Fringe On The Streets - Call For Artists 2026

Fringe On The Streets 2026

A placemaking performance promenade presented by Hamilton Fringe & The City of Hamilton. CALL FOR ARTISTIC PROPOSALS -- CLOSES MARCH 13th, 2026 at 11.59 ET.
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 performance opportunity happening during the 2026 Hamilton Fringe Festival!
About the Call

The Hamilton Fringe Festival is hosting this exciting performance and creation opportunity now in its THIRD 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 spaces and places in the heart of their city. Fringe On The Streets will be performed multiple times between July 15-26, 2026 during the Hamilton Fringe Festival.

Fringe On The Streets is a free, hop-on-hop-off promenade or “walking” tour where outdoor downtown locations are activated by up to five (5) live performances.

The cycle will be performed 1-2 times in one day on nine days between July 15 and July 26, 2026 (schedule to be confirmed).

We are seeking:

Up to five (5) companies, collectives or artists to present live outdoor pieces lasting no more than 10-15 minutes activating spaces along the downtown 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 poetry performance in the park

-A movement piece in a storefront along James St

-A choral music piece highlighting Hamilton’s significant music history

-An interactive visual installation inside the Hamilton Farmer’s Market

-A storytelling stroll from space to space

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, 2SLGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and disabled.

Fringe On The Streets provides pay, public engagement, and professional opportunities for Ontario artists. Companies selected for the presentations will be paid a presenting fee of $1,500.

Proposed pieces should activate a space downtown within pedestrian distance of The Fringe Hub (King William St between James & Hughson), along the highlighted corridors. The route includes spaces inside the Hamilton Farmers’ Market (see map). Some proposed spaces include the parkette at York & MacNab, the green space on the NE corner of James St. N & York—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 at 41 King William St., Suite 206, Hamilton (by appointment only).
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 this year’s Community Curators Circle here.

Dates

Technical rehearsal sometime between July 12, 2026 - July 15, 2026 (tbc)

(specific rehearsal dates will be decided in consultation with the selected applicants)

All performances take place between July 15, 2025 - July 26, 2026

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 11:59 PM ET, MARCH 13th, 2026!

Fringe On The Streets 2025

Artist Info & Project Description
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 13th, 2026 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 5 projects total. All applicants will be contacted regarding their status.
Primary Contact Name*
Pronouns of Primary Contact (if you'd like to share)
Email*
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Tell us about yourself and/or your collective—and your connection to Hamilton!
Alternative Audio Response: Tell us about yourself and/or your collective—and your connection to Hamilton!
Tell us about the project you’re proposing for Fringe On The Streets! Why do you want to do it? Where do you envision it occurring? How will it aid audiences in re-discovering, re-animating, and re-defining our public spaces?
Alternative Audio Response: Tell us about the project you’re proposing for Fringe On The Streets! Why do you want to do it? Where do you envision it occurring? How will it aid audiences in re-discovering, re-animating, and re-defining our public spaces?
How will the project impact and engage a diverse Hamiltonian audience?
Alternative Audio Response: How will the project impact and engage a diverse Hamiltonian audience?
What excites you about working in the arts in Hamilton?
Alternative Audio Response: What excites you about working in the arts in Hamilton?
We understand AI is a tool many folks are using in 2026 to support their administration work and artistry. It is a tool that has considerable environmental and social impacts. It is also a tool that many find ameliorates their workload. Did you use AI at any point in filling out this form? If yes, in what way?
Alternative Audio Response: We understand AI is a tool many folks are using in 2026 to support their administration work and artistry. It is a tool that has considerable environmental and social impacts. It is also a tool that many find ameliorates their workload. Did you use AI at any point in filling out this form? If yes, in what way?
Please attach support material that gives the jury a greater sense of your project. What does the work look, sound, and feel like (images, video, soundbites!)?

When preparing your support material please consider the accessibility needs of our jury. Consider using images with descriptive text, script treatments with images or illustrations, video with subtitles, and audio clips with written descriptions. Please keep the amount of your support material under 6 pages total and 5 minutes in length.
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Fringe On The Streets 2026

Fringe On The Streets 2025