1. ALICE JUDSON HAYES FELLOWSHIP
Deadline: May 15th
website: https://ragdale.submittable.com/submit/137680/2020-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.
One Alice Judson Hayes Fellowship is awarded annually. Ragdale encourages applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and to that end, emerging as well as established artists are invited to apply. While there are no publication, exhibition or performance requirements for application, applicants should be working at the professional level in their fields.
Ragdale encourages artists of all backgrounds to apply, and does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of age, disability, gender, origin, race, religion, or sexual orientation.
2. AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL - PLAYWRITING COMPETITION
Deadline: May 15th
website: https://austinfilmfestival.com/submit/play/
Three finalists from the Playwriting Competition will have live readings during the festival which will be performed in front of an audience including the industry professionals already in attendance at the Conference. One winner will be selected and will receive a $1000 cash prize, AFF’s Bronze Typewriter Award, and reimbursements of up to $500 for travel and up to $500 for lodging if used during the 2019 Festival. There is a $25 application fee.
At Austin Film Festival, our mission is to champion all writers across mediums. Our Playwriting Competition (open to full-length plays) gives playwrights a chance to explore our film and television conference. It will also allow film professionals to discover storytellers who have mastered the art and craft of stage drama.
AFF has always promoted story as the most important element of film and TV. So giving playwrights their own story exposure and a chance of crossover into film and TV only advances our mission. There are many other playwriting competitions out there, but AFF offers playwrights broader access to successful writers and professionals in all the other related fields.
3. MCCOLL ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
Deadline: May 15th
website: https://mccollcenter.org/apply/
Since 1999, McColl Center has partnered annually with Atrium Health, one of the leading healthcare organizations in the Southeast, to support one artist-in-residence in a medical setting in order to explore how the arts can extend or enhance healthcare and healing. Artists-in-residence in this program have worked in various areas of the healthcare system, facilitating opportunities for self-reflection and creative expression for patients and staff.
McColl Center seeks project proposals from local and regional artists for the winter/spring 2020 season. Artists may work in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, or interdisciplinary practices. We look for artists who are engaged in research and investigation and who are interested in the healthcare system as both site and subject for their work. Successful proposals will clearly state how the artist’s project will advance the theme of healthcare and healing and actively engage Atrium patients and/or staff.
Selected artists receive:
$2,000 stipend which includes living, materials, and travel (United States-based artists only; due to the limitations of B-1 visas, international artists are not eligible to receive stipends)
Furnished apartment (for artists from outside the greater Charlotte area)
24-hour access to a private studio with Wi-Fi and common use areas
Participation in a group exhibition on the second and/or third floor of McColl Center
Photo and social media documentation
Technical and administrative services
Professional guidance from a visiting curator
Opportunities to engage with McColl Center audiences via public programs
4. PEN AMERICA WRITING FOR JUSTICE
Deadline: May 15th
website: https://pen.org/writing-justice-application/
PEN America’s 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 writing projects, which must be authored by the applicant, may include—but are not limited to—fictional stories; works of literary or long-form journalism; theatrical 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 between $5,000-$10,000, based on the scope of project. Modest expense budget requests up to $2,500 will be additionally considered. Fellows will 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.
5. GENEVA RESIDENCY
Deadline: May 15th
website: http://www.eofa.ch/en/applications/
Embassy of Foreign Artists (EoFA) is a place of residence for artists in Geneva. Our spaces welcome the different stages of the creative process, from the first gropings and reflections to its presentation in a finished form. EoFA's first vocation is to host artists in residence and to set up a program that promotes interaction with the local public, whether professionals, amateurs or curious. EoFA also organizes wider events where local artists and residents meet around different artistic practices (music, dance, performance, installations, conferences, etc.). Thanks to its many activities and appointments, EoFA has established itself as a place of choice for the discovery of original proposals.
