It’s a mix!

We consider a few different pathways when programming our seasons. Here’s how it generally works:

1. Submissions from Production / Creative Teams

We love receiving fully fleshed-out submissions from teams who bring us ideas for shows — and fresh ways of staging them — that we might not have considered ourselves.

Successful submissions often:

a) Align with the Society’s strengths and appeal to our supporter base.
b) Include full (or near-full) creative and production teams.
c) Demonstrate solid planning, including clear timelines and detailed budgets, that show the team has the capacity to successfully deliver the show.

When you make a submission or pitch, you're essentially asking the Society to back your vision — including financially. So, it's important we can see that your project is in capable hands and that there’s a clear plan behind it.

2. Expressions of Interest

Not ready to make a full submission yet? That’s okay — send us an Expression of Interest instead.

If you’ve got a great idea, are still assembling a team, or aren’t sure how to approach budgeting, we’d still love to hear from you. Depending on the concept and what’s needed to bring it to life, we may be interested in having a chat.

We can also explore ways to get you involved in current or upcoming productions — helping you build your experience, expand your network, and put yourself in a stronger position to pitch a full project down the line.

Who knows — we may have already heard from others working on a similar idea, and you could be the missing piece to someone else’s puzzle!

3. Curated Programming

The Society’s Board of Management also curates parts of each season to ensure a strong balance between:

• Our commitment to producing the works of Gilbert & Sullivan, and

• Programming that reflects the broad interests of our members and followers.

In some cases, the Board may select a show to program and then appoint the creative and production teams around it.

When this happens, we typically approach established directors, musical directors, and other experienced personnel to build the production. This is why it helps to be connected — working with a range of companies and creatives, growing your network, and registering your interest with us can increase your chances of being considered.

The President is always happy to have an informal catch-up to learn more about you and your interests. We encourage you to get involved at whatever level you can — it’s a great way to show us what you can do.

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
The truth is: it’s both.
Even if you’ve got an impressive CV, if you’re new to the Society, we may not yet have a sense of your working style. We do need to manage risk carefully, so when all things are equal, we’ll generally choose people who’ve already shown us they can deliver.

So — let us get to know you!

4. Something Else!?

Sometimes opportunities come our way that don’t fit into the usual categories — and we’re open to that!

Any new idea or offer will be assessed by the Board on its merits and considered in light of our vision, values, risk profile, and desired outcomes.