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Saturday, October 18, 2014

EST/Sloan Project seeks works about science

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Deadline for artist proposals and script submissions: November 1, 2014
Deadline for regional development grants: December 1, 2014

The EST/Sloan Project commissions, develops and presents new works delving into how we view and are affected by the scientific world. These plays examine the struggles and challenges scientists and engineers face from moral issues to the consequences of their discoveries.

The Project is designed to stimulate artists to create credible and compelling work exploring the worlds of science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes of scientists and engineers in the popular imagination. The Project commissions and develops new works throughout EST’s developmental season, including one Mainstage Production, as well as workshops and readings in an annual festival called FIRST LIGHT.

Now in its 15th year, the EST/Sloan Project has awarded commissions totaling more than $450,000 to more than 140 artists. Previous commissionees include: Billy Aronson, Mike Daisey, Jason Grote, Ann Marie Healy, Michael Hollinger, Israel Horovitz, Tina Howe, Shirley Lauro, Emily Levine, Romulus Linney, Quincy Long, Cassandra Medley, Dan O’Brien, Carey Perloff, Bill Pullman, Jaquelyn Reingold, Tommy Smith, Caridad Svich, Vern Thiessen, Alex Timbers, Bridgette Wimberly, David Zellnik, Stillpoint Productions, and The Royal Shakespeare Company.
Commission Awards

Commissions will be awarded to individuals, groups and creative teams for full-length and one-act plays and musicals. Commissions range from $1000 to $10,000. Commission amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, as are deadlines for drafts, finished work, and research support (if appropriate). Extant, full-length works may be submitted and are judged on a script-by-script basis by the EST/Sloan Project staff. Rewrite commissions for existing scripts range from $1,000 to $5,000.

Commissions are also available for regional theaters who wish to sponsor a local project focused on science and technology, either by commissioning a new script or developing an extant piece. Commission amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, but average $5000.
Submission Guidelines

The EST/Sloan Project is open to a broad range of topics related to the issues, people, ideas, processes, leading-edge discoveries, inventions, and/or history of the "hard" sciences and technology.
Hard sciences include the following areas:
  • Mathematics
  • Physics (geological, nuclear, theoretical, etc.)
  • Biology (evolution, zoology, animal behavior, ecology, molecular, genetics, etc.)
  • Chemistry (industrial, biochemistry, etc.)
  • Neuroscience
  • Anthropology and Archaeology
  • Technology includes:
  • Computer Science
  • Software Development, Computer Development
  • Engineering (civil, chemical, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, vehicle design)
  • Space Research
Areas not considered for commissions include:
Science Fiction
Medical Conditions and/or Victims of Disease
Psychology and Human Behavior

How to Apply

New Commissions

Individuals, creative teams and theatre companies interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project commission should submit the following as their application for a grant:
A one- or two-page description or a simple outline/synopsis of the project. This document should describe the actual story being explored, the source of inspiration behind the idea, and how the science being portrayed would be inherently dramatic in the piece.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.

Rewrite Commissions

Individuals, creative teams and theatre companies interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project rewrite grant should submit the following as their application:
A draft of the script.
A one- or two-page cover letter detailing the development history of the play, your goals for a rewrite commission, and any questions you have about the current draft.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.

A selection committee evaluates the proposals and makes the final decisions. Candidates may be asked to revise aspects of their proposals, provide writing samples, and/or arrange a meeting to discuss their project as part of the selection process.

Deadline for artist proposals and script submissions: November 1, 2013

Deadline for regional development grants: December 1, 2013
Regional Development Commissions

Theatre companies interested in receiving an EST/Sloan Project regional development grant should submit the following as their application for a grant:
A current draft of the script, or a one- to two-page description or outline of the project.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.
A one- to two-page cover letter detailing the development history of the project and your goals for the commission.
An estimated budget for the project.
Delivering Your Submission

We accept scripts in the following manner...
Email (preferred):

sloanproject@ensemblestudiotheatre.org
Via regular mail:

The Ensemble Studio Theatre

Attn: EST/Sloan Project

549 West 52nd St.

New York, NY 10019

Phone: 212-247-4982

Please contact us with any questions.

Best of luck to you,

EST/Sloan Project Staff

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