The Republic and Canton of Geneva, in partnership with the association Laps, opened a residence in Maison Baron, located in the heart of the "Praille-Acacias-Vernets" perimeter in 2012. This project called Embassy of Foreign Artists aims to create, through the presence of creators from elsewhere and their exchanges with local artists and cultural organizations, a network of interactions conducive to the development of innovative views and reflections on contemporary urban transformations.
Applications are now open until the 15th of May 2019, at midnight, local time (UTC+2).
The Embassy of Foreign Artists is launching calls for themed projects, open to all types of practice. These reflect our areas of interest and our aim to offer research time and visibility to original projects that examine their subject critically.
The stay provides:
• A private room as well as a working space and access to common areas shared with other residents.
• A residency of three or six months (the desired length of stay must be specified on the Application Questionnaire).
• A grant of 1200.- Swiss francs per month for the length of the stay.
6. FLORIDA THEATRICAL ASSOCIATION: NEW MUSICAL DISCOVERY SERIES
Deadline: May 20th
Website: http://floridatheatrical.org/new-musical-discovery-series
Aspiring writers from around the country are encouraged to submit their new works, which will be reviewed by a panel of theatre professionals, including renowned directors, writers, producers and performers. The panel will select two works that will each receive a staged reading. One final winner will receive a workshop presented of their piece featuring local directors and talent. The Discovery Series will also include talkbacks for students and audiences with the playwrights and directors.
All submissions must include: A cover letter A history of the musical’s development A synopsis Full script A CD or flash drive with at least six songs from the production (can be a very basic recording) *Please note that materials will not be returned.
Electronic Submission can also be emailed to kennyhoward@floridatheatrical.org.
7. MITTEN LAB
Deadline: May 31st
website: https://www.themittenlab.org/
he MITTEN Lab (A Michigan Incubator for Theatre Talent Emerging Now), led by co-founders Katherine M. Carter and Rachel Sussman, is now accepting submissions for the 2019 MITTEN Lab residency, taking place from September 8 - 15, 2019 in Bear Lake, MI and culminating in a presentation featuring Interlochen Arts Academy students and Parallel 45 Theatre company members.
Submissions are now open to all playwrights, musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists ages 18 and up. Submissions will be accepted through Friday, May 31, 2019 at 11:59 PM EST. The submission fee is $20 ($15 for students with a valid ID). A reading committee of industry professionals will review all applications. Artists accepted for the residency program will be notified by mid-July. For more information or to apply, please visit http://www.themittenlab.org.
The MITTEN Lab is a nonprofit artist residency program located in Northern Michigan that provides early career theatre artists with the time, space, and support to develop new theatrical works and engage with the local landscape. Artists pay nothing to participate - housing, travel, studio space, meals, and a stipend are provided.
8. JAMES STEVENSON COMEDIC SHORT PLAYS
Deadline: May 31st
website: http://playingonair.org
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 ($7500 with recording for radio and podcast distribution; $2000; $1000) for short comedies that perpetuate Mr. Stevenson's spirit and wit, bringing the finest new American plays to a national audience - for free.
What to Submit:
- 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.
- Please do not include sound design cues or instructions beyond standard stage directions.
- 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.
- No fee is required for entry.
9. BMI 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.
10. LUXEMBOURG ARTS PRIZE
Deadline: June 2nd
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).
The winner of the Prize receives an award of €50'000 (about US$56,500 GBP42,500 CHF56,000 CA$75,000 JPY6,300,000) paid into their bank account within a few days of the ceremony. 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 by a leading not-for-profit organisation to boost your career by exhibiting your work in a private exhibition space of museum quality and giving you a high level of visibility.
All the costs associated with travel to and accommodation in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for the finalist artists and one other person of their choice will be paid in full by the organisation in 2019. This includes transport for the works of art, air and train tickets and full-board accommodation in a four-star hotel.
The organisation will arrange return travel for the finalist artists and their companions by train or air. It will send travel documents to the finalist artists and their companions within the ten days before the opening of the finalist artists’ group exhibition.
The organisation will also book hotel rooms on the basis of dual occupancy (each artist with their companion).
11. THE RELENTLESS AWARD
Deadline: June 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.
