What Makes a YES Project? (Performance Edition)
Theatre, Dance, Comedy, Drag, Immersive & More

1. Creative Idea

What’s your artistic vision?

• Theatre & Drama: Original plays, musicals, operas, monologues, devised theatre, experimental or site-specific works.

• Dance & Movement: Choreographed pieces, fusion styles, storytelling through movement.

• Comedy & Improv: Stand-up routines, sketch comedy, clowning, character work, comedic storytelling.

• Drag & Performance Art: Drag shows, lip-sync acts, character performance, political/cultural commentary.

• Immersive & Multidisciplinary: Site-specific shows, AR/VR integration, audience-driven stories, escape room-style events, using projection, tech. Blending performance styles. Experimentations in sound, lighting and other theatrical design elements.
  

2. Community Engagement

How does your project connect with others?

• Collaboration with Artists: Teaming up with dancers, musicians, actors, designers, or community members.

• Storytelling Through Performance: Sharing real stories, local history, or lived experiences through the stage.

• Workshops & Demos: Teaching your craft, hosting open rehearsals, leading warmups or performance labs.

• Community Co-Creation: Inviting others to contribute ideas, stories, or performance moments.

• Pop-ups & Public Events: Taking your show to the streets, parks, schools, or community centres.

• Celebrating Culture & Identity: Using performance to honour traditions, identities, or underrepresented voices.
  
  

3. YES Project

How can YES support your performance project?

• Covers costs (space rentals, costumes, equipment, collaborators).

• Helps create a final event (performance, showcase, recording, or immersive experience).

• Supports your growth as an artist, leader, and community connector.
  
  

Examples:

1. Street Stories: A Site-Specific Theatre Walk

Street Stories is a walking theatre experience where short plays are performed in outdoor community spaces, inspired by real local stories. The project gathers narratives from residents and turns them into scenes staged in parks, storefronts, and sidewalks. It invites the community to participate as writers, actors, and audience, transforming familiar places into live storytelling spaces.

2. Diaspora Dance Lab

Diaspora Dance Lab is a community dance project blending Afro-Caribbean traditional movement with contemporary street styles. Through collaborative workshops and jam sessions, participants co-create a final performance that celebrates rhythm, identity, and connection. The project invites dancers of all levels to share, learn, and move together.

3. Kitchen Table Comedy

Kitchen Table Comedy is an intimate storytelling and comedy night featuring real, funny, and heartfelt performances inspired by life around the kitchen table. It includes a series of workshops and open mics to support emerging comics and storytellers in crafting their voices. The project ends with a showcase that brings together community laughter and shared experience.

4. The Drag & Joy Project

The Drag & Joy Project is a performance series that celebrates queer joy through drag, movement, and personal storytelling. It includes skill-sharing workshops (makeup, costuming, stage presence) and space for 2SLGBTQ+ youth to express themselves and create original drag acts. The project culminates in a high-energy, inclusive showcase.

5. Echoes: A Sound & Movement Archive

Echoes is an immersive sound and movement piece built from interviews with immigrant and refugee families. Using original music, recorded stories, and choreographed movement, it explores themes of memory, language, and belonging. Participants co-create the piece and help bring their stories to life in a live performance installation.