Thursday, May 31, 2018

Get What You Want: June 2018


1.
BMI Musical Workshop
Deadline: June 1st for librettist
                 August 1st for composers and lyricists
Website: https://www.bmi.com/theatre_workshop/application_requirements

A new prologue to the established Librettists Workshop, Bookwriting Basics explores the fundamentals of writing book for the musical theatre through a series of lectures and assignments. This is a one-year course.

Fall Semester

Award winning bookwriter Adam Mathias unlocks the toolkit for musical theatre librettists. Through lecture, discussion and assignments students learn how to apply the fundamentals of playwriting to the craft of creating musicals.

Spring Semester

David Spencer, award winning bookwriter/lyricist and author of The Musical Theatre Writers’ Survival Guide, leads exploration through a series of masterworks to uncover what makes them work...and through analysis of promising source material for unsuccessful shows that had the potential to work…in which the class endeavors to solve inherent challenges that the original creative teams didn’t.

Librettists Workshop
After completing the Bookwriting Basics program, writers may apply to join the established Librettists Workshop group. Not all writers who apply will be invited to join.

Nancy Golladay, veteran Broadway literary manager and dramaturg, moderates a writers’ roundtable focused on developing the skills unique to musical theatre bookwriters. Members read and critique each other’s work as their material evolves from one-page synopses to fully scripted scenes — including occasional cold readings of an entire show. In a yearly collaborative project, the Librettists Workshop engages with the First Year Songwriting Class. Librettist Workshop members are also eligible to participate in Collaborator Connections events with members of the Songwriters Workshops.


2.
The Sherwood Award
Deadline: June 1st (initial deadline)
Website: https://www.centertheatregroup.org/programs/artists/sherwood-award/

Center Theatre Group's $10,000 Richard E. Sherwood Award for emerging theatre artists is given annually to nurture innovative and adventurous theatre artists working in Los Angeles.

The Sherwood Award nurtures emerging artists and invites them to engage in a professional relationship with Center Theatre Group. Sherwood Award recipients demonstrate leadership qualities, push existing boundaries, and are dedicated to improving the future of their respective artistic fields. Artists are not limited by title, role, or genre, but they must have a relationship to contemporary performance rooted in theatre.

The application for the 2019 Sherwood Award is now live. The deadline for the initial application is June 1, 2018 at 11:59 pm PT. Select candidates will be invited to submit full applications. Full applications, along with letters of recommendation and work sample material, will be due no later than July 27, 2018 at 11:59 pm PT. The winner will be announced at the LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards.

Sherwood Award Requirements
Applicants must be:
An individual artist (no groups or teams)
A resident of Los Angeles for at least two years
An artist who has developed/collaborated on at least two fully produced projects in Los Angeles
Emerging in their field and/or at a catalytic moment in their career (which does not reflect the age of the artists, but where they are in the trajectory of their careers)
Sherwood Award priorities:
Competitive candidates will demonstrate the following qualities:

Innovative—introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking

Pushing boundaries—extending frontiers, experimenting, challenging the theatrical norm, finding new forms of artistic expression

Exceptional talent—the ability to capture the attention of the audience through pure skill and craft, a natural ability or aptitude in the selected field, translating passion and dedication into works of art, etc.

Effective communication—theatre artists who can passionately and effectively communicate their point of view and distinct artistic voice.

About the Sherwood Award Application Process
There are four phases in the Sherwood Award application process.

Phase One (June)
Initial applications are reviewed by the Sherwood Artistic Program Coordinator, the Sherwood Fellow, and Center Theatre Group's Artistic Development Program Manager (Sherwood Team). Applicant's submitted application, professional resume, and artist statement will be reviewed.

Phase Two (Late June – August)
Applicants who meet the requirements of the Sherwood Award and demonstrate qualities aligning with the priorities outlined above, or applicants who are nominated by an external nomination committee, are invited to submit a full application. Full applications are reviewed by the Sherwood Team and one external reviewer. In addition to the initial application, work sample material, one letter of recommendation, and written responses will be reviewed.

Phase Three (August – September)
Approximately eight semi-finalists will be selected. Semi-finalists will be reviewed by an external panel of professionals who will make recommendations to the Sherwood Team. These applicants will then interview with the Sherwood Team. Three finalists will then be selected.

Phase Four (October)
The three finalists will interview with the Sherwood Award Panel comprised of Dee Sherwood, the Sherwood Team, and additional Center Theatre Group artistic staff. By this point, all members of the Panel will have reviewed the candidates' work. Finalists will be announced in early October, and the Sherwood Award recipient will be announced at the Ovation Awards.


3.
McColl Artist in Residency
Deadline: June 6th
website: http://mccollcenter.org/artists-in-residence/residency-programs

McColl Center for Art + Innovation is a nationally acclaimed artist residency and contemporary art space in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its mission is to empower artists, advance communities, and contribute positive impacts to its broad public audience by introducing a range of current artistic practices. Located in the former Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Uptown Charlotte, McColl Center houses nine individual artist studios, more than 5,000 square feet of exhibition space, and multiple common-use spaces, including a studio for large-scale sculpture fabrication. We invite artists to take risks in their processes and explore their ideas within the context of Charlotte. We welcome the visiting public to connect with contemporary art and artists through exhibitions and public programs.
McColl Center annually awards residencies to approximately eighteen artists. Regional, national, and international artists are selected through a combination of open applications, invitations, and solicited nominations. The Artist-in-Residence Program is open to artists working in architecture, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, design, music, theatre, social practice, community organizing, urban agriculture, culinary arts, or interdisciplinary practices. The residency program provides a space for creative inquiry and exploration among a dynamic group of artists, thinkers, and practitioners.

Support

● $6,000 living allowance
● $2,000 materials stipend (prorated for residencies shorter than three months)
● Furnished one-bedroom condominium with Wi-Fi
● Private workspace (230–819 square feet) with Wi-Fi
● Participation in a group exhibition on the second or third floor of McColl Center
● Photo and video documentation
● Technical and administrative services
● Reimbursement for one round-trip economy-class flight
● Opportunities to engage with McColl Center audiences via public programs

Eligibility

● Minimum 21 years of age
● Matriculating students are not eligible.
● Past artists-in-residence of McColl Center should wait five years before applying for another residency. Artists are limited to two residencies at McColl Center.

Notification

Applicants will be notified of their application status in July 2018, or as soon as possible, depending on the availability of the reviewing panelists.


4.
DVRF Playwrights Program
Deadline: June 11th
Website: http://www.dvrf.org/about-the-program/

The Playwrights Program is an annual opportunity intended to help new and compelling full-length plays come to the attention of the greater public.

Each year the Dennis and Victoria Ross Foundation (DVRF) selects one previously unproduced play to receive an intensive development in New York City. This period is structured in dialogue with the playwright to best accommodate their needs and artistic goals for the piece. The program culminates in presentations to invited audiences featuring producers, directors, and other industry professionals.

Rules and Guidelines for Submission:
-We are seeking full-length plays only. While there is no strict minimum for length we suggest all submissions be at least 30 pages long.
-Submissions must be in English.
-No play that is currently under option, or has previously had a full, public production is eligible for selection. Submissions that have been developed previously or were under option must be accompanied by a brief summary of their developmental history.
-Please only one submission per playwright/playwriting team.
-The play must be original or based on material which the author previously was afforded the rights to.
-Playwrights must be residents of the United States and at least 18 years of age.
-This program is intended only for playwrights who will be able to attend at least a 1-2 week-long workshop and presentation in New York


5.
Fred Ebb Award
Deadline: 6/30/18
Website: http://fredebbfoundation.org/fred-ebb-award/eligibility/

Each applicant must be a composer/lyricist or composer/lyricist team wishing to create work for the musical theatre, and must not yet have achieved significant commercial success.

Application Materials:

A CD, flash drive, or electronic file of up to four songs from one or more musical theatre pieces, with typewritten lyrics and a description of the dramatic context for each song; and
A completed application form.
We will code the applications as they arrive. Because all submissions will be reviewed blind, please do not place name(s) of writer(s) on the CD, flash drive, electronic file names, lyric sheets, or description of dramatic context. Only musical theatre work will be considered. Please do not submit live recordings. The applicant(s) must have written all the songs included in the submission. For example, a composer cannot submit one song with her own lyrics, and a second song with lyrics by another writer. No individual may appear on more than one application. You cannot apply as an individual and again as part of a team, or as part of more than one songwriting team.

Submission Deadline and Award: Applications will be accepted from June 1st – June 29th.

Please mail or deliver applications to:

Fred Ebb Award, Roundabout Theatre
231 West 39th Street, Suite 1200
New York, New York 10018
OR
fredebbfound@gmail.com

Mailed submissions must be postmarked not later than June 30.

The winner will be selected in November and will receive $60,000. The Foundation will also produce a one-night showcase of the winner’s work.


6.
PEN Writing for Justice Fellowship
Deadline: July 1st
website: https://pen.org/writing-justice/

PEN America’s $10,000 Writing for Justice Fellowship will commission six writers—emerging or established—to create written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration and catalyze public debate.

The PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship aims to harness the power of writers and writing in bearing witness to the societal consequences of mass incarceration by capturing and sharing the stories of incarcerated individuals, their families, communities, and the wider impact of the criminal justice system. Our goal is to ignite a broad, sustained conversation about the dangers of over-incarceration and the imperative to mobilize behind rational and humane policies. As an organization of writers dedicated to promoting free expression and informed discourse, PEN America is honored to have been entrusted by the Art for Justice Fund to engage the literary community in addressing this pressing societal issue.

