Canadian Music Theatre Project (CMTP)

A legacy of nurturing new musical works

Founded in 2011, the Canadian Music Theatre Project (CMTP) at Sheridan College was an internationally-renowned incubator — and Canada’s first — dedicated to the development of new works of musical theatre.

In its first 10 years, CMTP fostered robust collaborations between visiting creative teams and Sheridan students to support developing projects through workshops, readings, masterclasses and presentations, and bring a script to life. More than 28 projects have been incubated through CMTP, adding to the catalogue of musical works created in Canada. Several works have enjoyed their professional premiers, including the run-away Broadway hit Come From Away.

CMTP helped ignite a renaissance in Canadian musical theatre, and fuelled an industry that is now producing, and nurturing, homegrown musicals.

To uphold Sheridan’s deep commitment to trailblazing and evolving to meet changing needs within the industry, CMTP was retired in its original format in 2021, providing a new opportunity to grow in meaningful and sustainable ways.

The activities and impact that have been part of CMTP will be expanded in scope and scale. The Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design (FAAD) and the Research teams will strengthen their collaboration through a joint, multi-faceted approach to both development of new works and research and innovation — all based on a common foundation of values informed by equity, diversity and inclusion.

FAAD’s focus through the Musical Theatre Performance program will continue CMTP’s deep commitment to the development, creation and performance of new works. Through initiatives such as First Drafts, FAAD will continue to collaborate with writers to reimagine, reshape and reanimate the art form and tell stories that tackle modern, relevant issues prevalent in society. Our Theatre Sheridan stage will continue to be home to original musicals in various stages of development.

Within the Research area, the Screen Industries Research and Training Centre (SIRT) will continue to build on CMTP’s applied research and incubation functions focused on immersive technology and the future of live performance and cultural venues. As with FAAD’s development work, these initiatives will be grounded in equity, diversity and inclusion with a focus on enabling new voices.

Our new direction builds on a decade of incredible accomplishments by the Canadian Music Theatre Project. We look forward to the next phase of our journey and expect that it will be every bit as remarkable as the first decade.