This is a new paid mentorship program piloting with Talk Is Free Theatre that is designed to help older adults of colour (55+) enter and join the professional theatre industry by pairing them with a professional actor mentor in their city.

We are inviting mentors and mentees to apply for this program.

Call for Mentees and Mentors (Paid Opportunity)

Mentee honorarium: $500
Mentor honorarium: $750

Program details:
• Paired with a professional theatre artist in your city
• Three in-person meet-ups (scheduled flexibly between March–June 2026)
• Five national industry Zoom sessions (March–June 2026)

Locations:
This program is open to participants in:
Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Halifax, St. John’s, Nanaimo, Victoria, Fredericton, Whitehorse, Greater Toronto Area, London, Hamilton, Kitchener, and Montreal.

Eligibility (Mentees):
• Self-identify as racialized (Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Colour)
• Be 55 years or older
• Have an interest in acting, with limited or no professional experience
• Be available for required Zoom sessions

Deadline to apply: Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Mentee application form:
https://forms.gle/ToNRJHJzBts7a5bVA

Mentor application form:
https://forms.gle/R63yHk9ViuPusYsw9

Eligibility (Mentors):

• At least 10+ years of professional theatre experience
• Interest in mentoring a new racialized actors aged 55+
• Open to mentors of all cultural backgrounds

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to:
[email protected]

This program is an initiative of Talk is Free Theatre, with support from Canada Council for the Arts. It builds upon work completed through Pure Research (Nightswimming Theatre) in partnership with Tarragon Theatre.