APPLICATION FORM

Key Dates

Projects premiering between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2025 are welcome to apply.

Applications can be submitted between 19 May 2025 and 5 August 2025.

What You Win

Winners will receive:

An invitation to present yourself and your work at the MTNow x O. Festival Professionals Programme in May 2026

Exposure to international festival directors and curators

Opportunities for future performances or collaborations through partner festivals

Inclusion in a global archive of innovative music theatre practices

Who Can Apply

We welcome applications from all professional creators and producers of music theatre and opera, including:

Independent artists

Institutions

Festival commissions

Cross-disciplinary teams

We particularly encourage submissions from projects that:

Originate from non-Western traditions

Explore innovative formats, including digital, immersive, and hybrid works

Feature original scores and new theatrical languages

Challenge or expand the boundaries of music theatre

What’s Not Eligible

Reinterpretations or reworkings of existing operas, scores, or music theatre pieces

Works without a newly composed, original score

Productions that premiered before July 2023

Application Process

Register online
Use the title of your production as your username.

Confirm your account
Follow the confirmation link sent to your email.

Fill out the application
Provide all required details and upload relevant documents (e.g. libretto, score, credits).

Submit documentation
Upload a full video recording of the production (or in the case of digital or interactive works, provide adequate documentation). The video must be accessible until at least December 2025.

Pay the admin fee
Payments may be made via bank transfer or PayPal.

Accept the terms
Review and agree to the Terms & Conditions.

Final submission
Click “Send” to complete your application. A confirmation and summary PDF will be sent via email.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who can submit a production?
Anyone directly involved in the creation or production (composer, director, producer, writer, etc.) can submit, with consent from the full creative team.

2. Can I submit more than one work?
Yes, but each production must be submitted separately with its own account.

3. What types of work are eligible?
All original music theatre and opera productions, including those from outside Western traditions, hybrid or interdisciplinary works, and digital or site-specific experiences, are welcome.

4. Can I submit a reinterpretation of an existing opera?
No. The competition only accepts productions with original, newly composed music.

5. What about works for children?
Yes, productions aimed at young audiences are encouraged.

6. Are academic qualifications required?
Not at all. We welcome works from non-academic composers and creators.

7. What if my video documentation is hosted online?
That’s fine. Just ensure the link remains live and accessible until December 2025. Expiring links are not accepted.

8. Is a trailer enough?
No. A full-length recording of the work is required to fairly assess the production.

9. Can I enter multiple projects?
Yes, but you must register and submit each project through a separate account.

10. What if someone on my team is part of ITI or the jury?
If a juror is involved in a submission, they will recuse themselves from any related discussions or decisions.

Terms of Agreement

By applying, you confirm:

You have secured the consent of all relevant contributors.

All submitted information is accurate.

You grant MTNow permission to publish your name and project details if selected.

You agree for your submission to be archived as part of MTNow’s documentation of contemporary music theatre.

Application is only possible through this form. 

Projects premiering between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2025 are welcome to apply.

Applications can be submitted between 19 May 2025 and 5 August 2025.

More info → APPLICATION INFO 2025

Gabrielle Martin (Canada)
Gabrielle Martin is Artistic Director of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival in Vancouver. With a background in contemporary dance and dramaturgy, she curates interdisciplinary live art that prioritises embodied criticality, pluralism, and social urgency. Her career spans performance, festival management, and international jury service.

Bronwyn Lace (South Africa)
Bronwyn Lace is a visual and performance artist, and Company Director of The Centre for the Less Good Idea in Johannesburg, which she co-founded with William Kentridge. She is also co-founder of The ZoNE, a transdisciplinary collective based in Vienna. Her work explores intersections between art, science, and philosophy, often through collaborative practice.

Lemi Ponifasio (Samoa/New Zealand)
Lemi Ponifasio is a Samoan-born theatre director and choreographer, and the founder of MAU. Renowned for his radical approach to performance, he integrates indigenous knowledge systems and community engagement into works that challenge conventional theatre. His productions are presented at major festivals and cultural institutions worldwide.

Manuela Kerer (Italy/Germany)
Manuela Kerer is an Italian composer based in Innsbruck, recognised for her experimental music theatre and chamber compositions. Holding doctorates in psychology and law, her work often engages with neuropsychological themes. She is Co-Artistic Director of the Munich Biennale and lectures in music pedagogy in Bolzano.

Andrea Caruso Saturnino (Brazil)
Andrea Caruso Saturnino is General Director of Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, Brazil’s foremost opera house. With a background in acting and directing, she has led major international productions and co-founded Performas, a production house for contemporary performing arts. She holds a PhD in Performing Arts and serves as Vice President of Opera Latinoamérica.