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Creative Career Catalyst Sessions - For Theatre Makers
Dream it!
Build it!
Share it!
Scroll down for more information on each program and to register
The Creative Career Catalyst series is a hands-on training program for adults (18+). It is designed for performing artists, theatre-makers, and creatively curious community members who want to deepen their theatre practice, develop original work, and/or build confidence in performance. You can take the full series for a step-by-step learning experience or sign up for individual sessions that interest you.
Sessions are led by working artists and industry professionals, emphasizing real-world experience over abstract ideas. The series prioritizes experiential training, creative community building, reciprocal learning, inclusivity, and representation,
This is more than a skills program—it’s a space to connect, question, and grow as a theatre practitioner right here on PEI. Participants leave not only with new tools, but with a stronger sense of their own artistic agency and a network of peers invested in each other’s success.
Phase 1: Dream it!
(September–December 2026)
Focuses on creative activation, mindset, and generating early material, offering three classes to help participants build confidence and artistic voice. Through audition technique, creative exploration, and professional preparation, artists will reconnect with performance instincts, develop original ideas, and gain practical tools to approach auditions and opportunities with clarity.
Phase 2: Build it!
(January–April 2027)
Centers on skill development and structured creation, offering two classes that deepen performance technique and support the development of original work. Participants will strengthen their craft through Meisner-based acting focused on authenticity and connection, while also engaging in creation workshops that amplify underrepresented voices, fostering bold storytelling and more inclusive, intentional artistic spaces.
Phase 3: Share it!
(April–May 2027)
Focuses on refining artistic voice and preparing work for public sharing. Participants deepen performance skills while exploring presence, relationship, and emotional stakes, alongside practical skills in producing theatre, including budgeting, scheduling, collaboration, and basic marketing. This phase bridges creative development with performance readiness and real-world execution.
We recognize that some course fees may be a barrier for some participants. If cost would affect your ability to attend, please reach out to Jay at jwhitehead@theguildpei.com.
Musical Theatre Audition Essentials
A two-night intensive focused on performance authenticity, storytelling, and instinct-based singing. Participants reconnect with presence, voice, and risk-taking in performance.
Instructors:
Kathy Zaborsky is a theatre artist and musician living in southern Alberta. She is a Musical Director, Arranger, and sound designer with credits including: Goblin Market (Equity Showcase Theatre Toronto-Dora Nomination) Antigone (One Little Goat Theatre, Toronto) 333, Castrati: An Electrodrag Opera, Where The Two Spirit Lives (Theatre Outré).
Jay Whitehead is theatre artist and educator based in Charlottetown. He holds an MFA in Acting from York University and is the co-founder and former artistic director of Theatre Outré. He has taught theatre at the University of Lethbridge and at Mount Allison University and has performed and collaborated with companies across Canada and abroad.
September 6 & 9
6:30 - 9:30pm
Fee: $120+HST
Start Anywhere: Beginning the Creative Process
A one-night session to kickstart the creative process with an emphasis on generating original material for the stage. Participants will learn practical and experiential ways they can take what’s in their heads (and even discover what they don’t know is in their heads) and begin the process of making them tangible for the stage.
Instructor: Benton Hartley is a PEI -based playwright, actor, producer, director, and improviser who attended and graduated from George Brown Theatre School and has been self-producing through his company Desert Island Theatre ever since. He has also been featured at the Victoria Playhouse in Victoria by the Sea, and at the Watermark Theatre in North Rustico.
October 26, 2026
6:00 - 9:00 pm
Fee: $60+HST
Audition Ready: Preparation and Presence
Learn how to prepare and present yourself professionally, including selecting and refining audition material, building a strong headshot and resume, and understanding how to approach the audition room. The session also covers how to find and access audition opportunities, from local calls to self-submissions.
Instructor: Jay Whitehead is theatre artist and educator based in Charlottetown. He holds an MFA in Acting from York University and is the co-founder and former artistic director of Theatre Outré. He has taught theatre at the University of Lethbridge and at Mount Allison University and has performed and collaborated with companies across Canada and abroad.
