ABOUT:

The pet project grant is an emergency initiative initiated by artist Jeremy O. Harris, to provide financial assistance at this time of extreme uncertainty to those identifying as playwrights or writers for performance.

The grants are in the sum of $500 and are intended for playwrights facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19. There are 152 grants available at this time.

Jeremy chose for this grant to be administered by The Bushwick Starr, a non-profit theater venue in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NYC. We plan to use all information gleaned from applications to this grant in order to improve our knowledge about artists' needs, and use this knowledge to adjust our processes for the future, should we receive further funds to distribute.

There are no requirements or restrictions on how this grant is used by recipients.

TIMELINE:

The grant will be announced on Monday May 25, 2020, and a PDF copy of the application will be available to view, in order for applicants to prepare to apply. The application form itself will be open from 3pm Eastern time on Friday May 29 until Friday, June 12 at 5pm Eastern time or until we receive 1500 submissions, at which point the application will close automatically. After internal processing, the grants will be distributed by June 22.

The gap between announcement and application is designed so that news of the grant may reach as many artists as possible, especially those who may not have immediate access to technology or other resources to complete an application quickly. Due to the magnitude of this crisis, we anticipate more requests for funding than there are funds to distribute.

We have chosen 1500 as the limit for application receipts, in order that the chance of getting a grant is approximately 10% for all applicants.

We advise applicants to be ready to submit as soon as the form opens, in order to have the best chance of being able to enter.

ELIGIBILITY:

Practicing playwrights and writers for live performance living in all 50 states, Tribal Nations, and territories including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are able to apply. 

Applicants must be able to receive taxable income in the United States regardless of their citizenship status.

Please note that the grant readers will make final eligibility determinations as needed.

You do not need to demonstrate need, skill, or merit to be eligible for funding. However, we hope you will weigh your 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 first. If you know someone who is eligible and would benefit, please consider inviting them to apply.

Full-time / year-round employees, board members, directors or officers of The Bushwick Starr are not eligible to apply.

To us, a practicing playwright is a person who generates live performance in a theatrical setting through the creation of text and action. Playwrights in need at any stage of their practice or career are encouraged to apply. 

Important: While we understand that performance writing practices apply to other media such as film and TV, due to limited capacity and an expected volume of applications, we are only accepting submissions from writers intending their work for live performance.

APPLICATION + SELECTION PROCESS:

This grant will distribute 152 unrestricted cash awards of $500 each.

To apply: Playwrights are asked to submit a piece of writing. Shorter plays and texts are acceptable as long it constitutes and translates into an evening of performance. We ask for page numbers denoting an excerpt that you would like us to read. 

The application will go live via Google Form at the link HERE

Please click HERE to download a PDF copy of the application in order to prepare for fast submission.

Awards will be granted by random lottery. Application will open on Friday, May 29 2020 at 3pm Eastern time and remain open until Friday, June 12 at 5pm Eastern time or until we receive 1500 submissions. We will then randomly select 152 recipients from the pool of 1500 applicants (10% of the applicant pool). Submissions will be viewed and administered by The Bushwick Starr curatorial team to confirm eligibility. 

Grant recipients will be notified via email, using the email address submitted as part of the application.

Grants will be issued in cash by electronic fund transfer or check, we aim to make payments no later than Monday, June 22 2020.

The form includes a request for demographic information that will help us understand the applicant pool for this grant; this section is optional.

Due to the high volume of inquiries, we cannot respond to emails regarding the status of your application. If you are not the recipient of a grant, you will also be notified by June 22.

The application is only available online in this format.

Please do not submit any additional materials other than those requested in the application; these will not be read.

Although the grant process is not merit-based we are always interested in familiarizing ourselves with as many artists as possible, and will attempt to look at all writing that is submitted during summer 2020.   

PRIVACY + SECURITY:

Your personal information, including your name, will not be released or disclosed publicly in connection with this grant application.

We are committed to equity and inclusion, and any data gathered will be used as a tool to be accountable to this commitment. The information requested in the application form is being collected for tracking and reporting purposes and does not affect eligibility or selection. Your data will be viewed by members of the The Bushwick Starr staff. Individual applicant data will not be shared publicly. Aggregated applicant data will be collected, summarized, and shared in reports to funders and/or the public, without disclosing any personal information.

DISBURSEMENT:

Grant recipients will be notified via email by June 22, using the email address submitted as part of the application. If you are a recipient, we will ask you to tell us your preferred method of payment (Zelle or paper Check), and send us a W9 for our records.

All recipients will be asked for a W9 for internal processing purposes, but 1099s will not be issued for this COVID-19-related grant. However, we cannot advise on individual tax matters. Please consult your personal financial manager or tax accountant.

I AM A FUNDER / DONOR / I WANT TO HELP:

Please email lauren@thebushwickstarr.org. All donations to The Bushwick Starr are tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law.

I HAVE FEEDBACK FOR YOU:

Email us, we are listening!