The Writing for Justice Fellowship is open-genre, and proposed projects may include—but are not limited to—fictional stories; works of literary or long-form journalism; theatrical, television or film scripts; memoirs; poetry collections; or multimedia projects. The most competitive applications will demonstrate how the proposed project will engage issues of reform, fuel public debate, crystallize concepts of reform, and facilitate the possibility of societal change. As part of our mission to stimulate discussion, emphasis will be placed on proposed projects that show strong promise for publication. Fellows must commit to contribute actively to bringing attention to their work and that of other Fellows. The Fellowship is open to writers at any stage of their career. Currently and formerly incarcerated writers are highly encouraged to apply, and special provisions will be made for incarcerated writers to participate through alternative methods.

Fellows will receive an honorarium of $10,000 and may request up to $5,000 in additional funding for travel and research. In addition to financial support, Fellows may choose to be paired with a mentor to serve as a source of guidance for the project, and the cohort will convene in person twice during the course of the Fellowship. PEN America will draw on the Writing for Justice Advisory Committee as well as its network of agents, editors, publishers, partner organizations and outlets in order to assist efforts for publication and dissemination of the work of the Fellows. Opportunities for sharing the created work through public forums will be organized in New York City at the PEN World Voices Festival, in the Fellow’s home community, and possibly additional locations.

FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE
The first eight months of the Fellowship are designed for Fellows to research, create, and connect with mentors and the cohort, working toward submission of a polished final product that is ready for publication. The final four months of the Fellowship will focus on placing the works for public dissemination and opportunities for Fellows to present their work publicly.

July 1, 2018: Deadline to apply
September 2018: Successful applicants notified
September–May 2018: Fellows work on their projects, meet with mentors
October TBD, 2018: Cohort meeting #1 (NYC)
February 8–10, 2019: Cohort meeting #2 (Location TBD)
April 2019: PEN World Voices Festival event featuring works in progress
May 2019: Work completed and submitted for publication
May–August 2019: Placing work and public presentations

ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for this Fellowship, the applicant must be

21 years of age or older.
An individual writer. Collaborative projects are acceptable, but only one project lead may apply and participate in the Fellowship’s activities.
A United States resident.
Available to participate actively in all dimensions of Fellowship programming, including mandatory gatherings and public programs. (The Fellowship will cover costs associated with these events, separately from the Fellowship honorarium and travel/research budget.) Currently incarcerated writers and formerly incarcerated writers on parole will participate through alternative means.
Able to demonstrate a track record of successful projects brought to completion on time.
Membership in PEN America is not required. Please see FAQs below for more information.

SELECTION CRITERIA AND PROCESS
Fellows will be selected on artistic merit, the project’s approach and potential for impact, and the feasibility of project to be fully completed and in polished, publishable form within the given time frame. Applications will be reviewed by PEN America and expert advisors through an anonymous process.

Applications close July 1, 2018. Fellows will be announced in September 2018.


7.
The Civilians R&D Lab
deadline: June 15th
website: https://form.jotform.com/81164454784160

The Civilians R&D Group is comprised of theater artists from various disciplines (writers, directors, composers, performance, etc.) interested in exploring different strategies for making theater from their own creative investigations and being a part of The Civilians' community of artists.

The R&D Group is organized around the idea of investigative theater, which we broadly define as any creative process of inquiry that feeds the creation of a performative work. Methods may include research, a community-based focus, interviews, or other experimental strategies of the artist's design. The artists meet on a regular basis for nine months to share their methodologies and the resulting work with the group, facilitated by the R&D Program Director. The generative artists in the group (writers, composers, etc.) are expected to attend all 12 sessions; regular attendance is critical and should be considered when applying.


Additionally, a group of directors are chosen to complete the group. Directors are invited to meetings, but not expected to attend all; the directors become more active at the end of the season, with the direction of the public readings.


The intention of the group is that each generative artist or team will finish a draft for public presentation by May 2019. Given the nature of the process, it is understood that these drafts will be in various stages of development when they are presented.


8.
Mabou Mines SUITE/Space
deadline: July 2nd
website: http://www.maboumines.org/suite-space-rfp/?utm_source=Mabou+Mines+Updates&utm_campaign=211aeb80b1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_05_08&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_06da9cf5be-211aeb80b1-116858919&mc_cid=211aeb80b1&mc_eid=e1099a1e39

Mabou Mines' new performance initiative SUITE/Space provides artistic mentorship, rehearsal space, and public performances in our 99-seat theater to artists that reflect NYC’s rich cultural landscape and share Mabou Mines’ commitment to breaking new ground in form and content.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE:
SUITE/Space is open to artists of color from historically underrepresented communities, especially those from the outer-boroughs of NYC, who exhibit a commitment to experimentation and a collaborative creative process. Multimedia, music, dance, theater, and cross-disciplinary projects are accepted.

Proposed projects should be either near production-ready or previously produced.

What SUITE/Space Artists Receive:
A $ 3,000 stipend and a 50-50 box office split.
30 hours of rehearsal space in Mabou Mines’ sunlit studio in the East Village.
Technical and administrative support.
Studio visits with the program’s artistic advisors.
10 hours of technical rehearsal in the theater.
Three SUITE/Space performances in a festival-like setting at Mabou Mines.

DATES:
The 2019 SUITE/Space Program will run from September 2018 – January/February 2019. Submissions open on June 1, 2018 and proposals are due by July 2, 2018. Four artists will be selected and notified in July/August 2018.


9.
BONDIT
Deadline: June 30th
website: https://bondit.us/grant/

Every 6 months, up to two filmmakers will be awarded this production grant of up to $30,000 in production funds. We announce the winner(s) 6 weeks after each final deadline. See Application Guidelines below for all deadlines and more info.

We are accepting applications from around the world (in English). Whether you have a simple screenplay or a film that’s already in production, we want to consider it for our grant program. We consider a range of projects, from standalone screenplays, to fully packaged projects seeking finishing funds.

If your aspirations are solely to become a produced screenwriter, you can rely on ScreenCraft and BondIt to package the winning script with a talented director and in-house production resources with up to $30,000 in cash financing, judged on a case-by-case basis, depending on each project’s budget and needs as determined by our internal jury of industry professionals.

In partnership with BondIt Media Capital, a film & media fund based in Beverly Hills, ScreenCraft is offering two production grants per year to talented filmmakers for narrative features, short films and TV pilot series scripts and documentaries that display originality, vision & exceptional potential. Grant amounts will vary from $10,000 to $30,000 depending on the scale and merit of each project. This program includes creative development from the ScreenCraft team and production guidance and resources from BondIt Media Capital and Buffalo 8 Productions.


10.
MISSION TO DITMARS:  Propulsion Lab
Deadline: June 30th 
Web: https://www.missiontoditmars.com/2018/05/19/submit-to-the-2018-2020-propulsion-lab/


The Propulsion Lab, our bi-weekly playwriting lab for Queens based playwrights, is opening submissions again this year! This is a 2 year residency with Mission to (dit)Mars, with the option for renewal at the end of your term. The lab meets every other Monday night in Astoria, and includes opportunities for Launch Pad readings, industry meet and greets, Queens based events, individual attention, and the opportunity to create amazing new plays.

Our guidelines are simple: you must be a playwright who lives in Queens at the time of application, with no immediate plans to relocate. The reason for this is simple: we want artists who live in Queens to be able to work on theater in Queens. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email us. Members of the Propulsion Lab have included Mac Rogers, Tori Keenan-Zelt, Mariah MacCarthy, Gus Schulenburg, and more!

Guidelines and submission details can be found here. The application closes on 11:59 pm Saturday, June 30th.


11.
Kampala International Theatre Festival
Deadline: June 30th
Website: https://kampalainternationaltheatrefestival.com/call-for-submissions-2018/

We are excited to announce the 5th edition of the Kampala International Theatre Festival that will take place from 23rd – 25th November 2018 in Kampala, Uganda. Artists from the disciplines of theatre are now invited to submit their applications. Next to full productions we also welcome staged readings or workshop productions. Applications are accepted until 30th June 2018.

You are requested to submit the following information:

A completed entry form (downloadable here)
A short biography (max. 800 words) with a recent headshot.
A one page statement clearly stating why you want to participate in the festival with the production you are proposing.
A presentation of your work: a copy of the script and a short video of its production if available or any other visuals that speak to your work. Please ensure 2-3 high resolution images and a 1-2 minute video for promotional purposes are included in your submission.
A technical rider/data sheet that includes everyone expected to participate in the production.
Please email your submission materials to info@kampalainternationaltheatrefestival.com by 30th June 2018

We will confirm receipt of your submission and assess your application. By the end of August 2018 you will be informed about the status of your application. Please note that we will be offering very limited rehearsal time. Therefore, your production needs to be ready for staging should you be selected to participate in the festival.

What we offer:
A modest performance fee to participating artists.
For artists from outside Uganda, ground transportation, modest accommodation and modest per diem. You are encouraged to source for support to cover travel, visa incl. insurance. Artists selected will receive a formal invitation to facilitate the solicitation for such support.
We thank you for your interest in participating in the Kampala International Theatre Festival and look forward to welcoming you to Uganda in November 2018!


12.
James Stevenson Prize for Short Plays
Deadline: July 1st
website: https://playingonair.org/stevensonprize

Submissions are now open for Playing on Air’s inaugural James Stevenson Prize for Short Plays.  In his editorial cartoons for The New Yorker, James Stevenson told stories about the human comedy with energy and economy. Playing on Air, a theater podcast and public radio show, will award three major prizes for short comedies that perpetuate Mr. Stevenson's spirit and wit, bringing the finest new American plays to a national audience - for free.

