2027 FELLOWSHIP
Amplify Arts |đź“ŤOmaha, NE
DEADLINE: October 4, 2026
INFO: Amplify’s Fellowship program champions artists working outside conventional art spaces to investigate the layered civic histories, cultural traditions, and living ecologies that shape our region. Designed to support site-responsive installations, book and publishing projects, films, performances, and other publicly engaged project-based work, the Fellowship provides $10,000 in project support, individualized project mentorship, and feedback in a small cohort-based learning environment.
For the 2027 Fellowship, preference will be given to projects that engage with the theme of Migration by exploring how movement shapes our communities, environments, and collective futures. We welcome project-based work that examines migration not only as the movement of people, but also as the circulation of ideas, languages, labor, waterways, seeds, species, capital, and culture.
We especially encourage projects that invite public participation or engagement. This may take the form of site-responsive installations, performances, workshops, or other shared experiences, as well as the circulation of books, printed matter, films, digital media, archives, or other forms of knowledge. We value projects that create opportunities for people to encounter, contribute to, or engage with ideas in ways that foster dialogue, learning, and reflection outside conventional art spaces.
FELLOWSHIP: The Fellowship is one year beginning in January of 2027 and ending in January of 2028. Fellows are expected to actively participate in all regularly scheduled cohort meetings and contribute to a culture of generosity, curiosity, and shared learning. Prospective applicants should approach this program willing to expand their practice with curiosity and critical feedback from other Fellows and mentors.
Fellows will be paired with mentors from outside the Omaha area early in the program in a matchmaking process that responds to each artist’s questions, methods, and ambitions. Mentors will be selected from a pool of curators, artists, and arts professionals with substantial experience in developing project-based work.
ELIGIBILITY: Any artist, artist collective, or collaborative group maintaining a residence within the Omaha/Council Bluffs Metro Area, including Washington, Douglas, Cass, Sarpy, and Saunders counties in Nebraska, and Pottawattamie, Mills, and Harrison counties in Iowa, is eligible to apply.
Applicants must be at least 19 years old and submit a complete application, including an Artist Statement, Project Description, Project Budget, Work Sample, and Works Cited page to be considered. A formal education is not required to apply.
Collectives and collaborative groups with a significant history of working together are also eligible.
TIMELINE:
September 8, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Virtual Application Information Session
September 15, 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Virtual Application Office Hours
September 17, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Virtual Application Office Hours
October 4, 11:59 pm: Application Closes
October 5 - October 18: Application Review
October 19 - October 23: Applicant Interviews
October 30: Application Status Updates Delivered
amplifyarts.org/events-blog/2027-fellowship
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2027 RESIDENCY SEASON
Djerassi Resident Artist Program
DEADLINE: October 9, 2026
INFO: The Djerassi Resident Artist Program has awarded over 2700+ writers, visual/media artists, composers, choreographers, filmmakers and scientists for the past 43-years the gift of time and space with a one-month residency on our 583-acre ranch in Northern California's Santa Cruz Mountains. All at no cost to the artists.
Applications for Djerassi’s 2027 Residency Season are now open. We anticipate being able to accommodate around 40-45 new artists for the 2027 application period.
Our 4—5 week residency dates are as follows:
Cohort 1: February 16-March 16, 2027
Cohort 2: March 30-April 27, 2027
Cohort 3 // Leonardo@Djerassi: June 22-July 27, 2027
Cohort 4: August 17-September 14, 2027
Cohort 5: October 19-November 16, 2027.
Residencies are awarded competitively, at no cost, to national and international artists and scientists in the disciplines of choreography, literature, film, music composition, visual arts, media arts, and science and technology. Those selected are offered living and studio space for one of the five sessions from mid-February through mid-November.
We welcome applications from emerging, mid-career, and established national and international artists.
Choreography
Film
Literature [all disciplines of writing]
Media Arts
Music Composition
Science & Technology
Visual Arts
djerassi.org/apply/2027residency/
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2027 CENTER FELLOWSHIP
Center for Art and Advocacy
DEADLINE: October 25, 2026 at 11:59 pm
APPLICATION FEE: $0
INFO: The Center for Art and Advocacy will accept applications from creatives working in visual art, film, music, creative writing, performance, design, and multidisciplinary practices for the 2027 Center Fellowship (formerly Right of Return) from September 15 through October 26, 2025.
