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Disability. Dance. Artistry.

Residency Program

Fall 2019 Call for Proposals

Dance/NYC and its program partners Gibney and Spaceworks are pleased to invite you to apply for the Disability. Dance. Artistry. Residency Program, made possible by the generous support of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. Dance/NYC will award residencies to up to three (3) dance artists with spinal cord injury (SCI) and/or dance ensembles working with artists with SCI. The purpose of the residency program is to expand opportunities for dancers with SCI and to advance accessibility and inclusion within the larger dance, residency, and presenting communities.

Inspired by a Craig H. Neilsen Foundation grant to the Vermont Studio Center to establish residencies for visual artists and writers with SCI, Dance/NYC’s new program will advance the cultural ecosystem to expressly and equitably foster opportunities for disabled dance artists. It responds directly to recent research, Performing Disability. Dance. Artistry. (Dance.NYC/PerformingDDA18), which underscores the need and opportunity to engage residency centers in the professional development and training of disabled artists and to provide critical training to presenters, driving mentorship and shared learning among artists and presenters.

Residency Components

Individual dance artists with SCI and/or dance ensembles working with artists with SCI are invited to apply for four-month residencies for the period of August 15, 2019 to December 15, 2019. Residencies will be awarded to up to three (3) dance artists to support their creative process. These residencies will occur in New York City, but eligible applicants may be based outside of the metropolitan area.

The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation supports programs that enhance participation and independence for people living with SCI but does not designate funding to individuals. Prioritization for acceptance to the Disability. Dance. Artistry. Residency Program will be made at the sole discretion of Dance/NYC. According to the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, the criteria for eligibility for the Residency Program is restricted to dance artists with SCI, i.e., individuals with neurological and functional impairment due to traumatic SCI, degenerative disease primary to the spinal cord (transverse myelitis) or damage to the spinal cord due to tumors and surgery. According to the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, individuals with spinal dysfunction, paralysis or pain syndromes caused by other disorders are not eligible (e.g., multiple sclerosis, ALS, Chiari malformation and other developmental disorders, primary orthopedic disorders and peripheral nerve injury).

Dance/NYC will prioritize self-identification. No artist will be required to identify their impairment or provide verification in the application.

Each of the program participants will receive:

• An honorarium of $5,000 to be used at the discretion of the participant;

• If necessary, additional stipend of $1,000 for personal care assistant(s);

• Up to 60 hours of rehearsal time at one of the participating centers over the 4-month period, to be coordinated between resident dance artist and participating venue;

• 10-class card for up to 3 artists per participant at Gibney lasting 90 days;

• Administrative office space with desk and light storage at Gibney;

• If desired, private or public studio showing, open rehearsal, and/or public talk; and

• In-kind marketing, communications, and outreach for participants of up to 4 weeks through Dance/NYC platforms (Dance.NYC)

Qualifications and Priorities

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Identify as a dance artist with SCI (as defined by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation) and/or dance ensemble working with artists with SCI; and

• Provide a copy of their U.S. IRS Determination letter, which proves the entity's 501(c)(3) designation or tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Code Section 170(c)(1), or proof of fiscal sponsorship. For details on how to become fiscally sponsored, please visit Dance.NYC.

Priority in grant selection will be given to applicants who demonstrate to a review panel:

• Above all, artistic excellence and potential to benefit from a residency;

• A central role for dance artists living with SCI;

• A commitment to justice, equity, and inclusion. The review panel will consider the role that historically marginalized groups—including disabled, African, Latina/o/x, Asian, Arab, and Native American (ALAANA), and immigrant artists—play within the applicant pool and wider dance field. For information on Dance/NYC’s values and commitments on justice, equity, and inclusion, please visit Dance.NYC/equity/values; and

• Diversity of participant types and perspectives.

The program's goals are artistic, and applicants with primarily therapeutic or educational goals will not be competitive.

Proposal Specifications

Required materials include:

• Application form

• Work sample (video)

• Proof of 501(c)(3) status or fiscal sponsorship

• Diversity Matrix

Timeline

Deadline for submission, June 7, 2019, 11:59 p.m. EST

Panel review, June 2019

Participant notification, July 2019

Press release with participants’ information, July 2019

Residency period, August 15, 2019, to December 15, 2019

Report and Survey, December 15, 2019

Submission Details

Dance/NYC is using an online application portal (dance.nyc.submittable.com). Before completing the application form, interested applicants are asked to first complete questions to determine baseline eligibility. If eligible, applicants will be prompted to complete the application.

Complete applications must be submitted online no later than 11:59 p.m. EST on June 7, 2019. Incomplete applications, hard copy submissions, and applications received after the June 7 deadline will not be considered.

Dance/NYC is committed to accessibility and the inclusion of disabled people in its programs. If you need assistance accessing any part of this application, please contact us at artistresidency@dance.nyc.

About Dance/NYC (Dance.NYC)

Dance/NYC’s mission is to promote the knowledge, appreciation, practice, and performance of dance in the metropolitan New York City area. It embeds values of justice, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization. It works in alliance with Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance.

Visit Dance.NYC/DDA for details on Dance/NYC’s Disability. Dance. Artistry. initiative.

About Gibney (gibneydance.org)

Founded in 1991, Gibney is a performing arts and social justice organization. Its mission is to tap into the vast potential of movement, creativity, and performance to effect social change and personal transformation through three interrelated areas of activity - Community Action, Company and Centers. Community Action is a worldwide leader in arts and social action and since 1999 has used dance to give voice to survivors of intimate partner violence through empowering creative workshops. More recently its Hands are for Holding program uses dance as a tool for anti-violence advocacy and to promote healthy and respectful relationships among underserved New York City youth. Gibney Dance Company is a new model that activates dancers as Artistic Associates whose work comprises artistry, advocacy and activism. Gibney Centers provide a powerhouse of cultural support for the performing arts community and the City itself with three remarkable spaces – Gibney Studios at 890 Broadway; Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center, and adjacent Next Phase Space at 280 Broadway. The Centers comprise 52,000 square feet and feature 23 studios, 4 performance spaces, a Gallery, Community Action Hub, Learning and Leadership Studio, and Digital Media Lab.

About Spaceworks (spaceworksnyc.org)

Established in 2011, Spaceworks is a nonprofit organization that builds & operates subsidized creative workspace for New Yorkers. It does this in partnership with artists, cultural workers, and neighborhood residents. Spaceworks currently operates 5 multidisciplinary workspaces in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, with additional projects in pre-development across New York City.

About the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation (chnfoundation.org)

Craig H. Neilsen Foundation’s funding is dedicated to supporting both programs and scientific research to improve the quality of life for those affected by and living with spinal cord injury.

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