The Performance Project @ USS 2025/26 Artist in Residence Program

Applications are now open for 2025/26 The Performance Project at University Settlement Artists in Residence! For 2025 -2026 The Performance Project @ University Settlement is calling for dynamic artists who are ready to engage, connect, and co-create with our communities. Their model continues to move towards greater community engagement centering community voice in curation, production, and decision making. They want to work with artists who prioritize casting and integrating members of their programs into both their creative process and when possible their productions.

The Performance Project welcomes applications from people of all genders, nationalities, races, cultural backgrounds, ages, religions, languages, different abilities, sexual orientations or socio-economic statuses. This opportunity is open to artists working in the performing arts, including but not limited to dance/movement, spoken word, theater, music, and immersive experiences. Artists must live in New York City. Residencies will culminate in June 2026. One application per artist or company/collective, please.

They are seeking artists who create work that addresses themes resonant with New Yorkers who live in public housing, who are recent immigrants, and who too often do not see their stories and perspectives reflected on the stages of the city.

Before submitting an application, they highly encourage you to learn more about University Settlement, the communities it engages with, and the programs offered. You can visit them online at universitysettlement.org. To see work from their communities and other artists they’ve worked with, visit their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSIHiCagN41B9y0zc-nQnzA

For 2025 - 2026, they highly encourage applications from artists who would like to engage with participants and students in University Settlement Senior Centers, Early Childhood programs, and Cornerstone Centers.

If you are a prior Performance Project Artist in Residence from 2019/20 or earlier, they welcome you to apply for 2025/26!

Selected artists will receive:

• An opportunity to develop a new performance-based project.
• A stipend of $2,000 (to be paid via check in two payments of $1,000 each at the mid-point and culmination of the residency)
• $500 reimbursement towards supplies and technical support for culminating event/performance
• Share of culminating event ticket income
• Technical and artistic support with community engagements, and culminating projects
• Rehearsal and performance space in 184 Eldridge Street, NYC based on space availability

Requirements

Artists will be expected to:

• Engage with the University Settlement community in a meaningful way as part of their creative process. This will usually be through workshops or engagements with one of the University Settlement programs other than The Performance Project.
• Be in regular contact with The Performance Project staff
• Engage with The Performance Project Fellows by presenting a short 45 minute workshop/interaction during one of the Fellows’ meetings
• Have a mid-residency sharing of work-in-progress or a public engagement related to artist’s community workshops/engagements (Winter 2026)
• Have a culminating event or performance at the end of their residency (Spring 2026), incorporating aspects of the artist’s community engagement. Culminating event should be a public event/performance with at least two separate presentations or as decided by artist and Performance Project Artistic Director.

Application Instructions

Use this link for more information and to apply online!