The Center's Fellowship, formerly known as Right of Return, is open to directly impacted creatives from every discipline. For the 8th annual cohort, a panel of external reviewers will select six new 2026 Right of Return Fellows from our open-call applicant pool to receive a $20,000 grant, mentorship, and community building opportunities. For the first time ever, one of the six fellowships will be designated to an artist between 18-24 years of age.
ELIGIBILITY:
Through our Fellowship, the Center for Art and Advocacy seeks to support directly impacted artists with a demonstrated capacity to advance social change and a clear vision for utilizing their creative practice to end mass incarceration.
More specifically:
Directly impacted artists of all creative disciplines, ages 18 or older at the time of the application. We do not fund organizations or non-profits, only individual artists.
We define the word “artist” in broad terms to include creatives who work in visual art, film, music, creative writing, performance, and multidisciplinary practices.
In the context of this Fellowship, “directly impacted” includes those who have themselves been incarcerated in U.S. prisons, jails, or detention centers. Those who were detained in migrant detention centers must have since attained U.S. citizenship by the time of this application’s opening.
Artists must collaborate with an advocacy organization during the development and/or execution of their proposed project (collaborating organizations do not need to be secured at the time of application and the Center for Art and Advocacy can help connect fellows to advocates).
Artists may be at any stage of their career, with or without formal training.
Projects and applicants must be U.S. based. This includes all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
The Center for Art and Advocacy seeks a diverse cohort of fellows with regard to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and experience.
TIMELINE:
Applications close: Sunday, October 25, 2026 11:59 PM
Public announcement of cohort - Tuesday, January 12, 2027
centerforartandadvocacy.submittable.com/submit
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Call for SCRIPTS: 2027 Playwrights Retreat and 33rd Festival of New Plays
Native Voices
DEADLINE: October 31, 2026
INFO: We at Native Voices believe stories are medicine. We believe many plays live inside every one of us. We believe representation matters, and for far too long, our stories have been absent from the American Stage.
Native Voices is dedicated to the development and production of new works for the stage by Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and First Nations playwrights.
The Playwrights Retreat brings artists to Los Angeles to work on a select number of plays over a week in the summer, with rigorous directorial and dramaturgical commitment. The Retreat culminates in the Festival of New Plays, public staged readings at Los Angeles and La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. Selected playwrights receive artistic support, including a director, dramaturg, stage manager, and actors, as well as an honorarium and space to write. Out-of-town artists receive round-trip airfare plus lodging in Southern California.
SELECTION PROCESS:
Full-length plays (60+ pages) received by October 31, 2026, will be read and evaluated by the entire Native Voices team, as well as a pool of outside readers. Native Voices will select several playwrights to submit formal proposals detailing their developmental goals should their play be chosen for the shortlist. Our literary team will then send the scripts to a committee of nationally recognized theatre artists for further evaluation. With their help, Native Voices selects up to three plays for the Playwrights Retreat and Festival of New Plays. Playwrights will be notified in March 2027.
*Due to budget constraints, we are unable to select plays that require more than 6-8 actors to produce. Doubling is encouraged if necessary to realize your vision.​
A Note About the Native Voices Distance Dramaturgy Process: Months before the Retreat and Festival, selected playwrights participate in dramaturgical conversations with an assigned director and dramaturg. Workshops with these creative teams and a cast of professional actors commence once the playwright arrives on-site. It is important to note that these conversations and workshops are playwright-driven, allowing the writer to shape their developmental path. Selected playwrights should be prepared to dedicate adequate time to this process before arriving on-site.
nativevoices.co/call-for-scripts
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Call for short plays: Unbound Voices
Queens Theatre |đź“ŤQueens, NY
DEADLINE: October 31, 2026
INFO: Our new play development series has a new name: UNBOUND VOICES (formerly New American Voices), and submissions are officially open!
We're looking for original short plays about characters facing a moment of change, shaped by a Queens neighborhood, landmark, institution, or moment in borough history.
