NTS DramaFest 80th Anniversary Celebrates Youth Theatre Across Ontario
Founded in 1946, NTS DramaFest has spent eight decades empowering young people through theatre, providing secondary school students with a platform to create, perform, and engage with professional artists. The festival now reaches more than 12,000 students and educators annually, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of youth arts education in the province.
The milestone year coincides with the 65th anniversary of the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS), which has presented NTS DramaFest since 2017, aligning the festival with one of Canada’s most influential theatre institutions.
“For 80 years, NTS DramaFest has been far more than a celebration of theatre,” said Fanny Pagé, CEO of the National Theatre School of Canada. “It has empowered generations of young people, championed collaboration, storytelling, and community, and inspired artistic citizenship across Canada.”
From Local Districts to the Provincial Stage
The 2026 season begins February 17, launching 19 District Festivals across Ontario. These events feed into six Regional Festivals—North, East, South, West, Central, and Toronto—each typically running three to six nights.
From every region, two productions are selected to advance to the Ontario Provincial Showcase, which rotates host locations annually. In 2026, the showcase will take place in North York, bringing together the province’s most compelling student theatre productions.
“In its 80th year, the NTS DramaFest is proof that youth creativity is a key to nation-building,” said Richard Lee, Co-Director of NTS DramaFest. “When students are given the space and support to tell their stories, they don’t just make theatre. They make a community.”
While rooted in Ontario, NTS DramaFest also connects youth theatre communities in British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, reinforcing its national reach and collaborative impact.
Championing Original Student Playwriting
Original work has long been central to NTS DramaFest’s mission. Over the decades, the festival has supported student and teacher playwrights through published anthologies, including Concrete Daisy and Other Plays (45th anniversary), a second volume marking the festival’s 65th anniversary, and Festival Voices, published by Playwrights Canada Press.
“As we celebrate 80 years of NTS DramaFest, we’re celebrating more than longevity—we’re celebrating possibility,” said Erika Kierulf, Co-Director of NTS DramaFest. “This isn’t just high school theatre—it’s young artists engaging seriously with the world around them.”
Professional Adjudicators from Stage and Screen
This anniversary year features an expanded roster of professional adjudicators drawn from theatre, film, and television. Among them is Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience, Avatar: The Last Airbender), who will adjudicate the East Toronto district. Additional adjudicators include Micah Jondel DeShazer (Durham) and Kaitlyn Riordan (York), alongside artists working across the province.
By pairing students with established professionals, NTS DramaFest continues to serve as a bridge between youth theatre and Canada’s professional performing arts sector.
Investing in the Next Generation
NTS DramaFest’s province-wide network of educators, volunteers, and artists supports 19 District Festivals annually, offering students professional feedback and recognition.
Each year, the festival awards:
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Four $3,000 Ken & Ann Watts Memorial Foundation Scholarships
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Up to four $1,500 bursaries for graduating students pursuing performing arts careers
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A $750 Playwriting Award bursary recognizing original student work
Since becoming part of the National Theatre School of Canada in 2017, NTS DramaFest has strengthened the continuum from high school theatre to professional training—helping nurture the voices shaping Canadian stages today and in the future.
About the National Theatre School of Canada
Founded in 1960, the National Theatre School of Canada is the country’s leading institution for professional theatre training in English and French. Celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2026, NTS continues to train actors, directors, playwrights, designers, and production specialists while offering community programs that make theatre accessible to all.
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