The Kiosk: Financials for Freelancers

The Artists' Relief Fund

We are pleased to announce that our Artists' Relief Fund has awarded 182 $1,000 grants to artists!

Through the generosity of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the 21st Century ILGWU Heritage Fund, the JKW Foundation, the Tiger Baron Foundation, and the Playwrights community, the fund has expanded the number of artists it can support by 33%. Initial funding came from proceeds from Jeremy O. Harris’ digital presentation of the Playwrights Horizons production of Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning, directed and produced by Danya Taymor. 

Thank you to all for helping us continue to serve artists through this difficult time.

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to keep the event of live, in-person theater unsafe, Playwrights Horizons has made the difficult decision to remain dark until our community can safely gather again. While we feel this is the only responsible choice, we recognize the struggle it causes for theater practitioners whose income is reliant on non-profit theaters staying open. With this fund, our intention is to address the loss of expected income suffered by the community of theater-makers who have kept the ecology of the non-profit new play landscape thriving in our city. We will ensure an equitable balance of the many disciplines which contribute to developing and producing new work. We welcome applications from people of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, classes, and religions, and people with disabilities. Applications for the award are now closed, and eligibility requirements can be seen below:

Eligibility Requirements

● Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, and must be able to provide a W9 and Social Security Number, or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.

Geography: This fund is open only to residents of New York City’s five boroughs on March 1, 2020: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. We specify March 1, 2020, in order to include anyone who's had to leave NYC because of the pandemic.

Disciplines: This fund is open to Actors, Choreographers, Designers, Directors, Dramaturgs, Playwrights, Run Crew, Stage Managers, and Technicians.

Work History: This fund is directed to theater-makers who have been working in the field for a minimum of three years, and whose resumes demonstrate a sustained commitment to the development and/or production of new plays in the non-profit sector.

Need: Playwrights Horizons seeks to mitigate the loss of expected income experienced during this time. We will assume that all applicants have honestly weighed their level of need when considering whether to apply. If your experience of need is not urgent or acute, please consider stepping back and letting those who could most benefit from our limited resources access them.

Application Process

This application is now closed as we have received 600 applications. The application consisted of the following:

● What was your home address on March 1, 2020?

● What is your current mailing address?

● How do you describe your discipline(s) in the field? (Actor, Choreographer, Designer, Director, Dramaturg, Playwright, Run Crew, Stage Manager, and Technician)

● In one short paragraph (400 words max.), please let us know how you’ve been riding out this pandemic. Have you relocated? How is your health? What have you been working on? Is there anything else you’d like for us to consider?

● Actors, Choreographers, Designers, Directors, Dramaturgs, Run Crew, Stage Managers, and Technicians: you will be asked to upload a resume which lists your relevant work experience since January 1, 2017. Include dates, theaters, venues, and roles/ job titles. Also include productions or other non-profit work lost or postponed because of pandemic-related closures.

● Playwrights: you will be asked to upload a resume which lists all productions, developmental readings or workshops of your plays, and titles of new plays written between January 1, 2016, and December 14, 2020. Where applicable, please list corresponding dates and theaters. Include productions or other opportunities lost or postponed because of pandemic-related closures.

● Optional: Would you like to tell us any further details about how you identify?

Selection Process and Criteria

All eligible applications will be reviewed by a panel that includes a scenic designer, a stage manager, an actor, a playwright, a director, and two members of Playwrights Horizons’ staff, using the following criteria:

● Based on applicant’s resume, their commitment specifically to a career in the not-for-profit theater.

● Based on applicant’s resume, their contribution specifically to the landscape of new American plays.

● Based on applicant’s resume, the degree to which expected income was interrupted by the shutdown of theater in New York City.

● The list of recipients will reflect the full spectrum of job titles listed on a standard production’s contact sheet.

● The list of recipients will include theater practitioners at all stages of their careers.

● By February 12, 2021, all applicants will be notified of their status. For recipients of the fund, supporting documents will be requested before payment is processed.