4.5 Days, 9 Venues, 47 Sessions, 197 Attendees, 23 Local Learners, 33 Travel Subsidies Given, 16 Pitch Party Pitchers, 1 Unforgettable PACTcon!
PACTcon 2026 took place April 22-25, 2026 in Whitehorse, YT. Thank you to our hosts, attendees, speakers and partners for making this an amazing few days of collaboration and connection!
Videography by Arctic Media Creation
Photos by Erik Pinkerton Photography, Alexis Rowlinson, Andrea Demars, Brad Lepp, Darragh Mondoux and Rahul Gandhi
Editing by Daniel Malavasi
A huge thank you to our PACTcon 2026 Host Venue, Pivot Theatre. @pivot.yukon
To Jacob Zimmer, Artistic Director and Norah Paton, Managing Artistic Producer, and their wonderful staff, thank you for welcoming delegates from across the country into your vibrant community, and congratulations on hosting our national conference and doing it with fun and style!
Thank you to all the companies and individuals who contributed to the
2026 Travel Subsidy Fund!
Each year, the generosity of PACT members allows us to provide a number of travel subsidies to help folks with limited travel budgets attend PACTcon, our annual gathering. This means more voices joining the conversation!
Your support helped make PACTcon 2026 a success by assisting 32 artworkers from seven regions with their travel costs to Whitehorse, YT!
Together, we had a riveting week of connecting and learning.
Photos by Rahul Gandhi,
Carcross Yukon 2026.
Thank you to our Conference Partners for making PACTcon 2026 in Whitehorse, YT such fulfilling adventure. The @yukongov , Young Associates, PAA Advisory, and @playcanpress , among others. We couldn't do it without you!
Photo 1 by Alexis Rowlinson, photo 3 by Darragh Mondoux, photo 2 & 4 by Erik Pinkerton
Thank you to our Conference Partners for making PACTcon 2026 in Whitehorse, YT such fulfilling adventure. The @canada.council , @frontrowinsurance , @blueprint.insurance , and @spektrixconnect , among others. We couldn't do it without you!
Photo 1 by Andrea Demars, photo 2 and 3 by Erik Pinkerton
In this session, AI Educator Avery Swartz will walk you through a practical, grounded, and realistic framework for AI adoption for Canadian performing arts organizations.
Participants will begin filling in their own AI Adoption Framework worksheet during the session, and leave with a Values Alignment worksheet to pressure-test their approach against their organization's own stated values. You walk away with something to work from, not just something to think about.
Register for this event by Friday May 22, to ensure you receive the meeting link. This is a paid session, $30 for Members and $60 for non-Members.
Join us in congratulating Tim Jennings, Executive Director of the @shawfestival and recipient of the 2026 Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award for excellence in arts administration within our sector.
Tim honours Melissa Novecosky, Associate Executive Director of the Shaw Theatre Festival as the protégé for this year's award.
Join us in congratulating the recipients of the 2026 PACT Green Award, @neworldtheatre for their 2025 achievement with 'Eyes of the Beast: Climate Disaster Stories,' which they produced in collaboration with the Climate Disaster Project with the University of Victoria.
This documentary theatre production pulls from hundreds of testimonies of people across Canada who have lived through climate change together.
Additionally we recognize @mulgraveroad_theatre our runners up to the award, for their herculean development of the Centre for the Arts building project.
Thank you to the PACT Environmental Stewardship Committee and the Green Award jury for their work to highlight the work being done by Canadian theatres for climate action.
This will be Women At Play(s) first Professional Association of Canadian Theatre conference. So happy it’s in Whitehorse! Have fun Lee!! No one better to represent us!! @sgaylee@mariannesawchuk
Join Alison Peddie CHRP, Labour and Employment Relations Manager, to go through the steps to build or update your Theatre’s Employee Handbook. This document is key to successful onboarding and ongoing communication with Theatre staff, volunteers, and Artists, alike.
Please register for this session by Monday May 11 2026 to receive the zoom link!
Hosted by PACT Executive Director Brad Lepp, and in conversation with Shelley Stevenson, Administrative Director, Stratford Festival, this session is an opportunity to understand details around the proposal, hear updates on the advocacy efforts, and determine if this is something you and your organization would like to support.
More guests will be announced soon.
Submit your questions upon at registration to help make the best use of our time together!
🎭 Missed our World Theatre Day 2026 celebration, or want to relive the festivities? Swipe through for highlights from an incredible day of performance, speeches, and community!
Thank you to the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (@tapa_to ), the Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology (@citticts ), and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (@pactinsta ) for making World Theatre Day truly special.
Photos:
1-2. Walter Borden - Canada's World Theatre Day 2026 Ambassador
3. annemieke wade - Executive Director, TAPA & Victor Pokinko - Executive Producer, Bad Hats Theatre
4. Ben Ridd & Juliette Schroeder - performers, Shifting Ground Collective's The Drowsy Chaperone
5. Preview of our You Made History project
6. Walter Borden & crowd
7-9. Crowd
Photos 1, 3, 4, 7 by Dahlia Katz
Photo 2 by Anne-Marie Krytiuk
Photos 5, 6, 8, 9 by Nick Uffen
#worldtheatreday #canadiantheatre #theatre