First prize is $7500 plus a podcast. Second prize is $2,000. Third prize is $1,000.

 Playing on Air invites writers to submit a short comedic play of 10-25 pages (not counting title page).
- All entries must be original, unproduced plays. Scripts may not be adapted from the playwright’s published or previously-produced work.
- Submissions will be judged for literary merit, originality, and regard for the spirit of James Stevenson.
- Special consideration will be given to the script’s suitability for audio recording, as well as public radio broadcast.  Single-character monologues and plays that rely on the extensive use of a chorus, cast doubling, stage directions, or visual elements are discouraged.
- Please do not include sound design cues or instructions beyond standard stage directions.

Formatting requirements: title page (with no author information), 12pt font, 1 inch margins on every side, and numbered pages


13.
Pen American Writing for Justice
Deadline: July 1st
website: https://pen.org/writing-justice/

PEN America’s $10,000 Writing for Justice Fellowship will commission six writers—emerging or established—to create written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration and catalyze public debate.

The PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship aims to harness the power of writers and writing in bearing witness to the societal consequences of mass incarceration by capturing and sharing the stories of incarcerated individuals, their families, communities, and the wider impact of the criminal justice system. Our goal is to ignite a broad, sustained conversation about the dangers of over-incarceration and the imperative to mobilize behind rational and humane policies. As an organization of writers dedicated to promoting free expression and informed discourse, PEN America is honored to have been entrusted by the Art for Justice Fund to engage the literary community in addressing this pressing societal issue.

The Writing for Justice Fellowship is open-genre, and proposed projects may include—but are not limited to—fictional stories; works of literary or long-form journalism; theatrical, television or film scripts; memoirs; poetry collections; or multimedia projects. The most competitive applications will demonstrate how the proposed project will engage issues of reform, fuel public debate, crystallize concepts of reform, and facilitate the possibility of societal change. As part of our mission to stimulate discussion, emphasis will be placed on proposed projects that show strong promise for publication. Fellows must commit to contribute actively to bringing attention to their work and that of other Fellows. The Fellowship is open to writers at any stage of their career. Currently and formerly incarcerated writers are highly encouraged to apply, and special provisions will be made for incarcerated writers to participate through alternative methods.

Fellows will receive an honorarium of $10,000 and may request up to $5,000 in additional funding for travel and research. In addition to financial support, Fellows may choose to be paired with a mentor to serve as a source of guidance for the project, and the cohort will convene in person twice during the course of the Fellowship. PEN America will draw on the Writing for Justice Advisory Committee as well as its network of agents, editors, publishers, partner organizations and outlets in order to assist efforts for publication and dissemination of the work of the Fellows. Opportunities for sharing the created work through public forums will be organized in New York City at the PEN World Voices Festival, in the Fellow’s home community, and possibly additional locations.


14.
YALE DRAMA SERIES
Deadline: August 15th
Website: http://dchornfoundation.org/competition-rules

The Yale Drama Series is seeking submissions for its 2019 playwriting competition. The winning play will be selected by the series' current judge, Ayad Akhtar. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, publication of his/her manuscript by Yale University Press, and a staged reading at Lincoln Center's Claire Tow Theater. The prize and publication are contingent on the playwright's agreeing to the terms of the publishing agreement.

There is no entry fee. Please follow these guidelines in preparing your manuscript:

1. This contest is restricted to plays written in the English language. Worldwide submissions are accepted.

2. Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays written in English. Translations, musicals, adaptations, and children's plays are not accepted. The Yale Drama Series is intended to support emerging playwrights. Playwrights may win the competition only once.

3. Playwrights may submit only one manuscript per year.

4. Plays that have been professionally produced or published are not eligible. Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production or that have been published as an actor’s edition will be considered.

5. Plays may not be under option, commissioned, or scheduled for professional production or publication at the time of submission.

6. Plays must be typed/word-processed, page-numbered, and in professional play format.

7. The Yale Drama Series reserves the right to reject any manuscript for any reason.

8. The Yale Drama Series reserves the right of the judge to not choose a winner for any given year of the competition and reserves the right to determine the ineligibility of a winner, in keeping with the spirit of the competition, and based upon the accomplishments of the author.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS:
The Yale Drama Series Competition strongly urges electronic submission. By electronically submitting your script, you will receive immediate confirmation of your successful submission and the ability to check the status of your entry.

Electronic submissions for the 2019 competition must be submitted no earlier than June 1, 2018 and no later than August 15, 2018. The submission window closes at midnight EST.

If you are submitting your play electronically, please omit your name and contact information from your manuscript. The manuscript must begin with a title page that shows the play's title, a 2-3 sentence keynote description of the play, a list of characters, and a list of acts and scenes. Please enter the title of your play, your name and contact information (including address, phone number, and email address), and a brief biography where indicated in the electronic submission form.

If you would like to submit an electronic copy of your manuscript please go to: https://yup.submittable.com/submit.


15.
Edgemar Center for the Arts
Deadline: rolling 
Website: www.edgemarcenter.org

Edgemar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica is a cultural art center designed by Frank Gehry, where theater, dance, music, visual arts, and our annual film festival, Cinema at the Edge, come together in one place.

Our Mission is to provide a physical environment that nurtures the creative process and encourages collaboration between writers, directors, actors, musicians, dancers, and visual artist; to create a learning environment for children and adults; and to invite the community to observe, engage, and interact to add its voices to our creative discovery.

They are currently in the process of reading and selecting new works for their 2019 season, so they’re seeking one-acts and full-length plays of all genres.


16.
Pint-Sized Showcase (UK)
Deadline: July 1st
website: https://www.pintsizedplays.com/callout

Each Pint-Sized showcases 5 pieces of new writing from the best in emerging talent, wrapped up with a live band playing tailor-made tracks written about the pieces involved, all with a sold-out audience and discounts at the bar.

We’re committed to supporting emerging writers at every level, and we publish a longlist of our favourite submissions. We’ll offer these writers feedback and advice throughout the year, and free entry to private sessions with our mentors, so if your script isn’t chosen for the show, it doesn’t mean we can’t offer you help in any other way.

This will be the first of our annual week-long festivals, with high-profile events and speakers during the day, and five brilliant pieces of writing performed every night!

HOW TO SUBMIT

Email your piece to pintsizedplays@gmail.com by 11pm on July 1st.

Pieces should be 10-15 minutes, either stand-alone shorts or excerpts from longer work.

Only one piece submitted per writer.

No need for pieces to fit a particular theme or genre; if it’s good writing, we’re interested in it. We’re unable to accommodate huge sets or technically complex shows, but we’ll always do our best.

No need to sell yourself in a cover letter - we read the plays separately from your emails.

Everything we offer is free; if you’re trying to submit and come across a page asking you to pay, you’re looking at Pint-Sized Plays, based in Wales, who are lovely and good people, but aren’t us.

WE OFFER

£150.00 fee paid to writers whose work is selected.

A mentor to give feedback on your work


17.
Lanesboro Artist Residency
deadline: June 29th
website: https://lanesboroarts.org/artist-residency-program/residency-program-application/

The Lanesboro Artist Residency Program, located in Lanesboro, MN (pop. 754), is supported by the Jerome Foundation and aims to provide an immersive, meaningful experience for emerging artists from Minnesota and the five boroughs of New York City. The program is unique in that it provides an entire rural community and its myriad assets as a catalytic vehicle for engagement and artistic experimentation, with staff working with each resident to create a fully-customized residency experience.

Lanesboro Arts’ goal is to be flexible and accommodating to artists, allowing them access to local resources needed for conceptualizing and realizing their place-based work. Lanesboro Arts recognizes “place-based work” as work that is specifically inspired by and designed for the place in which the work takes place; it can be a new project, or an interpretation of the artist’s current work tailored to engage the community of Lanesboro. The residency program was designed to align with and amplify Lanesboro Arts’ vision for communities–especially rural communities–to embrace artists as economic drivers, culture bearers, community builders, and problem solvers.

The residency is generally focused on studio time and community engagement. Ideally, scheduled events are balanced so that a mix of intentional and small-scale events, informal and formal events, and events larger in scope and open to the general public take place. Depending on the artist, outreach could engage community members in the topics and issues raised by or inspired by their project, the process of art making, or both.

Eligibility
Artists of all disciplines are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Artists must be legal residents of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City and have been residents for at least one year prior to the submission of an application.

Artists are paid $1,000/week and are provided studio and lodging space.

Lanesboro Arts does not cover material or transportation costs; these expenses should be factored into the $1,000/week stipend.

Artist groups are eligible to apply, but the weekly stipend is the same and must then be split amongst the collective.

Lanesboro Arts will work with each individual artist to customize their residency, aligning resources and connections to make their time in Lanesboro as fruitful as possible.

Artists must submit their application through the online webform on Lanesboro Arts website.

Artists are eligible to apply for 2 or 4 week residencies, and residency dates can be flexible (and split between two visits if that best suits your practice).

Lanesboro Arts Residencies can be scheduled any time in 2019 except for May, June, or July. Residencies scheduled in April or August are preferred and would be most optimal, however Lanesboro Arts staff is interested in considering proposals with flexible and dynamic artists for the months of January, February, March, September, October, November, and December. Residencies generally begin on the 1st or 16th of each month and end on the 15th or last day of each month for periods of 2 or 4 weeks. If selected for a residency, Lanesboro Arts staff will work with you to determine the exact dates best for all parties.

Artists are required to list their top three choices of dates for their residency. If selected for a residency, Lanesboro Arts staff will work with you to determine the exact dates best for all parties.

The primary goal of eligible artists must be to generate new works, as opposed to remounting or re-interpreting existing works.


