The Fertile Ground Festival of New Works, a program of the Portland Area Theatre Alliance, was created to increase the accessibility of presenting and viewing new, local performance work of all forms and at all stages of development. Fertile Ground is a community-curated Festival – anyone who wants to participate is welcome to present work under the Fertile Ground umbrella, though small companies and individuals often reap the greatest benefit from participation. Projects can range from fully staged world premieres, to theatrical workshops and play readings and have historically included scripted and devised work, dance, clown, and more.
2025 Fertile Ground Festival
2025 Festival Dates
April 4, 2025 – April 19, 2025
Producer Registration Opens November 1st
Producer Information
Grow Grant Application & Information
Fertile Ground Partner Venues
About Us
About Fertile Ground
Fertile Ground was founded in 2009 by Tricia Pancio Mead and flourished for over a decade under the leadership of Festival Director Nicole Lane. The Festival features the new work of our LOCAL artists, performers, and resident theatre companies from Portland and the surrounding areas, ensuring that the artistic and financial benefits of the festival stay in the community. Where other new works festivals are typically curated by one entity, this Festival is collaboratively shaped by community participation, uplifting a variety of aesthetic voices.
While the Festival has traditionally taken place in January and February to align with the Winter Lights Festival, current leadership is exploring the benefits of a spring Festival to avoid complications from winter weather, and encourage out-of-town visitors to attend.
What We’re All About
New Works
Fertile Ground features myriad art forms and offers dozens of Portland-generated “acts of creation” for audiences to experience each year.
Our Community
Fertile Ground features the new work of our LOCAL artists, performers, and resident theatre companies, ensuring that the artistic and financial benefits of the festival stay in Portland
Accessibility
Fertile Ground is committed to improving access to our spaces, both physical and virtual. We are aware of many deeply inadequate accessibility issues within our artform.
All Art Forms
Projects can range from fully staged world premieres, to theatrical workshops and play readings, to ensemble and collaboration-driven work, to a variety of dance, comedy, film events and more.
Fertile Ground Festival
Please email Tamara Carroll at fertileground@portlandtheatre.com to get help navigating our website or ticketing system, if you have questions about the accessibility of performances and venues, or any other questions, concerns, or feedback.
Contact
fertileground@portlandtheatre.com