Artist Residency Frequently Asked Questions

Updated: June 2024

We recommend reading this in full prior to submitting your application. For any additional questions, please contact us at programs@hi-artsnyc.org. You can expect a response within 2-3 business days. 

Application Process & Eligibility

  • Hi-ARTS currently offers two residency programs: CRITICAL BREAKS and SKY LAB. Applications for CRITICAL BREAKS and SKY LAB open on a yearly basis in early Summer.

  • CRITICAL BREAKS is intended for theater and performing artists.

    SKY LAB supports multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary artists rooted in performance and are encouraged to apply. Artists are eligible to apply if they can meet the commitment of approximately 50 hours.

    With questions about student participation, citizenship, or other eligibility questions, please contact us at programs@hi-artsnyc.org.

  • Artists can submit one application for each application cycle. Artists are welcome to both CRITICAL BREAKS and SKY Lab when submitting their application. Hi-ARTS Alumni are also welcome to submit, however must apply with a new project.

    Hi-ARTS is committed to supporting alumni long after their residency concludes through CREATIVE CONTINUUM, a program launching later this year that is designed to support Hi-ARTS Alumni through continued support. If you are an alumni and interested in engaging with Hi-ARTS outside of a residency, please reach out to Program Manager Brandi Webb to schedule a conversation.

  • There is no application fee or cost to participate in a Hi-ARTS residency.

  • The application deadline is Saturday, July 20th, 11:59pm EST. Review and selection take place July 22-August 23, 2024. Artists will be notified shortly thereafter. Internal conversations will take place through the month of September, and public announcements will be made late in September 2024.

    Residencies will take place in the months of: October 2024, November 2024, February 2025, March 2025, May 2025, and June 2025. The residency application provides an opportunity to specify which month(s) you prefer. We do our best to work and accommodate artist schedules, but do ask for flexibility. 

Residency Programming

  • CRITICAL BREAKS and SKY LAB are both designed to support artists who are in a pivotal phase of developing new work, with approximately 50 hours of flexibly scheduled time in our space (in-person, virtual, or hybrid). Artists receive a stipend for which artists need to complete a W-9 to receive.

    CRITICAL BREAKS is a residency program for artists who are in a pivotal phase of developing new theater and/or performance work. This might include experimenting with work that leans into the constraints of social distance (theater for one, outdoor and site-specific performance, virtual performance, etc.) or perhaps more traditionally designed for the theater or studio.

    The residency period culminates with a WORK IN PROCESS [WIP]. [WIP] programs are designed in collaboration with the artist and Hi-ARTS. Past  [WIP programs have included staged readings, workshops, open rehearsals, and more. To learn more about CRITICAL BREAKS and our alumni, please click here.

  • CRITICAL BREAKS and SKY LAB are both designed to support artists who are in a pivotal phase of developing new work, with approximately 50 hours of flexibly scheduled time in our space (in-person, virtual, or hybrid). Artists receive a stipend for which artists need to complete a W-9 to receive.

    SKY LAB supports artists who center the community in the development of their work. While SKY LAB artists may work beyond the four walls of a traditional studio or theater space, or be presented more traditionally, Hi-ARTS supports work that centers community in the roots of its development, research, and consideration. This may include relationship building, deep listening and discussion, experience design, community collaboration, storytelling, and other interdisciplinary methods and practices that take place alongside and in relation to an artist’s identified community. We welcome artists to define what “community engagement” means to them. 

    The residency period culminates with a WORK IN PROCESS [WIP]. [WIP] programs are designed in collaboration with the artist and Hi-ARTS. Past [WIP] programs have included exhibitions, discussion, community gatherings, and more. To learn more about SKY LAB and our alumni, please click here. 

  • While we do not wish to be prescriptive in what forms of community engagement a practice may take, we are looking to support work that centers community in the roots of its development, research, and consideration. This may include relationship building, deep listening and discussion, experience design, community collaboration, storytelling, and other interdisciplinary methods and practices that take place alongside and in relation to an artist’s identified community. We welcome artists to define what “community engagement” means to them.

    Examples include: Creating site-specific work that unearths the histories of the people who have lived there; Multidisciplinary performance drawn from communal experience; Cultivating spaces for artists of all levels to co-create together

    Learn about SKY LAB alumni and their projects here.

  • A WORK IN PROCESS [WIP] is a post-residency sharing of your time and process in residency at Hi-ARTS. This can look like a staged reading, artist talk, workshop, gallery tour/walkthrough, virtual discussion, etc. As Hi-ARTS residency programs are focused on process rather than final product or production, this is not a production, but rather an invitation for audiences to meet artists and experience their creative practice and process. 

    Hi-ARTS promotes [WIP] programming through our e-newsletters and social media platforms, and we often send personal invitations to our partners and supporters. Hi-ARTS Marketing Department will work closely with artists in the development of their campaign. Artists and collaborators are provided with marketing assets and are supported in inviting their own communities, audiences, and networks.