18.
CORE Summer Reading Series
Deadline: June 21st
website: http://www.coreartistensemble.org/collaborate/

Core Artist Ensemble is currently accepting script submissions for our upcoming 2018 Summer Readings Series. This season, we are fully embracing the resurgence of audio storytelling by focusing on that form as our primary medium.

We are excited to begin development of an anthology-style podcast, which will feature a new audio play every episode. Each story will explore the influence that technology has on our relationships and individual identities — the rapidly shifting and evolving shape of human connection as a consequence of modern advancements.

Let’s face it, modern communication technology now touches every part of our lives, from the nuances of our everyday interactions to its extreme influence on the culture at large, including national politics and storytelling. At Core Artist Ensemble, we’re looking for stories that investigate these changes and make vivid the ramifications of entering this brave new world.

If you’re looking for topical inspiration, there are several excellent non-fiction technology- and culture-related podcasts that might stoke your imagination. Reply All and Note to Self are a couple of our favorites. Salon.com has put together a comprehensive list of others you might might find idea provoking.

This year, writers will not be constrained by page limits. Take as much or as little time as you need to tell your story effectively. Anything from a short play to a series pilot to a full-length audio play is welcome.

As always, the Summer Reading Series will serve as a chance to workshop material for potential future production. This year, we will select a handful of scripts from the reading series to record as fully produced audio plays.  Our hope is to curate a diverse collection of stories that exist within the same alternative present or not-so-distant future.

These stories should be told purely with dialogue and sound effects, with setting and ambiance indicated by sound cues. Keep in mind that during the reading series sound cues will be read like stage directions, but plays chosen for audio production will be fully produced with sound mixing and effects.

Other technical specifications:

  •   On your cover page, please include your name and contact information.

  •   Email your script to lit@coreartistensemble.com by Thursday, June 21st.

  •   Label your script document with your name as follows: last_first_script title

Selected plays will be given public readings during our upcoming summer development festival, taking place in the 99-seat TBG Theatre at The Barrow Group over three weekends in July and August. It's possible we may organize a writers room / development workshop prior to the readings, as an opportunity for selected writers to further polish their plays in a collective environment.

If you have any questions regarding the prompt or the reading series itself, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to reading your submissions!


*FILM/MULTIMEDIA ADDITIONS*

1.
BRIC Intimate Eye: Black Box Filmmaking
Deadline: June 10th
website: www.bricartsmedia.org/events-performances/300-stipend-writers-intimate-eye-black-box-filmmaking

BRIC is seeking short 5-8 minute scripts to be produced as part of an innovative new program. The scripts will be staged by a professional acting and directing team, then turned into a film by a group of media artists at BRIC.

Whether you are an experienced and produced playwright or screenwriter, or a first-timer, BRIC wants your short scripts.

2.
Writers House Residences
Deadline: June 17th
website: https://hubcity.org/programs/residencies/

The Writers House offers two residencies per year in an historic cottage in downtown Spartanburg, S.C. The program is open to emerging writers in the United States who have completed a college degree (BA, BFA, MA, MFA, PhD) in creative writing within the past five years or are pursuing a graduate degree (MFA, MA, or PhD) in writing. Residents receive lodging, utilities, and a stipend; they are responsible for their own transportation and meals. The residencies include a community service component of 15 weeks with the Hub City Writers Project, and offer a stipend of $650 a month.

The next residency opportunities are:

• A 15-week Fall residency from September 3, 2018 to December 17, 2018

• A 15-week Spring residency from January 7, 2019 to May 2, 2018

The program is targeted at early-career writers, preferably without a published book. In addition to uninterrupted writing time, the residencies offer opportunities for service at Hub City Press and Bookshop, for presentation of workshops or readings, and for literary projects of your own in Spartanburg, where there is a vibrant literary community. The ideal candidate is self-motivated, outgoing, interested in multiple aspects of the literary field, and has a desire to engage with the Spartanburg community. They accept applications from writers in the following categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, screen- and playwriting.

INTERESTED?
The submission deadline is June 17, 2018


3.
Videocamp
Deadline: June 21st
website: http://www.filmdaily.tv/grants/videocamp-film-fund

The Videocamp Film Fund is among the largest of its kind in the world. The winning project will receive US$400,000 to produce a movie on Inclusive Education.

What are we looking for? Well, definitely not movies that simply trace the history of the topic, or analyse what makes an inclusive classroom. We are seeking a curious and sensitive director with the creative vision to make an important film that breaks down barriers related to attitudes, pedagogy, architecture, or communication.

This film is also sensitive to interpersonal relationships that emphasise diversity, as well as collaborative strategies and inclusive support networks. Finally, this is a film that will broaden social perceptions about how all students, with and without disabilities, benefit from an education that is founded upon inclusive citizenship, and which fosters community through a commitment to diversity.

Films should be in development.

Entries:

Must be either unfunded, or: if previously awarded other funds, they must comply with the terms of the Videocamp Film Fund, if these other funds are granted/received prior to the date of submission of your project to this Fund.

May be in production, or not

Can be documentary, fiction or animation

Entrants must have: a) all the exclusive rights to the related work; b) I have the total artistic, budgetary and editorial control of the work; c) complete authority to sign up for Videocamp Film Fund

All crew candidates should be 18 or more

Applicants must provide:

Crew bios

Film title, type (documentary, fiction or animation), length

You always need a Film Business Plan to get funding from investors.

Project history (2100 characters words on stage of development), list of locations

Summarising sentence

Synopsis (3000 characters)

Treatment (10000 characters)

Why the project matters to them/how it originated (3500 characters)

Whether it refers to or is based on another work (300 characters)

Strategic plan (based on the model of The Impact Field Guide & Toolkit of Doc Society, max 20MB),

Marketing and distribution strategy (3000 characters),

How they plan to engage their audience (3000 characters),

Work plan/schedule

Budget spreadsheet,

Misc: Any extra files (e.g. script)

Grant Deadline: 21 June

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Redefining Racism


If you called racism ‘Cultural Aspergers’ you could convince most white ppl that their prejudice is a national health crisis, and get insurance companies to pay for their treatment. This thought popped in my head yesterday and I laughed. It was a joke of transformation, but then I sat with it and the punchline became a provocative idea. As ridiculous as it sounds, I started imagining what diagnosis for Cultural Asperbergers would look like from the outside. Effective treatment could involve re-education, cultural awareness, and lots of therapy. I think most racist are highly damaged ppl projecting their own problems onto a scapegoat group. Deal with their damage and the need side effects of it (misogyny, racism, homophobia) get reduced. And racism could be considered a national health crisis that cuts across a broad swath of the population and effects millions psychologically and physiologically.

Some Asperger advocates might take offense or consider this a 'cheeky' turn of a phrase that reduced the importance of their disease, but I think it's quite the opposite.  There is no offense meant to ppl with Aspbergers because people acknowledge it as a real disease. The disease definition is was meant to highlight the daily offense people of color experience under systemic racism that continues to be ignored, except in celebrity or tabloid cases.

The thought I had last night was that racism is a serious national problem which continues to be ignored on a systemic level b/c most white ppl a) don't believe they're racist b) don't believe racism really exists c) and mostly believe racism applies to white ppl being discriminated against...and this is how most white ppl feel today according to polls. It is also how most white ppl felt 50 yrs ago in polls (yes in the midst of the civil rights movement) and -I suspect- how most white ppl will feel 50 yrs from now no matter how much evidence is presented.

When a patient refuses treatment you have a problem. When an entire group of patients not only refuse treatment but spread their condition to others you have a crisis. In addressing racism you have a group of ppl who adamantly refuse to address a problem despite numerical facts, evidence, and testimonials then a new radical solution is needed to ppl who refuse any rationale and who get mortally offended and experience extreme white fragility if you even dare to try to fix a problem that they are complicit in creating (and in many cases are so far gone they will flip it and say that they are the REAL victims of the system they benefit from..once again despite having no evidence). Since we don't fix problems in this country any more and never really fixed problems for ppl of color, the only industry that at least tries to treat or deal with issues is the therapy/treatment industry. Doctors and therapist, however, will not address a wide swath of problems unless someone pays for it, and they receive most of their money from insurance companies and the government-run healthcare. The government and health industry will not pay for anything this endemic unless it is classified as a disease. If you need an example, take a look at alcoholism which was and is a serious national epidemic.

Alcoholism killed millions of people every year since the creation of the modern distillation system. It is the easiest substance to abuse in Western culture since the start of the industrial age, but no one did anything. Alcoholism -and all its tributary horrors like car accidents and infants born with damaged brains- was just considered something people had to accept. And really the only people who were alcoholics were the 'morally weak' and 'degenerate' in the eyes of the good upstanding public. Alcoholics are nasty and freakish, but my Dad works on Wall Street and just needs to learn how to control his liquor is how the corkscrew logic went for generations. White-collar and blue-collar people perished at astronomical numbers and across all race, class, and geographic lines. But despite the overwhelming abundance of evidence that there was a serious problem, no fine gentleman or gentlewoman thought of themselves as alcoholics, and certainly didn't think that society fostered their rampant drinking. AA was formed, but the issue still existed on the fringes and treatment was rare. At a certain point, a shift was needed.

People needed to detach shame and moral judgment from the epidemic and they needed practical treatment for the average person. Betty Ford acknowledged her problem and then alcoholism wasn't just for bums with brown paper bags. The First Lady of the United States was dealing with this issue. But few alcoholics had 'First Lady' status and money for treatment. Some people started calling alcoholism 'a disease' to push the healthcare industry into covering treatment. Now people in the medical industry who treat diseases were -at first- very offended by this. but the alcoholics argued that a radical new definition was needed to a) reframe the problem b) reduce guilt so that ppl felt they could ask for help c) have health insurance pay for costly treatment.

