INKubator: new voices & untold stories
Play development program seeks the storytellers of tomorrow
As Neptune continues on our mission to showcase theatre that represents the rich variety of our communities, we recognize that our region is full of stories that never make it across our desks or onto our stages. To address this, we have launched INKubator - a play development program geared toward new voices and stories.
This application-based program offers up to three year-long cycles of play development to selected projects. Neptune’s artistic leadership team, in partnership with PARC, will work with each individual artist to determine the needs of their project and the support we can provide.
Our goal is to help you take your idea from inception to a stage-ready script - one that we hope to see premiere on our own stage.
What does play development entail?
It depends on the project - and the writer!
Each development cycle might include some or all of the following:
- Ongoing in-house and/or outsourced dramaturgy
- Two or more stage-of-progress readings
- A weeklong workshop with actors
- Access to resources and opportunities like competitions, masterclasses, writing retreats, and more!
Is this opportunity for you?
INKubator is open to anyone without regard to previous playwriting experience. Whether you are an emerging playwright, a writer looking to branch into a different medium, or simply a passionate storyteller with a story you think could make a great play – this could be the support framework you need to bring it to fruition.
INKubator is designed for projects at early to very early stages of development, so there’s no need to have a full draft written before you apply. Your application will be assessed by the Artistic Leadership team on the merit of your idea and your unique creative voice. While we encourage submissions from artists of all genders, ethnicities, abilities and identities, priority consideration at this time will be given to those who self-identify as IBPOC, LGBTQ2S+, d/Deaf, and/or living with disabilities.
Applications are invited year-round with no deadline and accepted electronically through our online Submissions portal.
Please note: this program is not a residency and does not provide a stipend for the playwright; however, we will be happy to help artists investigate grant opportunities and provide them with admin support in applying. In the event that an INKubator script is programmed into a Neptune season, standard royalty agreements apply.
Applying to INKubator
Neptune Theatre’s artistic leadership will select up to three projects per calendar year to be developed in INKubator. To be considered for one of those slots, follow the link and submit your application through the online Submissions portal!
Your submission might include some or all of the following:
- A one-page detailing the proposed project – concept and/or synopsis
- A timeline for the proposed project
- A CV (if you have one)
- Writing samples of current or past work (max 10 pages)
- Support material - this could be ANYTHING you feel supports your creative vision!
INKubator, supported by 
In partnership with Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre
Participants
Deivan Steele is a theatre artist born and raised in K'jipuktuk (Halifax), now splitting his time between his hometown and Toronto. His work as an actor, director, writer, and musician has taken him to companies like Driftwood Theatre, Shakespeare in Action, Outside the March, Unwrap Theatre, Bad Hats, Shakespeare BASH'd, and Shakespeare by the Sea.
Palany is the working title of a new verbatim play (a work with a script that isn't "invented", but compiled entirely from interviews and existing documents) focused on bringing multiracial experiences to life. The play explores what it means to choose love over acceptance, to fight against being erased, and to be a product of revolution. Through interviews with people across the country, Steele takes a deep dive into lost histories, examines how we try to belong and how we're cast aside, and in the mess of the past, searches for his great-grandfather, Palany.