    Hi-ARTS provides photo and video documentation which are made available to artists following their residencies. Photos may be used by Hi-ARTS for marketing purposes. Videos are for Hi-ARTS’ internal records and funding reports, and these will not be shared in full without permission.

    [WIP] admission is generally free or low-cost. We do not turn audiences away due to lack of ability to pay for admission.

  • Hi-ARTS considers an artist’s individual experiences, perspectives, and values with the same degree of care and attention that we pay to your creative portfolio. Both are considered alongside one another during the application process. We value artists who:

    • Respond to social justice themes and/or bring visibility to their lived experiences

    • Innovate and push known aesthetics into new and dynamic interdisciplinary forms

    • Create new original works that expand the perspectives traditionally represented in contemporary theater, performance, and other creative areas

    • Value interaction with the community as a means of both developing content and providing broad public engagement

    • Diversity along the lines of race, ethnicity, culture, gender, and sexuality

    • Experiences and perspectives of historically marginalized groups

    • Boundary-pushing forms of expressive culture and aesthetic practice

    • While all are welcome to apply, Hi-ARTS prioritizes supporting Artists of the Global Majority.

    SKY LAB supports artists who are engaging with the community at the center of their practice. This work may occur beyond the four walls of a traditional studio or theater space, or be presented more traditionally. We welcome artists to define what “community engagement” means to them.

    Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary artists are welcome and encouraged to apply.

  • CRITICAL BREAKS and SKY LAB is primarily for artists rooted in performance and/or theater. However, we do invite and encourage multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary artists and experimental performance artists/theater makers to apply. Residencies have been offered to directors, playwrights, choreographers, poets, writers, and other theater and performing artists. Hi-ARTS places an emphasis on process, experimentation, and creative discovery.

    Hi-ARTS also collaborates with visual artists on exhibitions that take place at El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 and in partner galleries in East Harlem. If you are a local visual artist based in East Harlem who would like to collaborate with Hi-ARTS, please contact us at programs@hi-artsnyc.org. 

Residency Support & Logistics

  • Hi-ARTS provides artistic, technical, fiscal, and administrative support. This comes in the form of free rehearsal space, access to sound and lighting equipment, creative mentorship, marketing and event outreach, and public programming as well as a financial stipend.

    Artistic Support
    • Development consultation with Hi-ARTS team
    • Support in casting (within Hi-ARTS’ network)
    • Support in identifying/securing other creative team members (Director, Dramaturg, Designers, Assistants, etc.)

    Technical Support
    • Support in hiring Stage Manager, Board Operator, and other technical support.
    • Basic lighting (setting general wash lighting for public offering) and sound support in the absence of designers/operators
    • Virtual platform support (StreamYard, Zoom, etc.)

    Administrative Support
    • Complimentary WiFi
    • Printing (scripts, schedules, etc.)
    • Basic rehearsal supplies (pencils, highlighters, spike/gaff tape, etc.)
    • Arranging travel, if needed
    • Managing artist payments

    Please note, Hi-ARTS works to support the development process of each artist throughout their residency. After residency confirmation, Hi-ARTS will meet with the artist to discuss their goals and assess how to best serve both the artist and the process.

  • Hi-ARTS shares El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 with other nonprofit organizations, artists, and rentals. Space is generally available Sunday through Saturday, 10 am-10 pm. We do our best to accommodate requests for rehearsal time based on availability. 

  • Artists Residencies are supported with a budget between $5,000 and $10,000 — with approval by the Hi-ARTS Team. Please keep this in mind when submitting. Please note that lead artists are required to allocate between $1,000 and $2,500 from their provided budget for their own stipend.

    Hi-ARTS Team will work alongside artists to finalize the budget and carry out all contracts, purchases, orders, and rentals on behalf of the artist. Please note that although artists are awarded a budget for their residency, funds are not disbursed directly to them. All expenses will be managed by Hi-ARTS staff, based on the approved budget.

    Residency budgets are used to support the cost of project development such as materials, supplies, and artist fees. Please click here to read the Hi-ARTS Budget Guidelines. 

  • Budgets aid in our understanding of your residency goals and knowing where you are in your process. They are only a small part of our decision making process and you will not be penalized for a lack of experience in building budgets. Please try to be as thorough as possible and include any potential anticipated costs — even if you are unsure.

    To build a budget, consider what you would like to focus on within the duration of your residency, and then consider what personnel, materials, and other resources you need to explore that narrative. While we ask you to be as specific as possible with your budget, we understand that your needs may change throughout the duration of your residency as your project develops and as you learn more about your own process. There is no expectation to complete a final production/product. Hi-ARTS is committed to supporting your creative development. We invite you to explore what process means to you.