PLAY GUIDELINES:
2–5 actors
Under 10 minutes
Any theatrical style, bilingual works encouraged
Compensation for the selected play
Send plays to submissions@queenstheatre.org with the ubject line: "Unbound Voices submission"
instagram.com/p/Dd7CQgVFbC-/?img_index=1
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2026 Moondancer Fellowship for Environmental and Nature Writers
Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow |📍Eureka Springs, AR
DEADLINE: October 31, 2026 at 11:59 pm CST
INFO: The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is pleased to announce the official opening of applications for the 2026 Moondancer Fellowship. Designed for authors who express their passion for the natural world and address vital environmental issues through their work, this fellowship supports poets, fiction writers, playwrights, screenwriters, essayists, memoirists, and columnists alike. Prior publication is not required. Applicants will be evaluated on insight, honesty, literary merit, and the potential for future publication or production.
The Moondancer Fellowship is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the late Elise Roenigk, a longtime WCDH board member, given in loving memory of her husband, Marty Roenigk. WCDH is honored to carry their legacy forward through the writers this fellowship supports.
The selected fellow will receive a complimentary two-week stay at The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, allowing uninterrupted focus on their writing project. Travel to and from Eureka Springs is the responsibility of the fellow. Each private suite provides a peaceful atmosphere complete with a bedroom, private bathroom, separate writing space, and high-speed wireless internet. Fellows enjoy a supportive creative environment with dinners prepared six nights a week, access to a fully stocked community kitchen, and the opportunity to connect with a community of fellow professional writers.
APPLICATION DETAILS + TIMELINE:
Applications close: October 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM CST
Application requirements: A writing sample proposing one distinct project, plus a non-refundable $35 application fee. Writers submitting multiple projects must complete a separate application for each proposal.
Judging period: November – December 2026
Winner announced: December 2026
Residency must be completed within one year of the award announcement.
writerscolony.org/scholarships-fellowships/fellowships-current-past/
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THE BLACK LIST X TRW COLLECTION
The Black List x Theatrical Rights Worldwide
DEADLINE: November 1, 2026
INFO: The Black List and Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) have partnered to publish and license a minimum of six plays annually from writers discovered on blcklst.com.
The six plays will be published and licensed under The Black List x TRW Collection, which will make the work accessible to a wide range of customers, including schools, colleges and universities, community and regional theaters, and more. The Black List and TRW hope to add at least six plays each year to The Collection. All writers are welcome to submit their plays for consideration.
Writers will be invited to contribute to The Collection semi-annually, with semi-annual review cycles deadlines on the first of May and November each year.
REQUIREMENTS:
You must post an original stage play on www.blcklst.com and opt-in to the Program during the Submission Period.
You must agree to (1) these Submission Requirements, (2) all terms relating to the Program posted on Black List’s website, which you should review and read in full, and (3) the Submission Agreement, which governs the submission of your script to Company and Black List. The Submission Agreement includes important, legally binding terms and conditions, including arbitration of any disputes, which you must read in full before accepting.
If requested, you must submit by a date determined by Company the following materials, which are also governed by the Submission Agreement:
A professional resume and personal statement;
Contact and other personal information; and
Executed originals of the Submission Agreement.
If selected by Company for the Program, as a condition of your participation, you must agree to Company’s terms of participation, including without limitation a publishing deal and/or licensing deal, which shall be negotiated in good faith.
You must be at least 18 years of age and not a minor in the state or country of your residence at time of submission.
If the submitted materials written by a team consisting of one or more writers, (i) each member of that writing team must comply with these Submission Requirements, including agreeing to the Submission Agreement described below and (ii) all members of the writing team must opt-out of the Program if any other member becomes ineligible (including as a result of failing to timely agree to the Submission Agreement or failing to timely provide the materials listed above).
The submitted materials must be wholly original to you and you must be the sole owner of all rights. The submitted materials must not in any way infringe upon the copyright of any person or entity or, to the best of your knowledge in the exercise of reasonable prudence, constitute libel, defamation or invasion of privacy or any other rights of any third party. You understand and agree that Black List will share any information that you provide in connection with the Program with Company.
blcklst.com/programs/the-black-list-x-trw-collection
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BLACK BOX NEW PLAY FESTIVAL
Gallery Players
DEADLINE: November 1, 2026
INFO: Gallery Players is seeking plays for its 30th Annual Black Box New Play Festival to be held presented from June 10th through June 20th, 2027. Each play selected will be paired with a director and given a black minimally designed box production (lighting designer working in rep plot, sound designer, and sets created by directors from available theatre stock), with non-equity actors.