For racism, I think this model could work. The racial problem in America a) needs to be reframed b) reduced in guilt so that white people can actually acknowledge it exists w/o feeling shame c) understand how they fit within this epidemic and d) have someone -like the health industry pay for millions of people getting treatment. The 'disease' redefinition does all of this. Most white ppl think of Aspbergers as a legitimate problem...and it is. Most white ppl do not think racism is a legitimate b/c it is not qualifiable in their world as a real thing that affects them. But the terminology of 'disease' and 'epidemic' not only affects everyone but calls for systemic answers.   

Monday, May 28, 2018

The Chiffon Trenches

There is an exquisite kind of misery in the rich shops of Manhattan. Everyone seems to be on the verge of tears, like they're going to be set off if the cucumber water isn't the right temperature. It wasn't my intention to observe this on Memorial Day, but I was just wandering around when I suddenly felt totally invisible.

If you've ever been invisible-ized you know that creeping sensation. The links fade, you lose all eye contact or sense of acknowledgement in a public space. The human wifi goes out and you're trying to pick up a faint signal. The pinwheel spins and spins and you can see all the available connections in a neighborhood but you don't have any of the passwords. So I went without the connection. There's a freedom to not being on anybody's wavelength. No one was rude to me, but rudeness would have to acknowledge existence and since I was invisible there was no person to be rude toward.

I watched the fussiness, the exasperation, the gourmet indignation of the patrons. If anger is for the masses this was the ire of the few. Aristocratic ire! Poor people's anger is like ketchup: you can spread it on anything. It's loud, filled with chemicals, and tangy. It drowns out other stuff. You can dunk your fries in poor people's anger. You smother your burger in it. That cheap Ketchup taste is like acidic neon red globs. When I think of poor people's anger I think of those little ketchup packets kids crush on the sidewalk. *SPLAT*

But this ire was so fine, like panne cotta and gelato with a tiny spoon, like the carmelized candy surface of creme brulee. And the gourmet disdain was directed at everyone: their kids, the shops, other rich ppl, the world itself seemed to be frustrating their quest to eschew all irritation and remain eternally unbothered. I didn't want to get in the way of this ire. I stayed back in the shadows.

Meme This

Is it too late to say
what I should have done by 35,
post an old headshot,
dump an ice bucket on your drag wig
and Macarena to raise awareness of Boko Haram?
Did all the bees die before I could tweet?

Friday, May 18, 2018

Fix It Yourself

Maybe there is an idiot president,
lying, bullying, abusing,
stumbling over graves and heroes,
playing on our sins and devils for ratings,
captivating our screens
making us complicit in his creation.

Maybe there is an idiot president.
No more blind spots and platitudes for you.
No forgiving makeup for white America.
Every ugly lie in neon orange.
Exhausting outrage and exposing the real horror.
That the actions I see, the words I hear,
exist as a shadow, a ghost, a reflection in a lake.

Maybe there is an idiot president
so poor in spirit and substance,
that he babbles about chocolate cake,
and mansions, and golf courses, and Playmates,
and helicopters, and magazine covers.
He babbles in surreality, beyond facts,
and into an uglier truth,
an absurd decadent nightmare.
Making me see my own greed and stupidity,
exposing emotional poverty.

Maybe there is an idiot president,
a braggart, a sexual predator and philanderer
who ignites marches, driving women to the polls,
decimating Evangelicals no longer able to lie,
unable to pretend that their hatred is God's will,
they can't stand for any morals when they stand with him.

Maybe there is an idiot president
fitting, appropriate, deserving of his people,
who feed themselves flag pins and anthems
and bumperstickers and aphorisms and dream boards
and selfies and self-help, and chicken soup for the soul
and prosperity gospels and profit prophets and fresh-to-death angels
and billionaire Shivas and slim-fast Jesus and rapstar Buddhas
and glittering garbage as treasure
and #mefirst more than #metoo
and watered the ground with pretty little perjuries,
salacious slander and deceit.

When the last president said 'we are the change,'
we fell asleep, craddled in our comfort.
'I voted for a black man,' so I'm off the hook.
Not realizing that 'Fix it, nigger'
is the real national anthem.
We slept in late, beating the pillow of our good opinion.
The Buddhas came kindly and with gifts,
cheering us on, and our hatred oozed out anyway.
His kindness was too unfamiliar. He must be from Kenya.
He can't be one of us. He doesn't like to play in the mud,
and throw his feces at the walls, and scream and rant.
He must be a Muslim or a bisexual. He has to be an 'other.'

So now the Buddhas come with wrath and war,
screaming and stomping the ground.
threatening fire and fury, nuclear holocaust,
and repealing the estate tax,
smokestacks in every schoolhouse,
clean coal in every crib.

The idiot president set the house on fire.
We run around in horror. Who did this?
We look for the idiot president and only find a mirror.
And we are awake. 

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

The Decline and Fall of American Power

Trump pulled out of TPP, and the Asian countries in the deal said they would continue on without the United States.

Trump pulled us out of the Paris Agreement, and every single country in the world (with the exception of Syria) said they would continue on with the climate change agreement for the betterment of humanity.

Trump pulled us out of the Iran Nuclear Agreement, and all the other countries in Europe and Asia said they will still honor the agreement and continue on without the US.

In America, we tend to 'catastrophize' bad foreign policy news as being a disaster for everybody. Our egos make us think 'we are the world' and if we aren't in charge then there is a leadership vacuum and the ozone layer won't heal, terrorists will get nukes, our president will start WW 3, Asian nations won't be able to negotiate free trade. But something much more poignant is happening: we are getting left behind. Nature and diplomacy abhor a vacuum. In lieu of our incompetence, China gets more power, Russia becomes a world player again, Japan starts to craft deals with other Asian nations without consulting us, Africa nations just cut deals with other countries and forget about us as partners.

MAGA's isolationist racism is bad for business, politics, and negotiations. It's hastening our decline and ensuring the end of the American empire of power. And if you cheer the end of American power, just remember the vacuum of our leadership isn't getting filled by Western democracies. In our decline kleptocrats, international mafia conglomerates, and autocratic dictators have taken control. But the rest of the world isn't imploding b/c of American ineptitude. They are stepping over our corpse and going about their business.

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Trump's Enablers

Time and time again Trump gets ppl to lie, steal and completely destroy their reputation/finances/career for him. In only a few years he has laid waste to hundreds of high-level consultants, lawyers, political operatives, doctors, politicians, sons, daughters, journalists. Seemingly intelligent ppl are going bankrupt, mortgaging their houses, raiding their kid's college fund to pay for legal fees to cover-up his obvious lies. He gets ppl to literally pledge their loyalty to him and then fucks them over, dumps them, and move on. He's like the 'bad boy' in high school who breaks your heart and has a line of suitors waiting to get hurt. Does he have hypnotic powers? Is it really just money? Are ppl that easy to dupe or is there a certain class that enjoys being so blatantly used? I can't even get friends I've known for 10 yrs to take a subway transfer to meet me for lunch! I couldn't get a best friend to lie at Chili's and say it's my birthday so we could get free desserts. Meanwhile, ppl are lining up to light themselves on fire for someone who has ZERO loyalty or credibility. It. Is. Incredible. Where do these gullible ppl exist? Can I get a Costco card to pick up a 12-pack of these fools? Just think of the power I could have if I had access to these many enablers? I could take over the world, or start an off-broadway theatre company and pay off the NYTimes for rave reviews for mediocre plays that then trickle down into the theatre landscape for generations, or produce another awful Indiana Jones movie. Okay, I'm making a 'loyalty pledge' sign up sheet. If you wanna fuck with me, you gotta pledge unwavering devotion to all of my bullshit and say it's my birthday when we go to Chili's.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Get What You Want: May 2018


1.
CBS WRITERS MENTORING PROGRAM (it's in LA)
deadline: 5/1/18
website: https://www.cbscorporation.com/diversity/diversity-institute/writers-mentoring-program/

There are many different paths writers can follow to get their first foothold in being hired in television. As part of its ongoing commitment to create additional access for writers of diverse backgrounds CBS’ Diversity Institute has launched a different kind of writers program which highlights one of those paths. The focus of this eight-month program is on opening doors: providing opportunities to build relationships with network executives and showrunners; to support new and emerging writers in their efforts to improve their craft; and to develop the interpersonal skills necessary to break in and succeed. The Writers Mentoring Program is not employment and there is no monetary compensation. It is, instead, a structured program of career development, support, and personal access to executives and the decision-making processes, with the goal of preparing aspiring writers for later employment opportunities in television. Each participant will be teamed with an executive mentor.

A CBS network or studio executive with whom they will meet on a regular basis, to discuss their work, get creative feedback on their material and get advice and support in furthering their career.
Once a week, participants will be invited to attend a small workshop-style meeting with various CBS showrunners and other industry professionals. Speakers include executive producers, agents, managers, development and current executives and showrunners. The purpose of these gatherings is for participants to gain a better understanding of how the business works from many different perspectives as well as creating the opportunity to make critical networking connections. Another important part of the Program is the opportunity for each participant to spend time observing in a writing room, as well as in the CBS current and development departments. Each participant will have help in creating a rigorous career action plan and there will be on-going support in evaluating and achieving those goals. Another important benefit of the Program is the development of a close-knit peer support group that will sustain participants through the program and beyond. The CBS Writers Mentoring Program helps aspiring writers to understand the unwritten rules of breaking in and moving up. It is a combination of mentoring and networking opportunities. Program opportunities such as mentoring, workshops, and observing can be scheduled around participants’ existing work commitments. In order for a participant to get the most out of the Program a meaningful commitment of time and effort are required. It’s been found that in order to derive the greatest benefit from the Program, participants should be available to 1) attend a once a week (evening) workshop and 2) attend meetings or observe in various situations for a minimum of five full days (not necessarily in sequence) over the course of the eight-month Program.

