{"id":121707,"date":"2026-02-12T13:56:54","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T18:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=121707"},"modified":"2026-02-12T13:58:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T18:58:43","slug":"feature-nts-dramafest-celebrates-80-years-province-wide-youth-theatre-festivals-culminating-north-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/02\/12\/feature-nts-dramafest-celebrates-80-years-province-wide-youth-theatre-festivals-culminating-north-york\/","title":{"rendered":"FEATURE | NTS DramaFest Celebrates 80 Years With Province-Wide Youth Theatre Festivals Culminating in North York"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"National
National Theatre Festival (Photo: Moonrider Productions – Mark Halliday)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NTS DramaFest is Ontario\u2019s largest youth theatre festival. It returns in 2026 with celebrations across the province that will come to a grand finale with the 2026 Ontario Provincial Showcase in North York.<\/p>\n

The initiative was founded in 1946, and marks a milestone this year with its 80th anniversary. The festival has been presented by the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS) since 2017, an organization which is also celebrating its 65th anniversary during the 2025\u201326 season.<\/p>\n

\"Niagara
Niagara District National Theatre School DramaFest 2024 (Photo courtesy of NTS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NTS DramaFest<\/h2>\n

\u201cFor 80 years, NTS DramaFest has been far more than a celebration of theatre,\u201d says Fanny Pag\u00e9<\/strong>, CEO of the National Theatre School of Canada, in a statement. \u201cIt has empowered generations of young people, championed collaboration, storytelling, and community, and inspired artistic citizenship across Canada. I am deeply proud of the students and educators whose work continues to shape NTS DramaFest, and whose impact reaches far beyond the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s designed to be a platform for encouraging empowerment through theatre among Canada\u2019s youth, and supports thousands of students each year in creating and presenting theatrical performances. Works are presented via district, zone, regional, and provincial showcases, and take place in high school hosts across the country.<\/p>\n

NTS DramaFest connects with more than 12,000 secondary school students and educators annually. Its mission is firmly founded in principles of accessibility and inclusion, and it encourages collaborative efforts, curiosity, and equity.<\/p>\n

\"National
National Theatre Festival (Photo: Moonrider Productions – Mark Halliday)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

DramaFest 2026<\/h3>\n

The fun begins with the NTS DramaFest District Festivals on February 17. A province-wide team of teachers, volunteers, artists, and community members support NTS DramaFest by organizing the 19 District Festivals each year.<\/p>\n

Next come the six Regional Festivals \u2014 North, East, South, West, Central, and Toronto \u2014 which typically run from three to six nights each. From each region, two exceptional productions are chosen to perform at the Ontario Provincial Showcase.<\/p>\n

The location of the Showcase changes each year. For 2026, it takes place in North York.<\/p>\n

Audiences get a chance to see the bright lights of Ontario\u2019s theatre next gen.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn its 80th year, the NTS DramaFest is proof that youth creativity is a key to nation-building. When students are given the space and support to tell their stories, they don\u2019t just make theatre. They make a community,\u201d says Richard Lee<\/strong>, Co-Director of NTS DramaFest.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s rooted in Ontario, NTS DramaFest also connects young artists across British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.<\/p>\n

\"National
National Theatre Festival (Photo: Moonrider Productions – Mark Halliday)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Original Work and Playwriting<\/h3>\n

Student and teacher playwrights are celebrated and supported through NTS DramaFest. Published anthologies, including Concrete Daisy and Other Plays, which was released to mark the organization\u2019s 45th anniversary, along with another volume for its 65th anniversary, and Festival Voices: Plays by Students and Teachers for the Sears Ontario Drama Festival, published by Playwrights Canada Press in 2010, commemorate their work.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we celebrate 80 years of NTS DramaFest, we\u2019re celebrating more than longevity \u2014 we\u2019re celebrating possibility,\u201d says Erika Kierulf<\/strong>, Co-Director of NTS DramaFest. \u201cThe festival continues to evolve because young people continue to challenge us with their creativity, perspectives, and questions. This isn\u2019t just high school theatre \u2014 it\u2019s young artists engaging seriously with the world around them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professional Adjudicators<\/h3>\n

Adjudicators for DramaFest come from Canada\u2019s professional theatre, film, and television communities. They have included people like Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Avatar: The Last Airbender, Kim\u2019s Convenience) adjudicating the East Toronto district, alongside artists such as Micah Jondel DeShazer (Durham) and Kaitlyn Riordan (York), among others.<\/p>\n

NTS DramaFest represents a crucial link between youth theatre and the professional stage.<\/p>\n

Supporting the Next Generation of Theatre Artists<\/h3>\n

Each year, NTS DramaFest awards:<\/p>\n