Apply Now | Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program: Performing & Literary Arts
The deadline to apply to this competitive, NYC-based program is Monday, July 29.
Through the support of The Vilcek Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is pleased to announce our upcoming Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program: Performing & Literary Arts. The program will run from August to December 2019, and is open to performing artists working in music and composition, dance and choreography, performance art, and theater arts (acting, producing, directing), and writers including playwrights, storytellers, and poets, as well as those working in fiction and nonfiction. In bringing these two disciplines together, the program aims to nurture a productive environment for collaboration.
NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program pairs immigrant artists working in all disciplines with artist mentors who provide one-on-one peer support, guiding them to achieve specific goals for their artistic practice and providing them with broader access to the New York cultural world and beyond through an exchange of ideas, resources, and experiences.
Most importantly, the mentoring program fosters a community, providing opportunities to connect with other immigrant artists through group meetings, peer learning, and informal gatherings that include alumni from 2007 to the present. Through access to other artists, arts professionals, and organizations, the program offers immigrant artists the opportunity to focus on their career goals while navigating the shared experience and challenges of being an immigrant artist.
NYFA’s Cultural Partners for this program are: Center for Traditional Music and Dance, Dance/NYC, Exploring the Metropolis, Flushing Town Hall, Gibney, Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, Joe’s Pub, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Poetry Society of America, and Word Up Community Bookshop/Librería Comunitaria.
Testimonials:
“The experience widened my network and strengthened my community. I met some of the best people through this program—even when they were from different artistic backgrounds—and it encouraged me to be more open about my art form. The organizers were wonderful and extremely supportive throughout my process of reestablishing my place in this city, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of the program.” – Samira Sadeque (IAP: Performing & Literary Arts ’18), journalist and poet
“NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program was a great opportunity to connect with an emerging community of immigrant artists. It also provided me with the tools to understand the areas I had to work on to obtain more and better opportunities as an artist. The structure of the program was clear and effective. Among its most significant benefits was the individual feedback I received from my mentor and other participants. I started the program looking for resources to help produce my work as a choreographer, but I left with vastly more…“ – Christopher Núñez (IAP: Performing & Literary Arts ’18), choreographer
Eligibility:
● Performing artists, including music and composition, dance and choreography, performance art, theater arts (acting, producing, directing), and writers (fiction, non-fiction, playwrights, poets, and storytellers). This includes all folk and traditional arts in these disciplines
● Live within the New York City Metropolitan area (within commuting distance of New York City)
● Were born outside of the United States (Those born in United States territories, i.e. Puerto Rico or The U.S. Virgin Islands, may apply)
● Have been pursuing a career as an artist within the range of 1-10 years in the United States
● Are NOT currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate degree program
Mandatory Sessions:*
Introduction:
Monday, August 26, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Meet the Mentors:
Monday, September 23, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Alumni Mixer Meeting:
Monday, October 7, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Check In:
Monday, November 18, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Final Celebration:
Monday, December 9, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
*Attendance is mandatory to all sessions, please check your calendar before applying
Location: All meetings will be held at New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), 20 Jay Street, Suite 740, Brooklyn, NY 11201 unless otherwise notified.
Application Deadline: Monday, July 29, 2019, 11:59 PM EST
To Apply: Applicants can apply via Submittable. First-time users will need to register with Submittable to access the application portal.
Notification: by Monday, August 12, 2019
Questions? Contact the IAP Team at [email protected].
This program is made possible with the generous support of The Vilcek Foundation.
Learn more about the Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, and don’t forget to sign up for the monthly Con Edison IAP Newsletter to receive opportunities and events as well as artist features directly in your inbox.
Image: Samira Sadeque (IAP: Performing & Literary Arts ‘18), Photo Credit: Harsh Mall
