Theatre Nova Scotia is a provincial organization that serves individual theatre artists as well as organizations in the professional and community theatre realms. Our membership is diverse – from long-standing regional theatre to recent theatre school graduates and committed volunteer teams to high school students testing the waters at DramaFest.
Theatre Nova Scotia offers programs and services to support and highlight the vibrant and varied theatre activities throughout the province.
In brief, TNS offers scholarships, communications, admin support, runs a library, and provides access to professional development opportunities. We also run 3 major programs: the Nova Scotia High School DramaFest, PERFORM! artists-in-the schools program and the Robert Merritt Awards, celebrating the best in professional theatre of the past year.
As a membership based organization, we aim to support ideas and initiatives of our individual and company members.
Theatre Nova Scotia hopes to be a source of information for what’s on stage throughout Nova Scotia as well as offering profiles of our company members and our individual members. There is an incredible wealth of talent working in theatre in this province. The creative economy is an important resource within the province, creating jobs and economic impact in addition to creative output. Many of our members have worked and toured their productions across Canada and abroad.
Theatre Nova Scotia shares its office space with 7 other provinces organizations at the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia at 1113 Marginal Road.
As a registered charity, donations assist Theatre Nova Scotia in continuing and expanding its varied programs and support of the theatre industry in this province. We can also direct donations to specific projects and can assists member companies through the Theatre Partnership Program. All donations will be issued a charitable tax receipt. Click here for more information on donating directly to TNS.
Theatre Nova Scotia aims to be:
- A sounding board and facilitator for members’ interests, initiatives and issues, led by the Board of Directors and its committees.
- A resource for organizational and individual members through information gathering, sharing, communications, library, notices, and assistance.
- A platform for celebrating theatre through the Merritt Awards, Mayor’s Awards, Legacy and Volunteer Awards , TNS Scholarship and prizes.
- A leader in providing Nova Scotia youth with artistic experiences through the High School DramaFest and Perform!
- A liaison with funders, local, provincial and national arts organizations
- A source of theatre and members’ information to the general public.
- An advocate for the passions and concerns of the professional and community theatre sector.
