SoftLaunch

SoftLaunch is a weekend-long performance festival/conference that seeks nothing less than a complete reinvention of what theatre can be. Whether it's installation art, immersive or participatory performance, shows for one or two people, seances, or whatever else you can dream up—if your project does not fit the normal theatre mode, it belongs in SoftLaunch.

Audience members get a pass and can wander as they wish to see different performance experiments. This is a beta test, and we are seeking work that ranges from workshop to fully produced, and everywhere in between. This year's SoftLaunch takes place January 23-26, 2025.

CPT provides the following SoftLaunch benefits: 

• Rehearsal space
• Technical assistance
• CPT lights, sound, props, and sets, as available
• Access to the SoftLaunch stage manager
• Direct mail advertising
• Front-of-house and box office support
• $500-$1200 project fee, determined by the project's scope and level of completion

The value of CPT’s investment in each individual project is over $2,500-7,500. 

Lead Artists agree to provide original artistic content, contract their own creative teams, and attend the following:

• All showings of their work
• Technical and dress rehearsals
• Symposia and forums during SoftLaunch
• Four official SoftLaunch meetings, including one wrap-up

There are three ways artists can get involved in SoftLaunch: 

1. Apply through the Google Forms application here.
2. Apply for The PILOT Project (see below).
3. To perform in SoftLaunch, if you are not already connected to a project, email your resume and headshot to artistic@cptonline.org with the subject line: “Performer for SoftLaunch.” We will share that interest with the creators of work for SoftLaunch.

Yes, you can do all three of the above!  

SoftLaunch applications are due no later than October 14, 2024.

The PILOT Project 

What if your idea for SoftLaunch is so cutting edge that it's not fully formed yet? That's exactly what The PILOT Project is for!

In this free workshop and learning community, you'll explore different theatre-inspired performance trends with the guidance and facilitation of CPT's Executive Artistic Director, Raymond Bobgan. Artists will bring their hunches, visions, and inspirations to this cohort of forward-thinking peers, as they ideate around new forms. The PILOT Project is inspired by Raymond's successful Directing Creation course but will be more of a group-process-and-discussion platform.

PILOT participants will be afforded special opportunities to create work for SoftLaunch. Think of The PILOT Project as a feeder to SoftLaunch for folks who want to jam on their ideas with a little extra support instead of applying to SoftLaunch directly. You don’t have to be in The PILOT Project to be a part of SoftLaunch, but if you ARE part of The PILOT Project, you are expected to be a part of SoftLaunch in some way!

Participants commit to attending all workshops (with one absence permitted). They must be available for SoftLaunch and rehearsals in advance, and they will receive a small fee for being a part of SoftLaunch as well as a small budget for projects.

Applications for The PILOT Project are due no later than October 7, 2024. Click here for all the details about how to apply.

If you have any questions about SoftLaunch or The PILOT Project, don't hesitate to email SoftLaunch Co-Line Producer Anastasía Urozhaeva at aurozhaeva@cptonline.org.