Applications are now open for Ars Nova’s Artists in Residence Program, an individually tailored, development-based residency for early career performing artists of all disciplines.
Generative artists have the opportunity to explore a project in house at Ars Nova over the course of a season. The residency is a unique opportunity for artists who develop work in non-traditional ways to make use of Ars Nova’s customized, flexible support to discover new things about their project and process. Residents will be invited to develop a specific project at Ars Nova, working toward goals and benchmarks for that project that are defined at the beginning of the residency.
Artists working in curatorial, dramaturgical, and other project-shaping practices will serve as catalysts for process within the residency, offering perspectives across the cohort and contributing their voice to the Artistic team for the full season, where they will participate in scouting efforts and curate three evenings of work they’re excited to bring onto our stage. The focus of an artist’s residency at Ars Nova is on a fruitful process and the development of an artistic practice, not on a finished product. Through a wide range of development tools, institutional resources and hands-on artistic support, residents are encouraged to think big, take risks and push their creative potential as they hone their practice under Ars Nova’s roof. This residency involves bespoke project support for residents, but also dedicated time to connect with other residents and members of the Ars Nova community. At least once a month, residents will gather to share work, share meals, see shows, and spend time together. Attendance at these gatherings is a requirement of the residency for all core collaborators.
Resident Artists will be in residence with Ars Nova from early September 2026 through end of June 2027.
Resident Artists will attend monthly cohort gatherings led by a member of the Ars Nova Artistic Team.
Resident Artists will work with the Artistic Team to design a development trajectory for their residency at the beginning of the season
A monthly residency stipend.
A budget, managed by Ars Nova, to support their development in the residency.
Hands-on support and mentorship from the Ars Nova Artistic Team on their artistic trajectory.
Access to the space and resources in the Ars Nova building, including, but not limited to, rehearsal space, theater space, jump desks, printers, and more.
Complimentary tickets to Ars Nova shows.
The opportunity to present work onstage at the Ars Nova Theater.
Jason Aguirre & Adam J. Rineer
Mack Brown
Emerson Mae Smith & Murphy Taylor Smith
Aneesa Folds
abigail jean-baptiste
AriDy Nox
We will accept applications from individuals, duos, or trios collaborating on a project. Artistic Teams should submit one application but attach a resume/work samples for each artist in the team. Make sure your application covers how all members of the team would benefit from being artists in residence.
We would love to receive applications from early career generative and interpretive artists of all types in the performing arts. This could include—but is not limited to—playwrights, composers, devisers, curators, comedians, clowns, choreographers, and directors. Are you an artist who doesn’t yet have a name for what you do? We’d love to meet you!
Projects that are entirely new or in early stages of development will benefit most from the resources offered in this residency.
Given the frequency of cohort gatherings and onsite development work, this residency is best suited to artists who live in the New York area.
After reviewing all submissions, Ars Nova’s Artistic Team will invite a selection of those artists to interview with the Artistic Team in July, with the goal of finalizing the cohort by the end of August for an early September start.
You should apply to this program! We are putting our energy into a single program that
connects artists working in all mediums rather than siloing them into separate programs. The Artists in Residence Program will support all the same genres of art-making that Play Group, CAMP, Vision Residency, and Maker’s Lab supported. And ideally, its flexible nature will make room for artists who might not have found a home in any of those programs!
