[Songwriting Atelier]
Songwriting / A semester-long, twice-monthly, small-group workshop for songwriters of all genres and experience levels. Develop your craft through thoughtful peer critique, individual mentorship, and the accountability of a supportive creative community. The atelier is a dedicated space to write, share new work, experiment, and grow alongside fellow songwriters.
FALL 2026 SESSION – SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN
DEADLINE: September 4
Thursdays: Sept. 24, Oct. 8+22, Nov. 5+19, Dec. 3
19h – 21h
*Please note: The Fall Songwriting Atelier is capped at six participants and fills quickly. If there is sufficient interest, a second cohort may be added on alternate Thursdays. Please indicate in your application if you would be interested in joining a second group should the primary cohort fill.
ABOUT THE ATELIER / WHAT'S INCLUDED
✓ Twice-monthly workshops
Meet every other week in a small, dedicated group of songwriters.
✓ Dedicated time for your songs
Workshoppers alternate each session, so you’ll present a song for feedback approximately once per month while listening and offering feedback to others at alternate meetings.
✓ A flexible, low-pressure format
Play your song live in the room or bring a recording — whatever feels most comfortable. Works in progress and song seeds are very welcome.
✓ Thoughtful, personalized feedback
Receive constructive feedback from Lindsay Kay and your fellow songwriters, with plenty of space for conversation, questions, and experimentation.
✓ Craft + creative practice
Explore songwriting craft, technique, creative routine, and process through discussion, listening, and occasional writing exercises and prompts.
✓ Listening + reading recommendations
Discover songs, artists, books, and other resources tailored to your work and creative interests.
✓ Individual mentorship
A 30-minute one-on-one meeting with Lindsay at the end of the semester to discuss your songwriting, creative practice, and individual goals.
✓ Performance opportunities
Opportunities to perform your music live at Atelier Rose’s events.
Who It’s For
The Songwriting Atelier welcomes songwriters of all genres and experience levels. Some previous experience with music, writing, or songwriting is helpful, but no particular training or professional experience is required.
This is not a course on how to write a song, nor does it teach a prescribed formula for songwriting. Instead, it’s a space to bring your existing songs — finished or unfinished — to develop through feedback, experimentation, discussion, and continued practice.
If you’re unsure whether the atelier is right for you, you’re always welcome to reach out and tell us a little about your experience and goals.
Expectations
Because each songwriter’s work receives dedicated attention, regular attendance is essential.
Participants are expected to attend all workshops except in cases of illness, emergency, or unavoidable prior commitments. We ask everyone to arrive prepared, listen generously, and contribute thoughtfully to a supportive environment where artists feel comfortable sharing unfinished work.
Language + Accessibility
Songwriters of all ages, identities, and backgrounds are welcome.
Workshops are conducted in English, but English does not need to be your first language, and songs in other languages are very welcome. Please keep in mind that we cannot guarantee every participant will be able to offer detailed feedback on lyrics written in a language they don’t understand.
If you have particular access needs, please let us know and we’ll do everything we can to accommodate them.
Led by
Lindsay Kay
Founder/director of Atelier Rose, Canadian singer-songwriter Lindsay Kay creates music that is “ethereal, melancholy, and dabbles in unreality while keeping gracefully attached to this world,” says New Sick Music.
On October 5, 2018, the Berklee College of Music graduate released her debut, full-length album For the Feminine, by the Feminine — an 8-song meditation on themes of femininity, written and produced solely by Kay herself. For the Feminine won Kay an Independent Music Award for her rendition of Billy Strayhorn’s jazz standard “Lush Life.” The music video for her song “Too” was an award-winner and/or official selection in over a dozen international film festivals. For the Feminine has been called “a manifesto of solidarity and inclusion,” by No Depression and “a record that gives comfort in hearing one’s own experiences mirrored back, and there is solace in knowing we are not alone in our pain and restlessness,” by For Folk’s Sake.
Kay has staged multimedia performances all over North America and Europe, incorporating movement, stage design, and elaborate costuming into her concerts. She has been an artist in residence at JIWAR Creation & Society in Barcelona, The Banff Creative Arts Centre in Alberta, Canada, La Porte Peinte Centre pour les Arts in Burgundy, France, and Les Arches Citoyennes in Paris, France. Kay has received grants from FACTOR, SOCAN Foundation, and The Canada Council for the Arts many times over to compose music, develop recording projects and collaborative performances, and carry out independent research on the work and impact of female singer-songwriters.
She is currently based in Paris, France where she is at work on her next album and directs Atelier Rose.
Visit her website HERE.
Pricing
Atelier Rose uses a sliding scale pricing model to help make the workshop accessible while ensuring our programs remain sustainable.
This is an honour-based system with no verification or judgment. We simply ask that you choose the tier that most honestly reflects your financial circumstances.
[ Early Bird Pricing ]
*Applications received by August 23, 2026
Community — €425
For songwriters experiencing financial constraints or instability.
Standard — €475
Reflects the true cost of the program and helps sustain Atelier Rose.
Community Supporter — €525
For those who are able to contribute a little more to help keep the atelier accessible to others.
[ Regular Pricing ]
*Applications received August 24 – September 4, 2026
Community — €455
Standard — €505
Community Supporter — €555
Payment plans are always available. If paying in installments would make participation possible, just let us know.
Submission Guidelines
Application deadline: September 4, 2026
To apply, please complete the form below and include:
✓ Your name and contact information
✓ A few sentences about yourself and your songwriting experience
✓ A sample of one or two songs
Song Sample Guidelines
Your samples do not need to be polished or professionally recorded. We’d simply like to get a sense of you and your work.
You can send whatever best represents your songwriting:
- A finished recording
- A rough demo
- A voice memo
- Lyrics
- An instrumental
- A work in progress
You can upload your samples directly or include a link in your application.
What Happens Next?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
If you’re offered a place in the atelier, you’ll receive an email with an invitation to join and instructions for completing your registration. Your place is confirmed once payment has been received.
Early Bird pricing applies to applications received by August 23.