performance event happening during the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival!

About the Call

The Hamilton Fringe Festival is hosting this exciting performance and creation opportunity now in its second year. Exploring the intersection of re-discovering, re-defining, and re-animating the city, Fringe On The Streets seeks to reach local community audiences in entertainment and togetherness. This local and FREE (for audiences) program is in part a response to the historical and ongoing lack of accessible theatrical experiences for Hamilton artists and audiences alike. We are looking to support brilliant creatives with community-impacting performance-based projects (theatre, dance, storytelling, AR/VR experiences, music, etc.) that invigorate and invite audiences to outdoor and City-owned indoor spaces and places in the heart of their city. Fringe On The Streets will be performed multiple times between July 18-28, 2024 during the Hamilton Fringe Festival.

Fringe On The Streets is a free, hop-on-hop-off promenade or “walking” tour where outdoor and City-owned indoor spaces downtown locations are activated by three (3) live performances. As audiences travel along the route, there are also opportunities for up to three temporary (3) walk-through art experiences/installations along the way. 

The cycle will be performed 1-2 times in one day on nine days between July 18 and July 27, 2025 (schedule to be confirmed). 

We are seeking:

1. Three (3) companies, collectives or artists to present live pieces lasting no more than 15 minutes activating outdoor and City-owned indoor spaces along the downtown route indicated below.
2. Up to three (3) companies to create temporary art installations/experiences along the route intended for audiences to walk through or past as they travel the route.

Proposed projects do not have to be expressly created for this activation; if you have a piece or idea that has already been created or presented but feel it would be a good fit, we would love to hear it!

What are some examples of potential Fringe On The Streets projects?

• A mini-concert on the Tivoli lawn!
• A guided and interactive audio tour through the Farmers’ Market!
• A live music & dance party along York St.!
• An interactive installation inviting dreams of a vibrant future!
• A video installation in a shop window on James St.!
• A puppet piece exploring the industrialization of Hamilton, the Ambitious City!

We are especially interested in projects and artists which reflect the many diverse communities that make up Hamilton. We invite participation from artists from a variety of backgrounds. In particular, we encourage applications from those who are Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Trans, Non-Binary, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and disabled.

Fringe On The Streets provides pay, public engagement, and professional opportunities for Ontario artists. Fees are determined based on the specific needs of your project (ie. number of performers, production requirements, etc.).

Companies selected for the main 15-minute presentations will be paid a presenting fee between $1500 and $2500. Companies selected for art installations/experiences along the route will be paid a presenting fee between $500 and $750.

Proposed pieces should activate a space downtown within pedestrian distance of The Fringe Hub (King William St between James & Hughson), along the corridors highlighted in the image below. The route includes spaces inside the Hamilton Farmers’ Market (see map). Example spaces include storefronts along James St (with the audience outside), the green space on James St. N outside of the Tivoli Theatre—OR possibly another public space suggested by you! Proposed pieces for the main presentations must be less than 15 minutes long and feature very limited (or no) lighting/sound/video requirements.

If you have questions about whether or not your piece fits the criteria or have any access needs, please contact us by phone at 289-698-2234, email info@hftco.ca, or visit in-person by appointment at 41 King William St., Suite 206, Hamilton between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

 

About the Jury
All applications are reviewed by HFTco’s Community Curators Circle, made up of a new diverse group of local performance artists each season, who are committed to supporting and creating space for making connections within the Hamilton performing arts scene. Our purpose is to connect artists across the city, reclaim local spaces, and share our stories.

Meet the current Community Curators Circle here.

 

Dates
Technical rehearsal sometime between July 10, 2025 - July 17, 2025 (TBC) Specific rehearsal dates will be decided in consultation with the selected applicants.

All performances take place between July 18, 2025 - July 28, 2025.

 

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 11:59 PM ET, MARCH 31st, 2025!

Responses may be entered using text OR audio.

Use the Text Resizer buttons just below (labeled A- and A+) to enhance readability.

If you wish to save your progress at any point and complete the form at a later time, you can do so using the 'Save' button at the end of the form.

When you have completed the form, please use the 'Submit' button.

This form has been enhanced with additional ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite) attributes.

Please complete and submit this form by March 31st, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET.

Chosen applicants will be invited to the interview stage where there will be follow-up regarding the artist’s project, body of work, project requirements, and so forth. Fringe On The Streets will contract 3 to 6 projects total. All applicants will be contacted regarding their status.