Theatre Nova Scotia Membership
Membership Rates
Please see Theatre Nova Scotia's membership structures and new application forms below. Upon submitting a registration form, members will be sent an invoice for the amount from TNS.
For the 2025-2026 year, as TNS refreshes its website and membership structure, all recent membership renewals will be respected, and new incoming members for 2025 will be priced at Early Bird rates. Then in 2026 will move to the original fee schedule.
| Membership Type | Early Bird Price (July 1st - Aug 31st) |
Regular Price (Sept 1st - June 30th) |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $30 | $40 |
| Community Theatre Organization | $85 | $100 |
| Affiliate Organization | $85 | $100 |
| Professional Org < $50k | $80 | $100 |
| Professional Org $50-99k | $125 | $150 |
| Professional Org $100-199k | $170 | $200 |
| Professional Org $200-499k | $215 | $250 |
| Professional Org > $500k | $260 | $300 |
The TNS membership year runs from September 1st to August 31st each year, and all memberships expire on August 31st every year.
Theatre Nova Scotia is a membership-based umbrella organization that serves theatrical companies and organizations, theatre professionals, and members of the theatre community throughout the province.
Click Here: Professional Organization Application
Click Here: Community Organization Application
Click Here: Affiliate Organization Application
Click Here: Individual Member Application
Description of Memberships:
Professional Theatre
A Professional Theatre Company -for the purposes of TNS Membership- is an organization which:
1. Produces theatre that engages a majority (60%+) of professional theatre artists.
Theatre Nova Scotia adopts the Canada Council definition of “professional” artists. A professional artist is defined as someone who:
--Has specialized training in the theatre field (not necessarily in academic institutions).
--Is recognized as 'professional' by peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition).
--Has a history of public presentation or publication.
--Has the intent to make a living from their theatre craft.
2. Pays all professional artists on their productions. No less than $500 per week for each performance week.
(*TNS does not endorse this amount as an industry standard of any kind, however has accepted this figure for the purposes of categorization. Such detail will be reviewed each year.)
The companies in the Professional category vary in their size and scope, and can be not-for-profit or for-profit organizations. Membership fees for Professional organizations are based on the size of the overall budget.Professional Theatre members have access to all TNS programs and services - including the Theatre Partnership Program (if they are a registered nonprofit), the Printing Program, access to CFNS Group Insurance plan, a profile on the TNS website, a seat on TNS' Professional Committee, and the ability to have their productions juried for the Robert Merritt Awards.
A designated representative of a Professional theatre group can vote at Theatre Nova Scotia's AGM, and we welcome them to offer their expertise and opinion through committees, the Board of Directors or other TNS volunteer tasks.
Community Theatre
Community Theatre includes organizations that produce theatre involving a majority of non-professionals. These groups welcome interested members of the general public to make inquiries, volunteer, become involved either on or off stage. Auditions are standard and are often posted through TNS as well as on the organization’s website. Nova Scotia has a long tradition of community theatre in communities around the province.
Community Theatre members have access to a variety of TNS services, including the Theatre Partnership Program (if they are a registered nonprofit), the Printing Program, access to CFNS Group Insurance plan, a profile on the TNS website, access to submit to our Production and Audition listings, and more.
A designated representative of a Community theatre group can vote at Theatre Nova Scotia's AGM, and we welcome them to offer their expertise and opinion through committees, the Board of Directors or other TNS volunteer tasks.
Affiliate
This category of membership includes organizations that are an integral part of the theatre community in Nova Scotia. Organizations in this category include venues, agencies, schools, photographers, suppliers, recording companies and more.
Affiliates have access to a variety of TNS services, including the Theatre Partnership Program (if they are a registered nonprofit), the Printing Program, access to CFNS Group Insurance plan, a profile on the TNS website, access to submit to our Production and Audition listings, and more.
A designated representative of an Affiliate group can vote at Theatre Nova Scotia's AGM, and we welcome them to offer their expertise and opinion through committees, the Board of Directors, or other TNS volunteer tasks.
Individual
This category of membership includes individual members or patrons of the theatre community in Nova Scotia. Individual members have access to TNS programs and services - including the Printing Program, the ability to submit for various Nominated Robert Merritt awards and scholarships, as a profile on the TNS website. The individual membership category includes, but is not limited to actors, directors, designers and administrators.
Individual members can vote at Theatre Nova Scotia's AGM, and we welcome anyone to share their expertise and opinion through committees, the Board of Directors or other TNS volunteer tasks.
