Open Calls

• Provide space and support for performing artists at different stages in their careers to develop and deepen their craft
• Incubate discourse and community engagement around new ideas and artistic expression
• Cultivate a supportive environment for artists to take creative risks in their process, practice, and vision

Selected artists receive $2000.00 residency and performance honorarium.

Selected artists receive up to 100 hours of rehearsal time in the Dance Center (scheduling contingent upon availability) or select gallery space upon request. Learn more about our dance studios.

Selected artists receive 1-month access to private residence in one historic cottage located on Snug Harbor’s campus, preceding their culminating work-in-progress showing.

• This call is free and open to artists living and consistently sharing work in NYC (applicants must live in one of the five boroughs – proof of address will be required) with a demonstrated history of creating original works in live performance: dance, music/sound composition, theater, and multi-disciplinary
• Artists must be 18 or over to apply
• Artists who are or will be enrolled in a college or university degree-granting program between July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027, are not eligible to apply
• Previous PASS artists are not eligible to apply

• Selected artists are required to develop their proposed project at Snug Harbor during the agreed upon residency timeframe
• Selected artists are required to meet with curatorial staff a minimum of 3 times: 1x prior to residency, at least 2x during residency
• Selected artists are required to present their work during a culminating, work-in-progress public performance. Artists should commit to presenting between 30-45 minutes of material
• Selected artists are required to participate in an informal curtain chat discussion (a “Q & A”) with the audience, moderated by the Director & Senior Curator, Newhouse Center, following the performance
• Selected artists are asked to participate in a blog post and/or social media engagement (ex. blog post interview or other writing/media, IG live, IG reel, etc.) during their residency
• Selected artists are required to complete an exit survey at the end of their residency

Artistic Vision and Voice (25%)

• Applicant demonstrates an overall vision for their work with originality and a unique aesthetic voice
• Applicant demonstrates rigor and commitment to craft as evidenced by elements such as structure, technical components, and/or creative approach
• Applicant demonstrates why this residency would be crucial to and benefit their project development at this time
• Applicant demonstrates comfortability with being immersed in the creative process, exploring new ideas, and translating their ideas into practice

Application Narrative (25%)

• Exhibition project proposal is compelling and clearly articulates themes and ideas motivating the applicant’s work
• Throughout the application, the artist demonstrates a need for professional development and commitment to creative growth
• Applicant communicates goals that are feasible within the residency timeframe and appropriate to program objectives and the organization’s mission

Site Responsiveness and Community Engagement (25%)

• The project proposal demonstrates consideration of the historical, cultural, and environmental aspects of the setting of Snug Harbor in Staten Island, NY. While it is not a requirement for the thematics of the exhibition to explore these topics, site specificity should be clearly factored into the creative process and approach
• The proposed project engages with the site (Snug Harbor) and/or the local community in a tangible way (i.e., through the creative process, through public programming, through research or collaboration). Successful applications will be able to articulate how the project engages with the location and community in a way that is considered and specific.
• The project’s size, scale, and technical needs are appropriate to the spaces and resources available at Snug Harbor. Please note that the Snug Harbor/Newhouse Center is comprised of non-traditional, historical spaces such as landmarked buildings, botanical gardens, and outdoor spaces. We do not currently have access to a traditional proscenium theater space, and sound, AV, and lighting equipment is limited (Basic light and sound equipment are available).

Work Samples (25%)

• Work samples communicate the artist’s ability to successfully translate their written ideas and concepts into practice
• Work samples clearly demonstrate artist’s technical and creative abilities
• Work samples demonstrate the ability of committing to, producing and completing quality performance work that is bold, socially relevant, and pushes forward new ideas and artistic expression
• Work samples inspire a sense of interest, curiosity, and engagement with the juried panel—work samples give a clear and exciting sense of who the artist is and what their potential growth can be

A juried panel comprised of Snug Harbor staff and arts professionals will select the awarded projects.

Applications open for submission on April 2, 2026, and are due by Friday, May 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST. All applicants will be notified by July 10, 2026. Residencies will take place in Fiscal Year 2027 (Between July 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027).

Snug Harbor staff will host a PASS application information session: Tuesday, April 14 at 4:00 PM EST on Zoom. We will share the recorded info session via our YouTube page as a resource for prospective applicants. We encourage all applicants to familiarize themselves with Snug Harbor’s campus before applying for this opportunity

The following application materials should be submitted via SlideRoom by Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST

The application form in SlideRoom has four sections:

• Eligibility: Basic eligibility questionnaire
• Applicant Information: Short and long form responses
• Work sample: two video or sound links of the applicant’s existing original work (video preferred; each no more than 2 minutes in length). Please include hyperlink via Vimeo, YouTube, Dropbox, Soundcloud, etc. If password protected, please include password. If the video is longer than two minutes, please indicate viewing cue
• Demographics Survey: We invite all applicants to fill out a brief demographics survey. This information is used for internal assessment and evaluation as we work toward facilitating processes that are more equitable. Your responses in this section will be kept confidential and will not be shared with the selection panel (except for an anonymous, aggregate snapshot of applicant demographics). All questions in this section are optional

For questions regarding your application, please email [email protected].