University Settlement Artists-in-Residence program

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Artists-in-Residence

Our resident artists are selected for their demonstrated ability to create high-quality work and for their experiential understanding of what it means to create while embedded within the rich complexity of a truly diverse community. Our artists value their process as much as their products and are eager to experiment with their creation process, narrative structures and forms. The artists we work with commit to organizational and creative practices that promote trust, imagination and power-sharing.

The residency is open to choreographers, theater artists and interdisciplinary performance artists who will be supported in creating a new work. This residency is best suited to artists who are deeply committed to exploring how live art and the creative process can heal, empower and activate individuals and communities. Our requirements and expectations are outlined below – we encourage you to read further before deciding to apply.

We work with our Artists-in-Residence (AIR) over the course of a year — and often, beyond —to nurture both their creative work and their relationships with our artist cohorts, Settlement staff and participants. Together we collaboratively build the skills and scaffolding needed to support creative risk-taking and authentic relationship-building. If you view a role within community as "something extra," this is not the right residency program for you. This program requires that a lot of in-person time building relationships; living in New York is a must.

Our core curatorial team works closely with each AIR. Individual monthly meetings and bi-monthly group meetings help us to identify what each project and artist needs to grow and develop. Our advisory board of downtown arts leaders helps US to provide our artists with professional development workshops and an expanded professional support network.

2017-2018 Call for New Artists-in-Residence

In response to our communities, this year's AIR call seeks artists interested in creating space for self-determination, the exploration of identity and intersectionality, and the healing of intergenerational trauma. We are calling for arts projects that illuminate and interrogate our collective journey towards a more equitable New York City for all.

This year, we are envisioning a season that demonstrates transparency, intersectionality, and conscious gatekeeping that embodies anti-oppressive as well as anti-racist frameworks and values. Now, more than ever, we need to dive deeper into our urgent collective context and activate our visions for a liberated future. We look forward to your proposals.


Artists-in-Residence receive…
An opportunity to develop a new performance project within a diverse and supportive community of artists and community leaders.
A stipend of $2000.
A minimum of 100 hours of rehearsal space in our theater. (Additional rehearsal hours can be arranged within University Settlement community centers).
Full production and box office support for multiple night showings of your performance project.
Support for press, publicity and audience development — we do not have the resources to do this work for our artists, but we are here to work with you in a highly supported and tailored manner).
Video and photo documentation of final showing.
The opportunity to reapply for another year of support.


Artists-in-Residence are required to…
Work toward a public showing of new work. AIR and curatorial team work together to identify the developmental goals for each new work and the appropriate length of run.
Check in with Associate Curator and Program Director every 6 weeks (ideally in person).
Attend bimonthly peer sharing or professional development workshops.
Participate in our SHARE! Series, approximately 5-7 times through the year.

Visit our selection page to learn more about our process.

Our application is now live. The deadline to apply to be a 2017-2018 AIR is Friday, September 15th at 12pm.

Visit our Current Artists-in-Residence page to learn more about our 2016-2017 AIRs!