Playwriting/Screenwriting

• Format Accepted
  • PDF Only
  • Language: English
  • 12pt font, double-spaced, or in script format
  • The title page should include the title of the piece and the date of completion but do not label your work sample with your name.
•  Your manuscript can consist of a singular body of work or multiple bodies of work. 
• If your work sample includes a combination of excerpts from larger works, you are strongly advised to include substantial portions from each larger work, rather than small fragments.
• Do not include publication and/or production information anywhere on your manuscript. Do not include your artistic résumé in your PDF. Materials can be previously published or not. 
• If published, scanned excerpts from books or periodicals, in published form, will be ineligible. 
• Manuscripts must be in English, or can be translated into English by someone other than the artist. 

Note: Panelists are instructed not to review any materials beyond the maximum number of pages allowed (21 pages, including the title page).

(Required, 250-Words Max.): Provide a synopsis for your work sample. 

• This supplemental statement should explain the context, concept, and execution of your work sample(s). 
• This statement can also explain how the excerpted work sample(s) relate to the entire original piece. 
• Within the Synopsis, you can itemize each submitted Work Sample and talk about them individually. 

(Optional, 250-Words Max.): A supplemental description of relevant character’s personalities, as they relate to the Work Sample. 

• Include their role, appearance, motivations, conflicts, relationships, and significance to the story. 
• Aim to capture the essence of each character in a few lines.

(Required, 250-Words Max.): A concise statement giving an overview of your artistic practice. 

• This statement should give a brief introduction to ideas, themes, and methods in your practice (i.e. how you make what you make, and/or why you write what you write. 
• This statement should also specifically reflect the ideas and inspiration relevant to your submitted work samples. 
• Use this statement to highlight your role in creating/executing the work, as well as describing the key technical aspects of the work. 
• You can also describe the circumstances in which the viewer/audience should experience the work. 
• This is not an Artist Bio.

(Optional, 250-Words Max.): A supplemental statement that describes how your work is related to and/or rooted in a specific cultural practice, tradition, or community. This statement can also offer an opportunity to describe how your artistic work relates to or stems from your culturally-specific lived experience(s).

Peer review panelists will assess eligible applications according to the following evaluation criteria:

1. Artistic Merit
   • A competitive application demonstrates excellence in their discipline through strong Work Samples that highlight the applicant’s creativity, technical proficiency, and cohesive artistic vision. 

2. Clarity and Cohesiveness:
   • A competitive application presents clear, concise, and compelling Support Statements that provide valuable insights into their practice and motivations. The Support Statements should work together with the submitted Work Samples to provide a comprehensive understanding of the applicant’s vision and goals.

3. Originality and Innovation: 
   • A competitive application showcases innovative methods, ideas, and/or concepts that makes their work stand out within the discipline. Panelists will assess the uniqueness and originality of an applicant’s approach, including the quality of execution, innovation in materials or techniques, and the overall impact of your work.

As part of the evaluation process, the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship prioritizes applications from New York State residents who live outside of the New York City metropolitan area. While this prioritization is considered within each round of review, it does not guarantee any specific outcomes regarding who will ultimately be awarded a fellowship.