Deadline: December 6, 2020 11:59 PM
The Center at West Park nurtures exemplary and boundary-pushing theater, dance, puppetry, opera, multi-, and inter-disciplinary performance artists and companies by providing free rehearsal and performance space with a guaranteed artist fee. We support the creation of new works and the re-working of classic texts (and other source materials) in contemporary contexts in order to diversify and enrich the performing arts community of New York and to attract and challenge enthusiastic and adventurous audiences.
Since 2017, the Center at West Park has provided over 60 residencies serving over 500 individual artists and presented over 200 performances to over 10,000 audience members.
This year, we have re-imagined our artist residency program to meet the needs of artists and audiences in the time of COVID-19. With our new Virtual Performance Residencies, we are opening our Sanctuary Space to our resident artists to develop and record works of theater, dance, music, opera, and interdisciplinary performance to share with viewers at home, all in accordance with New York State safety guidelines. Check out our Fall 2020 Season of Virtual Performance Residencies here.
SPRING 2021 VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE RESIDENCIES
In Spring 2021, eight Resident Artists will be offered two weeks in our unique Sanctuary Space to produce and perform their shows. Residencies are available between February 1 and June 6, 2021. Each Resident Artist may perform a work in progress or mount a full production during the residency, including set, costume, and theatrical lighting. The Sanctuary Space comes equipped with a repertory lighting plot and PA sound system.
All residencies will culminate in at least one and up to ten streaming performances for virtual audiences. Performances will be ticketed at $10 each. Artists will receive a 50% split of the next box office proceeds, with the first $500 as a guaranteed artist fee. The Center will provide professional photography and filming services, including a two-camera film of a complete performance, and technical services for streaming the performance video.
While in residence at the Center, artists receive free space and professional marketing and fundraising support, including a dedicated fundraising page for processing tax-deductible donations toward residency project expenses. (The Center at West Park is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation. All donations to the Center at West Park for the purposes of supporting artist residency project expenses are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.)
Our goal is to make it easier for diverse, exemplary, and essential artists to make their work and share it with audiences in this extraordinarily difficult and isolating time.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
As part of the Virtual Performance Residency, participants will be required to:
Attend a virtual and on-site orientation process.
Provide a certificate of Volunteer or Participant Accident Insurance or General Liability Insurance covering all residency participants, with The Center at West Park as additionally insured.
Follow New York State's media production guidelines, including but not limited to:
Completing and submitting Daily Health Screening Forms
Providing a contact list including, names,pronouns, titles, emails and direct lines to everyone entering the building
Completing and submitting liability waivers
Appointing a safety monitor
Hold at least one public performance or presentation for a ticketed audience which may be live-streamed, a streaming pre-recorded video, or other time-specific, ticketed experience.
Resident artists are responsible for providing technical production for live-streaming performances.
The Center can support up to 10 streaming performances per residency using the Center’s box office (Eventbrite) and viewing platforms (Vimeo, YouTube, Zoom, etc). We are also happy to support auxiliary content for audience engagement, such as public conversations and talkbacks with the artists.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications for Spring 2021 Virtual Performance residencies are now open and are due by Sunday, December 6 at 11:59 PM.
Applicants will be notified by end of day on Monday, December 21.
All artists working in the performing arts, including theater, dance, music, opera, puppetry, performance art, and multi- and interdisciplinary performance are eligible to apply. Resident Artists are responsible for their own housing in the New York City area during the residency and any travel expenses related to the residency.
To apply, please submit an application through our online application form. The online form includes the following fields. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
Project Title *
Artist Name * (May be a group/company name or an individual)
Contact Person (If other than above)
Contact Email *
Contact Phone *
Website
Team members * (List all creative, technical, and administrative team members committed to this project, including names and roles.)
Artist Statement: * Please describe your mission, vision, goals, purpose, and/or artistic intent as an individual artist or company. Why do you make your work? What questions, subjects, or themes are you engaged in? How does your style, subject matter, and/or process make a unique contribution to the performing arts in New York? (max 300 words) *
Overcoming Obstacles: * Please describe any obstacles, challenges, or barriers you have overcome and/or are still facing in making your work. Would a residency at The Center at West Park make a difference for you in overcoming any of these obstacles? If so, how? (max 300 words)
Body of Work: * Please describe your existing body of work and your creative process. What work have you made and how do you make it? How does the work you make further your mission or artistic goals? (max 300 words)
Core Audience: * Please describe your core audience. For whom do you make your work? Why do you make work for this audience and how do you connect with them? What specific marketing and outreach strategies do you employ? How do you judge if you are successfully reaching this audience? Do you work with any under-served or under-represented communities in the way you make and share your work? If so, how does this community engagement inform the work you make? (max 300 words)
Project Description: * Please describe the project you will develop and perform during this residency. What discipline(s), subject matter, story, themes, and/or questions will you explore with this project? How will you engage a virtual audience through your piece? How does this project relate to your mission/goals, prior work, and core audience? What is uniquely compelling and exciting about this project for you? How far are you in the creative process, and what progress do you intend to make during the residency? How will this residency make it possible for you to do this project? (max 500 words)
Technical Needs: * What will your project need with respect to set, costumes, lighting, sound, projections, materials, and other technical equipment? The Center provides a repertory lighting plot with 32 instruments and a PA sound system, and photography and 2-camera filming services for a single performance. You would be responsible for all other production elements of the project. (max 300 words)
Residency Dates: * Residencies will be offered in two-week slots from February 1 through June 6, 2021.
Slot 1: Feb 1-14
Slot 2: Feb 15-28
Slot 3: Mar 1-14
Slot 4: Mar 15-28
Slot 5: Apr 5-18
Slot 6: Apr 19-May 2
Slot 7: May 10-23
Slot 8: May 24-June 6
Project Budget: * Upload a one page budget for your project. Use the budget template provided and fill in the numbers in the highlighted fields only. Please do not make any other changes to the template.
Resume / Production History Upload *
If applying as an individual artist, upload a PDF copy of your professional resume listing performances and productions to date (2 pages maximum).
If applying as a company or ensemble, upload a PDF document listing all productions and public events to date. Include title, author/playwright, venue/location, date(s), number of performance, and total attendance for each production and public events (2 pages maximum).
Photo or Text Work Sample Upload: * Upload a work sample from this project or another project that best represents your work. Up to 10 pages of text or 10 images, one image per page. PDF format only.
Photo or Text Work Sample Upload Description: Describe this sample of your work. Put it in context for us.
Video Work Sample (optional): Link to a video sample of your work. YouTube or Vimeo preferred. If the video is protected by a password, please but it in the description below.
Video Work Sample Description: Describe this sample of your work. Put it in context for us. Please provide the password for the video if one is required.