A Look Back at Recent InterMISSION Residencies

InterMISSION is the Fredericton Playhouse’s artist residency program, designed to give local performing artists the space, time, mentorship, and professional-grade facilities to explore, rehearse, experiment, and develop their craft during quiet periods in the theatre season. We're so happy to offer it to artists each year, and wanted to take a moment to look back at some recent recipients of the residency.

Sydney Hallett strikes a pose in the centre of a darkened stage.

First off, local dance artist Sydney Hallett used her InterMISSION residency to bring her feminist solo piece Not What You Wanted to the next level — blending movement, character work, and theatrical film. With support from our tech team, she explored lighting and projection, and collaborated with Strike Pictures’ Michael Mohan to film stage footage that’ll feature in the final performance. The residency gave her space, time, and pro tools to fully realize her bold artistic vision.

Three band members of Palmer smile and face the camera. On stage around them are various instruments and pieces of recording equipment.

Next up, Palmer. Indie chamber duo Pallmer used their InterMISSION residency to polish new material ahead of their spring tour — workshopping songs on stage, arranging fresh compositions, and recording demos to pitch for their next album. The Playhouse’s professional setting gave them the space and focus to level up their live show and creative output.

Five members of the band circle up and play music together. There are drums, guitars, and a keyboard.

Then came another fantastic local band: Chillteens. They used their InterMISSION residency as a focused creative retreat—writing, rehearsing, and filming performances from their 2024 album In Another Dream. With Playhouse lighting, tech, and time on stage, they captured new material and deepened their artistic connection.

A wide shot of the stage from the audience's perspectve. With a cool dark blue lighting, two dancers stand centre stage and caress each other.

Finally, Toronto’s award-winning dance/theatre company Rock Bottom Movement took over the Playhouse stage for a weeklong residency in September, developing their new full-length show Big Time Miss.

The residency brought 10 artists together, including local choreographers Sydney Hallett and Kelsey Bonvie, to dive deep into choreography, lighting, special effects, and dramaturgy. The team shared their process with the public through a free preview performance and talk-back, and offered a sold-out workshop in partnership with Solo Chicken Productions, STU, and Black Box Theatre.

We were so lucky to have these incredible artists make use of our space this year. With our call for new InterMISSION applications less than a month away, stay tuned for more info on how you or your group could secure a residency with us in the near future!