    When building your materials and expenses list, consider the physical resources that you and each of your collaborators need to accomplish your residency goals. The more granular you can be with each line item, the better.

    Line Item Examples

    Materials: fabric, canvases, paint, film, rehearsal snacks, batteries, construction materials, etc.

    Expenses: flights, housing accommodations, equipment rentals, etc.

    Please note: budgets cannot be used to cover daily commuting costs or the purchase of technology and/or large pieces of equipment or machinery. Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of the Executive Director. Hi-ARTS Programming team will work closely with you and escalate your inquiries as needed.

    Hi-ARTS will handle all purchases and orders directly - we just need you to provide the links. In the case that direct purchase is not possible, Hi-ARTS will reimburse the purchaser upon substantiation of receipt. Residency budgets are used to support the cost of project development such as materials, supplies, and artist fees. Please click here to read the Hi-ARTS Budget Guidelines. 

    Please review a budget template here. You are also welcome to provide your own when you submit your application.

  • Yes, if you have sources of income outside of Hi-ARTS, please include them. This is not required. We do not require matching funds or outside resources for residencies. You will not be penalized for having or not having additional sources of income. 

  • El Barrio’s Artspace PS109, home of Hi-ARTS, is a community-driven project that transformed a public school in East Harlem into an arts facility. The building includes affordable live/work housing for artists and their families, office space for nonprofit arts organizations, a black box theater, a dance studio, and two gallery spaces.

    With artists and their families living in PS109, there is an “in-house” community of diverse artists, and the issues that many artists address in our residencies are the same issues that many East Harlem residents face every day.

  • El Barrio’s Artspace PS109 is an ADA-compliant building. Elevators are available via the main entrance, and all restrooms are wheelchair accessible.

    If you know you will need assistance, please contact us in advance. For any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at (718) 497-4282 (voice only) or info@hi-artsnyc.org.

  • Hi-ARTS Studio
    A flexible, open space ideal for rehearsals, workshops, group readings, and gatherings located in a suite with Hi-ARTS Administrative offices. 

    Features
    • Flexible track lighting
    • Soundboard
    • AUX and Bluetooth speakers
    • Portable mylar mirrors
    • User-controlled climate control
    • Speakers and soundboard with AUX cable and Bluetooth connection

    Ideal for
    • Large/multiple group rehearsals
    • Asynchronous group rehearsals/workshops
    • Educational sessions
    • Artist talks
    • Movement / Dance rehearsal

    Staged & Table readings
    • Photoshoots
    • Figure drawing sessions
    • Lecture / Class meetings / Workshop

    Accessibility
    Laminate sprung floors, white walls, two columns on either side, portable mirrors, track lighting, soundboard, and speakers (AUX & Bluetooth).

    Black Box Theater
    2,295 sq. foot concrete floor space with a maximum capacity of 95 persons. It includes a lighting system with 15 lighting instruments, and a 2-speaker sound system run from a 16-channel console. Click here for a sample lighting console plot layout. Learn more.

    Dance Studio
    1,265 sq. foot sprung wood floor dance studio with a maximum capacity of 74 persons. It includes a lighting system with 11 lighting instruments, and a 2-speaker sound system run from a 8-channel console.

    Foyer Gallery
    Hallway exhibition space leading to Dance Studio and Black Box Theater. 

    Please note, the Black Box Theater and Dance Studio are shared community spaces. While we do our best to accommodate artist schedules, we ask artists for flexibility as we cannot always guarantee access to these spaces. 

    Please click here for our full Inventory List.

  • El Barrio’s Artspace PS109’s spaces are shared by 3 other organizations and the community at large. Neither the Black Box Theater nor the Dance Studio are available for lockout storage. While some items can be stored in Hi-ARTS Studio or storage space, Hi-ARTS does not assume any responsibility for items stored during the residency. Special arrangements for storage are possible for extenuating circumstances upon discussion with the team.

  • • Smoking in all areas of the building, including the outside perimeters
    • Use of burning fluids such as oils, camphene, kerosene, etc. Open flames are strictly prohibited in any part of the building.
    • Use of glitter
    • Use of smoke machine
    • Cutting wood
    • Sale or serving of hard liquor, or any liquor other than beer or wine. Hard Liquor is considered a distilled beverage with a high alcohol content, such as Brandy, Whiskey, Rum, Vodka, Bourbon, Scotch, Tequila, and Liqueur
    • Walking with and/or drinking out of open containers
    • Use of Black Box Theater, Dance Studio and/or Foyer Gallery without prior approval from Hi-ARTS
    • Artists are not permitted to sleep in the space overnight.
    • Artists are not permitted to be in the space outside of Hi-ARTS open hours, unless previously approved and scheduled with Hi-ARTS.

  • No, Hi-ARTS does not operate under any union agreements. However, if a residency requires it, we are open to further discussion.