Eligibility
The primary focus of The CBS Diversity Institute’s Writers Mentoring Program is to provide access and opportunities for talented and motivated diverse writers. Aspiring diverse writers with a strong desire to write for CBS television series are encouraged to apply. You must be 21 or older to be eligible.   All completed application materials must be received between March 1, 2018 and May 1, 2018. Any submissions received before March 1st or after May 1st, 2018 will not be considered. No hand delivered submissions will be accepted. Finalists will be notified in mid-September 2018 (or such later date as may be determined by CBS). The Program is scheduled to begin in October, 2018 and continues through April 1, 2019. CBS reserves the right to make adjustments to Program schedule.

Application Materials  ~
Each submission must be complete in order to be considered. A complete application packet includes:

Application
Letter of Interest
Work Resume or Bio
Two (2) Writing Samples: one (1) half-hour or one-hour episodic spec script based on a current prime time television series which aired, or was released, during the 2017/2018 season on any network or cable channel, including Netflix, Hulu or Amazon and (1) original work of writing – (original pilot, stage play or short fiction story). Original material should match in tone the spec script.
A signed Submission Release form for the writing samples.
Please submit all documentation in PDF form.

Contact information must include an e-mail address for further communication from CBS. Applications cannot be processed until they are complete. Writing samples will not be returned.

Apply for the 2018 -2019 Writers Mentoring Program: https://wmp.cbscorporation.com/form/application/


2.
OX BOW FALL WRITERS' RESIDENCY
Deadline: 5/1/18
Website: http://www.ox-bow.org/apply-for-a-residency/

Ox-Bow’s Artist-in-Residence program, located in Saugatuck, MI, offers artists and writers the time, space, and community to encourage growth and experimentation in their practice. During the fall residents are given the time, solitude, and focus often unavailable to so many working artists.

At Ox-Bow, artists can enjoy 24-hour access to their studios, and an inspirational setting, free from the expectations of commercial and academic demands. During the fall season, Artists-in-Residence have the opportunity to work in studios not available during the summer session. The fall is an ideal time for writers to apply as there are studios dedicated specifically to them. It’s also a great time to propose group or collaborative work. The residency is open to all visual art disciplines and writers.

The residency provides:
• Studio (access to ceramic, printmaking, and painting studios—if you would like access to these facilities make sure this is clearly stated in your application)
• Private room
• Meals
• A community of engaged artists
• Opportunities to share work: slide presentations and/or readings

We are happy to announce that in 2016 Ox-Bow furthered its commitment to the needs of artists by no longer charging fees for the residency program (including application, room & board, and residency fees). All accepted residents are fully funded. Artists may apply for additional stipends to help pay for the cost of travel, supplies, and time away from work.

To find out more about Ox-Bow’s AIR program and to apply, visit our website: http://www.ox-bow.org


3.
ACADEMY NICHOLL SCREENWRITING FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: 5/1/18 (late deadline with larger fee)
Website: http://www.oscars.org/nicholl/about

Each year, the Academy Nicholl screenwriting competition awards up to five $35,000 fellowships to amateur screenwriters. To enter, submit a feature-length screenplay and entry fee via the online application when the competition is open for submissions. Fellowship winners are invited to participate in awards week ceremonies and seminars and expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during the Fellowship year.

QUALIFICATIONS
Screenwriters who have not earned more than $25,000 writing fictional work for film or television.

Entry scripts must be the original work of one writer, or of two writers who collaborated equally, and must be written originally in English. Adaptations and translated scripts are not eligible.

NEW FOR 2017: Full-time students at an accredited college/university are eligible for a discount on their entry fee in 2017. Indicate your status in the demographic section of your online application. The discount will be offered in the payment section.

PRIZES
Up to five $35,000 fellowships are awarded each year to promising new screenwriters. From the program’s inception in 1986 through 2016, $4.090 million has been awarded to 160 writers.

FELLOWSHIP OBLIGATIONS
Up to five fellows in the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition will be invited to participate in awards week ceremonies and seminars in November.

Fellowship recipients will be expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during the fellowship year.

Fellowship payments will be made quarterly subject to satisfactory progress of the recipient’s work, as judged by the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee.

The Academy reserves the right to grant no awards if, in the opinion of the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee, no entry is of sufficient merit.


4.
I AM SOUL RESIDENCY (National Black Theatre)
Deadline: 5/1/18
Website: http://www.nationalblacktheatre.org/playwrights-residency

 I AM SOUL recognizes one black playwright annually whose work demonstrates exceptional artistic merit and excellence in the field. Alongside NBT’s Theatre Arts Director, the selected playwright will develop a new play during the 18 month residency. The program will provide the playwright with a stipend [pending funding], administrative and dramaturgical support, in-house readings, one 29-hour workshop and a workshop production in NBT’s following season

 With I AM SOUL, NBT seeks to deepen the artistic relationship between black theatrical institutions and black playwrights, and to begin to re-establish black theatrical institutions as the foremost supporters and producers of new works created by black playwrights.


5.
ARCH AND BRUCE BROWN PRODUCTION GRANTS
Deadline: year-around, but it takes 60-90 days for a response.
website: http://aabbfoundation.org/grant-guidelines

The Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation offers grants to production companies to offset expenses in producing theatrical works (plays, musicals, performance art, operas, choral works, orchestral works with text) and film or video. All works must be LGBTQ-themed and must be based on, or inspired by, history. See What Is Historical? for more information.

Grants may be used toward any aspect of a production. Grants do not exceed $1,500; the amount of each is decided on an individual basis.  When choosing which projects to fund, the foundation gives priority to new works and to productions aimed at creating new audiences for LGBTQ-themed performing-arts works. Please note: The foundation no longer supports revivals of plays by well-known LGBTQ playwrights.

Please be advised that the foundation is NOT a production company. Grantees are responsible for producing the works for which they receive grants.

Also, please note that the foundation makes production grants only to incorporated not-for-profit entities such as theatrical companies, film and video production organizations, and the like. If you are an individual not associated with a not-for-profit organization that will produce your work, you are not eligible for consideration for a production grant. If you or your group is not an incorporated not-for-profit but is affiliated with a not-for-profit that can act as your fiscal sponsor, please tell us the name of that organization and provide documentation of its 501(c)3 status.

Proposals may be submitted throughout the year; please allow 60 to 90 days for a response.


6.
AURAND HARRIS MEMORIAL PLAYWRITING AWARD 
Deadline: May 1st
Website: http://www.netconline.org/aurand-harris-award.php

This award was created in 1997 to honor the late Aurand Harris (1915-1996) for his lifetime dedication to all aspects of professional theatre for young audiences.

The winning script will receive a $1000 cash prize, and the runner-up will receive a $500 cash prize. A staged reading of the award-winning scripts, or of selected scenes from those scripts, may be given at the annual NETC convention in the fall or on another occasion.

Eligibility
The contest is for new full-length plays for young audiences. No musicals nor plays targeted at adult audiences.

Plays submitted to the contest must not have been:

-previously published

-submitted to NETC’s Gassner Playwriting Contest

-previously produced by a professional or Equity company.

-Plays submitted which have had workshop productions or staged readings are eligible and encouraged.

Plays submitted to this contest may have been submitted to another playwriting contest, and may have previously won a prize or an award in another contest. However, such plays must not have been published or professionally produced andmust not be under option for publication or professional production.

Playwrights may submit only one play to the contest in one year.

Submission Guidelines
Playwrights should email a copy of their script to mail@netconline.org. Only manuscripts submitted electronically will be considered.

Along with your script, please include:

a statement that the play will not have been published or professionally produced as of April 15, 2018, and that it is not under option for publication or professional production and will not be under such option as of April 15, 2018.

a list of the play’s workshop and non-professional productions, if any, and awards received, if any.


7.
Dramatists Guild Fund Fellowship
Deadline: 5/2/18
Website: https://dgf.org/fellows-application/

DGF Fellows is open to playwrights and musical theater writers who have participated in an organized theatrical workshop within the last ten years, have participated in a graduate program in theatrical writing within the last five years, or have comparable experience, such as one or more professional productions. Musical theater writers may apply as individuals or in teams of up to three collaborators. Playwrights may only apply as individuals.

Admitted playwrights and musical theater writers will receive a stipend, and meet twice a month in NYC to share progress on their pieces and receive feedback from Program Chairs, guest artists, and the Fellows class.

Early fall 2018: Selected Fellows announced

Application materials can only be submitted online.

The full application will consist of:

• Excerpts from a play or musical in development. Please note that you must apply with excerpts from the show you would like to develop in the program.

• A cover letter responding to the following prompt: “Describe a time when you felt part of a community.”

• A letter of recommendation from a theater educator, mentor, collaborator or colleague. This is optional, however, DGF will require this of some applicants based on experience.

DGF encourages writers of all backgrounds to apply.

For questions, please email applications@dgf.org or call 212-391-8384.
You can also Tweet your questions to @dgfound.


8.
Geffen Playhouse Writers' Room
Deadline: 5/7/18
Website: http://www.geffenplayhouse.org/thewritersroom

The Geffen Playhouse is thrilled to launch the inaugural cycle of The Writers’ Room, a group for Los Angeles-based playwrights. During this one-year residency, playwright members will gather monthly at the Geffen to share their work and receive feedback from their peers in a forum facilitated by Rachel Wiegardt-Egel, the Geffen’s Manager of New Play Development. Applications are open to all Los Angeles-based playwrights regardless of career level.

