TOSketchFestBlog
The Learning + Fun program returns in 2026 with a full slate of workshops, panels, and conversations designed to support comedians at every stage of their practice. This year’s program stretches across the festival and beyond, creating space to build skills, ask real questions, and connect with peers who are navigating the same creative paths.
Taking place throughout spring 2026, Learning + Fun brings together working artists, industry professionals, and comedy educators for sessions that span the creative, practical, and professional sides of comedy. From writing and directing to pitching, auditioning, finances, and representation, these events are designed to offer clear tools, honest insight, and room to experiment.
Whether you are performing in the festival, developing new work, or looking to better understand how comedy fits into a sustainable creative life, Learning + Fun is here to meet you where you are. Join us to learn, share ideas, and spend time in rooms that are curious, generous, and built for growth.
Check out this incredible program:
Taxes for Creatives and Freelancers
Monday, February 23rd at 6:00pm – Live-streaming Online
Instructors: Neha Kohli
This workshop offers a practical introduction to taxes for creatives and freelancers working in comedy and the performing arts. Designed as a professional development session, it demystifies how personal tax returns work and what independent artists need to know when filing as freelancers.
Participants will gain a clear understanding of common write offs, how to track income and expenses, and how to approach filing with confidence. The session also introduces basic tax aware investing strategies, helping creatives understand how small financial decisions can support long term sustainability.
Whether you are new to freelance work or looking to strengthen your financial foundation, this workshop provides clear, actionable information tailored to the realities of creative careers.
Creating Your Solo Play
Saturday, March 7th at 12:00pm – The Theatre Centre, Incubator
Instructor: Curtis Campbell
Join Curtis Campbell for a hands on workshop exploring his award winning approach to solo performance. Learn playwriting tools for comedians, comedic dramaturgy, and character comedy techniques that help shape personal stories into funny, compelling one person shows built for the stage.
Cold Read Skills for Auditions
Saturday, March 7th at 3:00pm – The Second City, John Candy Box Theatre
Instructor: TBD
Want to crush your auditions? This workshop will teach tricks and techniques for making strong, grounded comedic choices in an audition environment, by studying classic sketches from the Second City archives. Learn how to do killer improv in small moments, and how to shine with a brand-new scene partner you’re meeting for the first time.
Pitch Panel – International Women’s Day
Sunday, March 8th at 11:00am – The Theatre Centre, Incubator
Presented in partnership with
Join hosts Zeynep Güler Tuck and Rena Taylor, in collaboration with the Firecracker Department, for a lively discussion on storytelling and pitching with industry experts In the second half, attendees can share a 30-45 second pitch for panel feedback.
Pitch Writing and Development for Television
Sunday, March 8th at 1:00pm – The Theatre Centre, Incubator
Instructor: Joanne O’Sullivan
Over the course of this three-hour workshop, participants will learn how to distill their show idea into a clear, accessible, and compelling concept – and translate that idea onto the page in a proposal that highlights what is most engaging and marketable about their show. The workshop will also cover the core components of a pitch document, along with practical tips
for pitching in the room.
Showrunning Comedy for TV
Saturday, March 14th at 11:00am – The Theatre Centre, Incubator
Instructor: Anthony Farrell
Led by Anthony Farrell, this professional development workshop offers an in depth look at showrunning a comedic series for television or digital platforms. Designed for comedy creators ready to step into leadership roles, the session breaks down the realities of guiding a project from idea to screen.
Participants will explore how to build and lead a strong comedy room, balance creative vision with collaboration, and navigate the practical demands of prep, production, and post. The workshop also addresses managing teams with clarity and care, offering insight into the skills needed to sustain both the work and the people behind it.
BRUNCH! A Clown and Creative Play Workshop
Saturday, March 14th at 2:00pm – Sweet Action Theatre
Instructors: Ken Hall, Isaac Kessler, Gordon Neill
Brought to you by Sweet Action Theatre, Toronto’s Home for the Ridiculous and only clown dedicated theatre, BRUNCH! is a spiritually mathematical science based approach to creative play! It’s kinda like school, but just the recess part. We’re going to explore audience connection, group mind, devising, the neutral body, energy, musicality, rhythm and more – and all with creative play in mind (…and body). As you can see, we have lofty goals for this class. We may fail at reaching them all, but we’re going to have fun trying together.
We’ve sold out 14 straight sessions, so join us for this special preview class, and come get a nibble at what all the fun is about!
Directing Sketch Comedy
Sunday, March 15th at 12:00pm – The Theatre Centre, Incubator
Instructor: Nicole Passmore
Led by Nicole Passmore, this workshop offers an inside look at directing sketch comedy, with a focus on shaping cohesive, dynamic live shows. Designed for comedy creators looking to expand their directorial toolkit, the session explores how directors support both material and performers while maintaining a clear creative vision.
Participants will learn how to build a running order that sustains energy and flow, offer effective punch up and feedback while respecting an artist or troupe’s comedic voice, and refine a show’s tone through transitions, music, and technical elements. The workshop emphasizes collaboration, clarity, and the director’s role in elevating sketch from page to stage.
Get a Literary Agent
Monday, March 30th at 6:00pm – Live-streaming Online
Instructor: Neha Kohli
This professional development session offers an inside look at working as a screenwriter in 2026, with a focus on literary agents, representation, and navigating today’s evolving industry. Designed for comedy creators, the workshop explores when and why to seek an agent, how agent relationships actually function, and what representation looks like across television, digital, and independent projects.
Participants will gain clarity on building sustainable careers, positioning their work, and understanding current expectations around staffing, pitching, and development. The session balances practical industry insight with honest conversation about the realities of working screenwriters today, helping artists make informed, strategic choices about their next steps.
Watch our video highlight of last year’s LEARNING + FUN program!
