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CANCOM Comedy Symposium

A series of hybrid events livestreamed from cities across Canada.

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This is a big win for Canadian comedy!

The success of the CANCOM Comedy Symposium is vital to establishing ongoing funding support for comedy artists for their future content creation and career advancement.

The Symposium features professional development workshops for Canadian live comedy performance workers. Hundreds of industry peers will attend in-person and online, to participate in a one-of-a-kind series of events hosted and facilitated by some of the top industry leaders in comedy.

Six 90-minute workshops, (and four follow-up workshops), will run from October 2022 to March 2023, one each in: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax. Each event features experienced comedians, live in-theatre and on-screen, facilitating discussions and workshops with comedy professionals both emerging and with international recognition. Workshop topics are comedian-inspired, and include Pay Culture, IP & Branding, Touring and Showcasing, Anti-Oppression & Anti-Competition and more.

The Objective

To provide long-term career networks and improve skills for comedians and comedy tech workers, with programming that will be made accessible to live comedy performance workers in all geographical regions and equity-deserving populations. 

The Symposium also strives to benefit all other industry stakeholders to advance Canada’s comedy competitiveness on the global market.

For the first time ever, federal funding will go toward a national comedy program designed, managed, and delivered by comedy artists, for comedy artists. CANCOM will ensure all participants and contributors can benefit from having their voices, experiences, and creative innovations included in acquiring business intelligence and training for an improved pathway to pursue and acquire employment, income, skills, training, and health support in their careers.

The paid, on-camera roles at each training workshop include in-person Facilitators and Educators, as well as online Peer Coordinators who will contribute virtually. The sketch, improv, and stand-up comedy artists who fill these roles will collaborate on interactive, comedy-inspired content and creative exercises that will educate and empower comedians to tell inclusive, diverse, hilarious stories. Featuring additional industry expert presenters, each workshop will be recorded, edited and available for archive viewing for professional development by future comedy workers and industry stakeholders.

Live comedy performance workers in technical occupations will be paid for their roles off camera in helping to deliver the online and in-person production elements of each workshop. Stakeholders in the live comedy performance sector, including venues, will get training, experience, and resources relevant to ongoing business success and resiliency.

SEE THE Health, Safety, & Anti-Discrimination Policy
This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada. 
Ce projet a été rendu possible en partie grâce au gouvernement du Canada.

Please complete the survey

Everyone (comedy artists, tech workers, and other industry stakeholders) is expected to complete the survey. You don’t have to do it each time you attend a Workshop. It should be completed before attending any Workshops, or as soon as possible.

Use your email address, postal code and CANCOM Membership ID number to sign-in to complete the survey. If you’re not a CANCOM Member, become a Member for FREE here

Already a Member, but forgot your Membership ID number, click here.

All set for the survey?

Start Survey Here
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How to watch the workshops

All Workshops can be viewed online with the links you receive via email, or see on this Website, in ads and social media posts. You can request to attend the workshop in the city closest to you in-person, which is also free and only for CANCOM Members. CANCOM Membership is free.

To request to be in the audience at a workshop in-person, send an email with your Membership number and postal code to: info@cancomedy.ca. Space is limited.

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Sign-in to attend Workshops

Use your email to gain access to each workshop and resources at our unique Virtual Venue. Livesteams and replays are all available HERE.

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Find Membership ID in email

You only need your Membership ID to fill out the survey, or apply for a CANCOM Comedy Grant. When you become a CANCOM Member, you'll receive an email with your Membership ID. Can’t find your ID number? Click here!

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Fill out the survey to advance our programs & funding

Please complete the onboarding survey now, and the exit survey in March. It only takes about 10 mins. Click here for the survey.

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See more info about each Workshop

Click here to find out the topics, facilitators, educators and guests for each Workshop: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, & Halifax. Attend Workshops here.

Need Help?

Not sure if you are logged in or how to become a member or where to find your membership ID? Drop us a line and we'll be happy to help!