We invite local playwrights to apply with ambitious new projects. In order to apply, please send a one page project proposal and a 20 page writing sample (from a previous full-length play) to thewritersroom@geffenplayhouse.org. The project proposal should include: your name, your email address, your phone number, your permanent address (including zip code), and the title of your writing sample, as well as a description of the plot and style of the play you’d like to work on during this one-year residency and why you would benefit from taking part in The Writers’ Room program. Please send both the proposal and writing sample as PDFs.

The Writers’ Room group will meet once a month on Monday nights from September 2018 through July 2019 (with the exception of two meetings each in September and October of 2018). Readings of each play will take place in summer 2019. While we understand that conflicts can be unpredictable, please do not apply if you know you will be unavailable on Mondays or will be out of town for an extended period of time that will cause you to miss more than two of the monthly meetings. If you are unsure whether your conflicts will prohibit you from participating, please note this in your proposal.


9.
Sundance Institute - Screenwriters Lab
Deadline May 15
Website: http://www.sundance.org/programs/feature-film#labs

The development track has one open application that allows your fiction feature work-in-progress screenplay to be considered for the following programs, fellowships, and grants:

Screenwriters Lab (held annually in January)
Screenwriters Intensive (held annually in March)
FilmTwo Initiative (Intensive held annually in March; for filmmakers developing their second fiction feature)
Sundance Institute Asian American Fellowship
Sundance Institute Feature Film Program Latinx Fellowship
Sundance Institute Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship and Commissioning Grant (for projects with scientific and/or technological content)
Sundance Institute Open Borders Fellowship (for international directors based outside the U.S.)
Our application includes questions to determine your eligibility for each program and fellowship, and you will automatically be considered for all programs and fellowships for which you are eligible. (There is no open application for the Directors Lab, which is typically populated by projects that have been supported through a previous development program.)


10.
The Relentless Award
Deadline: May 15th
Website: http://www.americanplaywritingfoundation.org/the-relentless-award.html

 WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Plays that are challenging.
Plays that exhibit fearlessness.
Plays that are not mainstream.
Plays that exude passion.
Plays that are relentlessly truthful.
The American Playwriting Foundation encourages submissions by first time playwrights, women and playwrights of color.

PRIZE:

The author of the Relentless Award-winning play will receive $45,000.
The winning playwright will have the option to have the winning play published by the Dramatists Play Service.
The winning playwright will have a week-long residency at SPACE on Ryder Farm, an artist residency program housed on a working organic farm in Brewster, New York. The author can elect to have a director, a dramaturg and actors join him or her while in residence on the farm.
The selected play will have a national roll-out through the Ed Vassallo Relentless Reading Series, established to help bring to life and develop the winning play by presenting a series of staged readings at some of the top theaters across the United States.
When the winning play is selected, three runners-up will also be named.
DEADLINES:

Submissions will be accepted from March 1, 2016 through May 2, 2016. Submissions must be sent via this website by 11:59pm EST, May 2, 2016.
ELIGIBILITY/CRITERIA FOR SUBMISSION:

Any unproduced play written by a United States citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) is eligible for The Relentless Award.
Each play must be submitted with a letter from a theater professional recommending the play. “Theater Professional” is defined as anyone who has worked in theater in any artistic capacity for a minimum of four years.
Plays with a producer, producing organization or theater attached are not eligible.
As much as we love them, one-act plays, musicals and plays for children are not eligible.
The author must be at least 21 years old.
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR PLAY:

Use the form on our website to submit your play and accompanying letter of recommendation to The American Playwriting Foundation.
NOTE: please DO NOT have your name or other identifying info (email/phone number) on any of your manuscript pages. Please also exclude agent info, development info, and dedications.This will preserve the author's anonymity for the judges.
Please provide your script file in pdf (rather than Word documents), with the title format: TITLE OF PLAY.pdf. Do not include your name in the file script title.
You'll receive confirmation that your script and accompanying materials have been received. As submissions are processed manually, please allow up to two weeks to receive this confirmation.


11.
Mitten Lab
deadline: May 15th
website: https://www.themittenlab.org/apply

The MITTEN Lab is an artist residency located in Northern Michigan aimed at providing early career theatre artists with the time, space, and support to develop new theatrical works and engage with the local landscape.

The MITTEN Lab (A Michigan Incubator for Theatre Talent Emerging Now) was conceived to give early career theatre artists the opportunity to generate and showcase work in an encouraging environment as well as play a part in expanding and strengthening the development of new theatre in Michigan. Our ultimate aim is to provide Michigan theatre organizations with the chance to encounter diverse, dynamic talent and work, leading to meaningful collaboration with emerging artists and meaningful partnerships with neighboring organizations.

The MITTEN Lab focuses on the advancement of works in the performing arts and thus is aimed at cultivating early career playwrights, theatre composers, lyricists, librettists, choreographers, and performance artists. Projects can vary in degree of development—from the seed of an idea to a final draft. Housing, travel, studio space, and food are provided at no cost to participating artists.

The Lab initially began by working with 3 artists, with the hope of expanding to include more artists and longer residencies in the near future (though we are committed to including at least one Michigan-based artist each year). Participation is currently by invitation only, but will ultimately lead to an open application process.

The MITTEN Lab is open to playwrights, musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists ages 18 and up. The 2018 residency will take place from September 9-16, 2018 in Bear Lake, MI and culminate with a presentation featuring Interlochen Arts Academy students.

Please note, The MITTEN Lab is only able to accommodate individual artists or writing teams of two (2) at this time - large groups or collaborative teams are not encouraged to apply. If applying as a team, only complete one application with additional collaborator supplemental materials as indicated.

Donation-based presentations of works-in-process created at the MITTEN Lab will be showcased in Northern Michigan for the local community as well as various venues across the state.


12.
Nick Darke Award
Deadline: 5/21/18
Website: https://www.falmouth.ac.uk/nickdarkeaward

The Nick Darke Award was set up in 2006 to celebrate the best writing for stage, screen and radio. The Award is open to all writers with a prize of £6,000. This year's theme is stage play.

All materials should be emailed to: nickdarkeaward@falmouth.ac.uk. Deadline for submissions is May 21, 2018 at 5pm GMT.

Please submit a full stage play script (minimum of 45 minutes in length, no maximum) and a one page synopsis about the play in PDF format.

All submissions should be entered anonymously, do not include a name, address or email on the script. Please put contact details in the email with your submission.

Confirmation of receipt of entry will be sent by email.

Late or incomplete entries will not be considered.

A shortlist of eight plays will be announced on September 7th, 2018. Unsuccessful applicants will not be notified. The winner will be announced at an award ceremony in autumn 2018.

For further details, including specific information about the judging process and a history of the award, please see this information packet.

13.
Alice Judson Hayes Writing Fellowship
Deadline: 5/15/18
website:  https://ragdale.submittable.com/submit/110781/2019-alice-judson-hayes-fellowship

The Alice Judson Hayes Writing Fellowship is an annual award in memory of Alice Hayes, who created the Ragdale Foundation in what had been her family home. All her life she was committed to working for a just and peaceful world. An 18- or 25-day residency, free of charge, and a $500 stipend will be given to a writer who is working on a project designed to bring awareness to a contemporary issue having to do with peace, social justice, education, or the environment. Projects can be nonfiction or fiction (including journalism, essays, memoir, script-writing, creative nonfiction). No academic writing.

Applications are submitted through the Submittable online portal for the Alice Judson Hayes Fellowship, a category separate from the regular application deadline.

For more info or to submit online:  https://ragdale.submittable.com/submit/110781/2019-alice-judson-hayes-fellowship


14.
Luxembourg Arts Prize
Deadline: May 31st
Website: https://www.luxembourgartprize.com/en/call-for-submissions-en/

The Luxembourg Art Prize aims to reveal and promote talented artists who have yet to establish a profile on the contemporary international scene. Its function is to discover artists, and it is open to any artist, amateur or professional, with no limits on age, nationality or place of residence. The Prize is aimed at artists working in one or more of the following media: drawing, printing, installation, painting, performance, photography, digital art, sculpture, sound art, video, mixed media, decorative art (textiles and material, glass, wood, metal, ceramics, mosaic, paper or other techniques).

How do I enter?

Artists have to create a Candidate Space on the Luxembourg Art Prize website and complete the entry form on-line. Everything takes place via the Luxembourg Art Prize website. Only entries submitted on-line via the artist’s personal Candidate Space will be accepted. Candidates may update and complete their submissions on-line as many times as necessary until the deadline for submissions.

Entry fee
Entry for the Luxembourg Art Prize 2017 is subject to the payment of an entry fee to be paid on-line. The entry fee is €45 (about 49 USD or 39 GBP or 48 CHF or 63 CAD or 5,463 JPY).
The entry fee pays for the time spent examining the entries by all the members of the selection committee. Talent is independent of age; we hope to receive submissions from artists young and not so young who have real personality and whose works will delight us.

The winner of the Prize in 2017 will receive an award of €25,000 (about 27,020 USD or 21,517 GBP or 26’725 CHF or 35,125 CAD or 3,035,000 JPY) to fund the production of further work and an individual exhibition in a prestigious gallery. The finalist artists will be included in a group exhibition in the gallery. The Luxembourg Art Prize is a unique opportunity to enter the international professional art circuit and to have your work seen by major private and institutional art collectors. You will have the chance to be supported and personally advised by Hervé Lancelin.

