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Sunday, August 12, 2018

Object Movement Festival for puppetry seeks submissions

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APPLICATIONS FOR OBJECT MOVEMENT 2018-2019 ARE DUE FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 AT 5PM. 

OBJECT MOVEMENT is a curated festival and developmental residency for puppeteers and object theater artists. The purpose of the program is to develop new work and advance existing works-in-progress that address social, political, ethical, and/or philosophical questions through puppetry and object theater, culminating in a festival of performances. Participants will meet weekly as a group to share the progress of their pieces and offer feedback. The group is moderated by a curatorial team of puppetry artists and producers. Group meetings will be from September 2018 through May 2019, culminating in a festival of performances.

Applications due August 31, 2018
Participants notified by September 10, 2018
Residency meetings start September 18, 2018
Work in progress showing in December 2018
Performance festival May 17-19 and 24-26, 2019
Workshop meetings will take place weekly on Tuesdays at 7pm at The Center at West Park on the Upper West Side starting September 18, 2018 and continuing through May 2018. Participants will be expected to commit to the weekly schedule with a minimum number of absences.

Festival performances will be in the Center’s Balcony Theater on May 17-19 and 24-26, 2019. Each participant will have at least three total performances on one of the two weekends. Final performances may be short (15-20 minutes) or full length (40-50 minutes).

Participants will receive up to 40 hours of free rehearsal space at the Center during the residency. Free rehearsal hours may be used in the Chapel between 10am and 6pm, Monday-Friday and must be reserved in advance.

Artist Fee

All participants will receive an equal share of the box office proceeds from the festival as an Artist Fee at the end of the residency.

Festival Info

The Object Movement 2019 Festival will take place over two weekends, with Program A running Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19 and Program B running Friday, May 24 through Sunday, May 26. Participants will be scheduled in Program A or B in early 2018 based on performer availability. Each piece in the festival will get one full day in the theater for tech and dress rehearsal.

The Center will provide front of house and technical staff for the festival, including a box office manager, house manager, technical director, and production stage manager. Equipment including a lighting rep plot and PA sound system will also be provided. All tickets will be $15 and sold through the Center’s website.

Print and digital marketing materials, including posters and Facebook pages, will be created by the Center. The Center will host a promo photo shoot in advance of the festival, and provide a photographer for production stills.

Application Information

Artists of all ages, experience levels, and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Applications should be for a specific project, either a new piece or an existing work in progress to be developed further. Please upload a one-page text description and one-page image/illustration of the project you would like to develop and perform during the residency and festival.

Your text description should include:

  • the style of puppetry or object theater used in the project
  • the social, political, ethical, and/or philosophical question(s) addressed in the project
  • why puppetry or object theater is essential to addressing the question(s) and the conception of the project
  • the length of the piece you are hoping to perform at the festival and how much of the material you have already created, if any
  • Please upload a document with one-page resumes or narrative biographies for up to three lead artists participating in the project. PDF preferred.


Please upload a document with work samples for up to three lead artist participating in this project. Work samples can be links to video, audio, or image galleries; a series of still images; and/or text. Please keep script samples to no more than 10 pages. PDF preferred.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the application process, the residency, or the festival.

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