Playwrights must be available, if not in person, via Zoom or other virtual venue to work with directors to create another draft of their play. This process will take place from January 2027 through May 2027. The degree of revision will be dependent on the needs of each play and the collaboration between yourself and the director.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Plays must be un-produced (readings are ok); must be the play’s world premiere
Length of Plays: Plays should be 10 – 50 minutes. Plays must have at least 4 characters, more is even better. No one-character plays. No period costume pieces (period plays that use modern dress are OK). You may submit up to two (2) plays for consideration.
Format: Pages must be numbered; A cover page with Title of the play and playwright’s contact information is required, along with a page that gives plot synopsis of the play and a character breakdown. DO NOT write your name anywhere else on the script.
Submit a copy of your playwriting resume
Provide a brief written statement that addresses what you are hoping to get out of the experience and revision process (aside from having your play produced)
Send a digital copy of your play(s) along with your resume and statement letter to: info@galleryplayers.com
We will only contact you if your play has been accepted into the Festival. We will confirm that we received your digital copy via email. All playwrights chosen will be notified by DECEMBER 2026.
Please note that playwrights CANNOT direct their own work for this festival and will be paired with one of the 2027 Black Box cohort directors.
Any scripts not chosen for the Festival will be deleted to protect your copyright
galleryplayers.com/new-play-festival/
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EST/Sloan PROJECT
Ensemble Studio Theatre x Alfred P. Sloan Foundation |đź“ŤNew York, NY
DEADLINE: November 3, 2026
INFO: Commissions are where an EST/Sloan play’s life begins. From hundreds of applicants, we award support to artists writing new plays and musicals, rewriting existing drafts, and to theatres sharing their work across the country.
EST/Sloan plays explore the worlds of science, technology, and engineering to explode stereotypes of these fields in the popular imagination. Since 1998, EST/Sloan has given more than $4 million to hundreds of artists and theatres nationwide.
COMMISSION CATEGORIES:
We award commissions ranging from $2,000-$10,000 for new plays, rewrites, and regional development grants. The project must prominently feature science or technology.
New Play Commissions
Range: $5,000-$10,000
Eligible: Individuals, groups and creative teams with a proposal for a full-length play or musical
Your application should include:
A one-page description or a simple outline/synopsis of the project. Your proposal should describe the story you want to put on stage. All science content must be incorporated into the fabric of the story, not described in a separate section. Focus on plot and character development, as well as the aesthetic style you envision for the piece.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.
Rewrite Commissions
Range: $2,000-$5,000
Eligible: Individuals, groups and creative teams with an existing draft of a full-length play or musical
Your application should include:
A twenty-five page sample of the script. If appropriate, begin with a short introduction providing context for the excerpt.
A statement (no longer than 500 words) detailing the development history of the play, your goals for a rewrite commission, and any questions you have about the current draft.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.
Regional Development Grants
Range: $2,000-$5,000
Eligible: Regional theaters who wish to support a local play or musical focused on science and technology, either by commissioning a new script or developing an extant piece
Your application should include:
A current draft of the script, or a one- to two-page description or outline of the project.
A resume or biography of each collaborator involved.
A one- to two-page cover letter detailing the development history of the project and your goals for the commission.
An estimated budget for the project.
Theatres seeking support for a project that is already scheduled should be aware that that grants are generally awarded in the summer after the submission deadline, so projects happening before that will not be eligible for consideration.
Candidates may be asked to revise aspects of their proposals, provide writing samples, and/or arrange a meeting to discuss their project as part of the selection process. Commission award amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, as are deadlines for drafts, finished work, and research support (if appropriate).
WHAT SUBJECT AREAS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SUBMISSION?
The EST/Sloan Project is open to a broad range of topics related to the issues, people, ideas, processes, leading-edge discoveries, inventions, and/or history of the "hard" sciences and technology, as well as explorations of the culture of those fields.
Hard Sciences include:
Mathematics
Physics (geological, nuclear, theoretical, etc.)
Biology (evolution, zoology, animal behavior, ecology, molecular, genetics, etc.)
Chemistry (industrial, biochemistry, etc.)
Neuroscience
Anthropology and Archaeology
Medical Research (NOT the experience of having a medical condition or disease)
Technology includes:
Computer Science
Software Development, Computer Development
Engineering (civil, chemical, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, vehicle design)
Space Research grounded in currently existing technologies
Areas not considered:
Science Fiction (i.e., a work that utilizes science or technology that is neither currently possible nor in late-stage development)
The experience of having a medical condition or disease
Psychology and Human Behavior