Unlike other prizes or art salons, the Luxembourg Art Prize is designed to boost your career by exhibiting your work in an international gallery and giving you a high level of visibility. Hervé Lancelin has been an art enthusiast for nearly 50 years. He is a member of ADIAF, a prestigious association of major European collectors. He has been a member of the selection committee for the Marcel Duchamp Prize in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou in Paris and has been a trustee of the Amis du Musée d’Art Moderne, d’Art Contemporain et d’Art Brut (Friends of the Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art) in Lille for several years.

The gallery will organise return travel for the nominated artists and their companions by train or air. The gallery will send travel documents to the nominated artists and their companions within the ten days before the opening of the nominated artists’ group exhibition.
The gallery will also book hotel rooms for the purpose on the basis of dual occupancy (each artist with his or her companion).

The candidates are invited to research as early as possible whether their journey to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will require a visa (http://www.gouvernement.lu/4843909).

How does the Artistic Committee make its choice?

The Artistic Committee is already looking forwarding to getting to know your work and examining your entry carefully. They expect you to fulfil certain criteria, which may appear subjective but are nevertheless important.

For example, the Committee may be sensitive to the following points: the originality of the work, technical mastery, coherence of the work, freshness, novelty, historical continuity, the artistic, literary, historical, scientific or philosophical references in your work, the message conveyed, the poetry that emerges from the work.

The Committee hopes to find works that have been produced in a unique moment of grace experienced by the artist at the time of their creation. These magical creative moments are what make a work unique and unlike any other.


15.
Ingenious Grant for Playwriting
Deadline: 6/1/18
Website: http://www.townhalltheater.org/ingenious-grant-playwriting/

Town Hall Theater is offering a $1,000 prize for a new play with several interesting roles for young women. We want to give young actresses the opportunity to be the heroines or villainesses of a variety of stories. The winning play will receive a staged reading at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, Vermont with the possibility of a full production in the Fall of 2018. Playwrights are invited to be a part of the reading or production process. The extent of the playwright’s involvement will be determined by future funding and availability/ interest on the part of the individual playwright.

To be considered, plays must have young female characters (ages 18 and under) with speaking roles that go beyond the stereotypical girlfriend, daughter or nerdy best friend roles. Older roles and roles for men are welcome, but the story should have a young female protagonist and female supporting characters. Plays can be any genre, but it must be family-friendly or at least rated PG. We’d like to see lady pirates, evildoers, explorers, nerds, adventurers, poets, robots, preachers, goofballs, creatures, etc- a wide array of roles for young women. We will also not turn away a well-made play set in a school. Musicals will be considered. We are not accepting adaptations or translations at this time.


16.
McColl Artist in Residency
deadline: June 6th
website: http://mccollcenter.org/artists-in-residence/residency-programs

McColl Center for Art + Innovation is a nationally acclaimed artist residency and contemporary art space in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its mission is to empower artists, advance communities, and contribute positive impacts to its broad public audience by introducing a range of current artistic practices. Located in the former Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Uptown Charlotte, McColl Center houses nine individual artist studios, more than 5,000 square feet of exhibition space, and multiple common-use spaces, including a studio for large-scale sculpture fabrication. We invite artists to take risks in their processes and explore their ideas within the context of Charlotte. We welcome the visiting public to connect with contemporary art and artists through exhibitions and public programs.
McColl Center annually awards residencies to approximately eighteen artists. Regional, national, and international artists are selected through a combination of open applications, invitations, and solicited nominations. The Artist-in-Residence Program is open to artists working in architecture, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, design, music, theatre, social practice, community organizing, urban agriculture, culinary arts, or interdisciplinary practices. The residency program provides a space for creative inquiry and exploration among a dynamic group of artists, thinkers, and practitioners.

Support

● $6,000 living allowance
● $2,000 materials stipend (prorated for residencies shorter than three months)
● Furnished one-bedroom condominium with Wi-Fi
● Private workspace (230–819 square feet) with Wi-Fi
● Participation in a group exhibition on the second or third floor of McColl Center
● Photo and video documentation
● Technical and administrative services
● Reimbursement for one round-trip economy-class flight
● Opportunities to engage with McColl Center audiences via public programs

Eligibility

● Minimum 21 years of age
● Matriculating students are not eligible.
● Past artists-in-residence of McColl Center should wait five years before applying for another residency. Artists are limited to two residencies at McColl Center.

Notification

Applicants will be notified of their application status in July 2018, or as soon as possible, depending on the availability of the reviewing panelists.


17.
Fred Ebb Award
Deadline: 6/30/18
Website: http://fredebbfoundation.org/fred-ebb-award/eligibility/

Each applicant must be a composer/lyricist or composer/lyricist team wishing to create work for the musical theatre, and must not yet have achieved significant commercial success.

Application Materials:

A CD, flash drive, or electronic file of up to four songs from one or more musical theatre pieces, with typewritten lyrics and a description of the dramatic context for each song; and
A completed application form.
We will code the applications as they arrive. Because all submissions will be reviewed blind, please do not place name(s) of writer(s) on the CD, flash drive, electronic file names, lyric sheets, or description of dramatic context. Only musical theatre work will be considered. Please do not submit live recordings. The applicant(s) must have written all the songs included in the submission. For example, a composer cannot submit one song with her own lyrics, and a second song with lyrics by another writer. No individual may appear on more than one application. You cannot apply as an individual and again as part of a team, or as part of more than one songwriting team.

Submission Deadline and Award: Applications will be accepted from June 1st – June 29th.

Please mail or deliver applications to:

Fred Ebb Award, Roundabout Theatre
231 West 39th Street, Suite 1200
New York, New York 10018
OR
fredebbfound@gmail.com

Mailed submissions must be postmarked not later than June 30.

The winner will be selected in November and will receive $60,000. The Foundation will also produce a one-night showcase of the winner’s work.


18.
PEN Writing for Justice Fellowship
Deadline: 7/1/18
website: https://pen.org/writing-justice/

PEN America’s $10,000 Writing for Justice Fellowship will commission six writers—emerging or established—to create written works of lasting merit that illuminate critical issues related to mass incarceration and catalyze public debate.

The PEN America Writing for Justice Fellowship aims to harness the power of writers and writing in bearing witness to the societal consequences of mass incarceration by capturing and sharing the stories of incarcerated individuals, their families, communities, and the wider impact of the criminal justice system. Our goal is to ignite a broad, sustained conversation about the dangers of over-incarceration and the imperative to mobilize behind rational and humane policies. As an organization of writers dedicated to promoting free expression and informed discourse, PEN America is honored to have been entrusted by the Art for Justice Fund to engage the literary community in addressing this pressing societal issue.

The Writing for Justice Fellowship is open-genre, and proposed projects may include—but are not limited to—fictional stories; works of literary or long-form journalism; theatrical, television or film scripts; memoirs; poetry collections; or multimedia projects. The most competitive applications will demonstrate how the proposed project will engage issues of reform, fuel public debate, crystallize concepts of reform, and facilitate the possibility of societal change. As part of our mission to stimulate discussion, emphasis will be placed on proposed projects that show strong promise for publication. Fellows must commit to contribute actively to bringing attention to their work and that of other Fellows. The Fellowship is open to writers at any stage of their career. Currently and formerly incarcerated writers are highly encouraged to apply, and special provisions will be made for incarcerated writers to participate through alternative methods.

Fellows will receive an honorarium of $10,000 and may request up to $5,000 in additional funding for travel and research. In addition to financial support, Fellows may choose to be paired with a mentor to serve as a source of guidance for the project, and the cohort will convene in person twice during the course of the Fellowship. PEN America will draw on the Writing for Justice Advisory Committee as well as its network of agents, editors, publishers, partner organizations and outlets in order to assist efforts for publication and dissemination of the work of the Fellows. Opportunities for sharing the created work through public forums will be organized in New York City at the PEN World Voices Festival, in the Fellow’s home community, and possibly additional locations.

FELLOWSHIP TIMELINE
The first eight months of the Fellowship are designed for Fellows to research, create, and connect with mentors and the cohort, working toward submission of a polished final product that is ready for publication. The final four months of the Fellowship will focus on placing the works for public dissemination and opportunities for Fellows to present their work publicly.

July 1, 2018: Deadline to apply
September 2018: Successful applicants notified
September–May 2018: Fellows work on their projects, meet with mentors
October TBD, 2018: Cohort meeting #1 (NYC)
February 8–10, 2019: Cohort meeting #2 (Location TBD)
April 2019: PEN World Voices Festival event featuring works in progress
May 2019: Work completed and submitted for publication
May–August 2019: Placing work and public presentations

ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for this Fellowship, the applicant must be

21 years of age or older.
An individual writer. Collaborative projects are acceptable, but only one project lead may apply and participate in the Fellowship’s activities.
A United States resident.
Available to participate actively in all dimensions of Fellowship programming, including mandatory gatherings and public programs. (The Fellowship will cover costs associated with these events, separately from the Fellowship honorarium and travel/research budget.) Currently incarcerated writers and formerly incarcerated writers on parole will participate through alternative means.
Able to demonstrate a track record of successful projects brought to completion on time.
Membership in PEN America is not required. Please see FAQs below for more information.

SELECTION CRITERIA AND PROCESS
Fellows will be selected on artistic merit, the project’s approach and potential for impact, and the feasibility of project to be fully completed and in polished, publishable form within the given time frame. Applications will be reviewed by PEN America and expert advisors through an anonymous process.

Applications close July 1, 2018. Fellows will be announced in September 2018.

Biden's "Ok Boomer" Moment

  Disclaimer: I am NOT thrilled about a 2020 election rematch. However, having said that ("Curb Your Enthusiasm" reference) Republ...