November 18, 25 & December 2
6:30 - 9:30
Fee: $180+HST
Authentic Acting (Meisner) Essentials
A four-session introduction to Meisner-based acting, focusing on presence, responsiveness, and truthful performance. These tools support participants in creating work that is grounded, dynamic, and connected.
Instructor: Jay Whitehead is theatre artist and educator based in Charlottetown. He holds an MFA in Acting from York University and is the co-founder and former artistic director of Theatre Outré. He has taught theatre at the University of Lethbridge and at Mount Allison University and has performed and collaborated with companies across Canada and abroad.
January 10, 17, 24 & 31
6:30 - 9:30
Fee: $240+HST
Challenging the Status Quo: Centering Marginalized Voices
A focused creation workshop centering artists whose voices are often excluded from mainstream spaces. It is designed to support bold, personal storytelling from artists with lived experience of marginalization. Participants will develop work that challenges dominant narratives and reflects their own perspectives and realities.
To foster safer, more intentional creative environments, the workshop is offered in two dedicated streams.
Two sessions for BIPOC artists (March 22 & 29)
Two sessions for artists living with disabilities, including those who are neurodivergent (April 5 & 12)
We recognize that identity is intersectional, and that many artists may identify with more than one of the communities these sessions are intended to support. Artists who self-identify as both BIPOC and as having a disability are welcome to attend both sessions. We are committed to creating inclusive, accessible, and affirming spaces that honour the full diversity of participants’ lived experiences.
NEURODIVERGENT AND ARTISTS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES
This creation workshop for neurodiverse and/or disabled creators will focus on how we can support one another in bringing our stories to the stage. Topics explored include: the basics of writing narrative and character development; how to get out of our own creative way through fun improv exercises; how to combat perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and fear, and the importance of self-care and staying true to your unique perspectives. The workshop includes the option for collaborative and/or solo creation and, during the final class, performance with fellow participants.
Instructor: Jay Gallant is a disabled, autistic, and trans theatre maker known for using absurd dark humour to explore marginalized experiences. Previously produced works include: What’s Eating You? And Bless You. He is currently working on a screenplay that explores queerness and religious oppression.
March 22 & 29
6:30 - 9:30
Fee: $120+HST
BIPOC ARTISTS
Where Body Becomes Archive and Story Becomes Resistance
Facilitated by Reequal Smith, this embodied creation lab for BIPOC theatre artists blends movement, storytelling, and devised theatre practices rooted in Afro-diasporic traditions. Participants will explore identity, memory, and resistance while challenging dominant narratives and reimagining theatre through culturally grounded, collaborative creation.
Instructor: Reequal Smith
April 5 & 12
6:30 - 9:30
Fee: $120+HST
Authentic Acting II
(Meisner in Practice)
A performance-focused course applying acting techniques to scenes and original work. Participants deepen their ability to sustain presence, build relationships, and elevate stakes in preparation for sharing their work publicly.
Instructor: Jay Whitehead is theatre artist and educator based in Charlottetown. He holds an MFA in Acting from York University and is the co-founder and former artistic director of Theatre Outré. He has taught theatre at the University of Lethbridge and at Mount Allison University and has performed and collaborated with companies across Canada and abroad.
April 25, May 2, 9, & 16
6:30 - 9:30
Fee: $240+HST
Making it a Reality:
Self-Producing for the Stage
This session breaks down the logistics of producing theatre, offering a clear overview of what it takes to get a project on its feet. Participants will explore key producing responsibilities, including budgeting, scheduling, venue considerations, and basic marketing and outreach. The seminar also introduces the roles and functions of common collaborators—director, stage manager, designers, performers, and producers—clarifying how each contributes to the process and how to build a team that supports the work.
Instructor: Grace Kimpinski is a passionate arts leader, producer, and stage manager who champions inclusive, transformative performance. Based in Charlottetown, PEI, she leads the Island Fringe Festival, supports equity work nationally, and brings over a decade of experience creating bold, community-rooted performances. She mentors artists and manages productions with care.
May 30
6:30 - 9:30
Fee: $60+HST