Who We Are
Fresh Meat is Ottawa's playground for theatre makers, giving local artists and collectives of all levels of experience a unique opportunity to test out new ideas in front of an audience. We exclusively present world premieres and seek out projects that are not only original and innovative, but that test the traditional boundaries of live performance. Past Fresh Meat participants have used the festival as a launch pad for theatrical works intersecting with a variety of genres, including dance, poetry, burlesque, clown, pantomime, performance art, standup, sketch comedy, storytelling, immersive experiences, and many more.
Founded in 2012, Fresh Meat has supported the creation of over 112 new works and paid out more than $115,000 to local creators. By giving artists a place to experiment, Fresh Meat plays a key role in the steady stream of exciting new work being created in Ottawa. Seedlings planted at Fresh Meat have grown into full length productions produced at venues and festivals across the country, including The National Arts Centre, Toronto’s SummerWorks, Winnipeg’s FemFest, Victoria’s Intrepid Theatre, Ottawa’s undercurrents Festival, national Fringe festivals, and more.
Mandate
Fresh Meat supports and showcases a diverse group of local artists each year by providing an accessible platform on which to create and perform new, innovative short works. The festival brings together local artists of all backgrounds, theatrical practices, and levels of emergence, and makes space for the lived experiences of all Canadians.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the land on which we operate is the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people. We encourage everyone in our community to learn more about the land on which you stand, the land on which you grew up, and the land to which you may travel throughout the nation we now call Canada, by visiting www.native-land.ca.
