SURGE: East Boston Coastal Community Artist Fellowship 2022

In partnership with: The Boston Foundation, The Trustees

THE OPPORTUNITY: A paid creative residency for a group of BIPOC performing artists residing in East Boston to reflect on the impacts of local climate events, build on existing narratives of resilience to climate change, and to envision a thriving future for the East Boston community through artistic presentation. Fellows will share stories and be guided through the creation of movement and spoken word to be presented during a culminating performance outdoors, in East Boston, alongside Boston Dance Theater's performance of SURGE. While Boston Dance Theater and ocean physicist Dr. Larry J. Pratt will provide scientific and artistic material as prompts for thinking and generating movement and spoken word, Fellows will be encouraged to draw upon their individual artistic and cultural backgrounds, practices, and climate experiences during the creative process. The final performance will give voice to these individual backgrounds and experiences, which we hope will yield a unique cultural expression of art.

WHO SHOULD APPLY: BIPOC performing artists with a strong movement background and a deep relationship among the breadth and diverse communities within East Boston. These artists must demonstrate experience of creating and performing their own work. Experience with art + science processes is not required, but an interest in making work that is at the intersection of dance, spoken word, and climate justice is a must. The selected artists will demonstrate an interest in using their work to cultivate local community resilience with respect to climate change.    

WHEN: Six residency sessions will take place every other week during March, April, and May 2022 in East Boston. The final performances will take place in July 2022. 

WHERE: Residency sessions will be in person, indoors at a community venue in East Boston. Performances will be held at an outdoors location in East Boston. 

COMPENSATION: Selected artists will receive a $50 hourly stipend for residency meetings (15 hours) and $140 per performance (3 shows). Additional performance stipends are available if the selected artists wish to include a collaborator.

FACILITATORS: Jessie Jeanne Stinnett (Boston Dance Theater), Dr. Larry J Pratt (Woodshole Oceanographic Institution), BDT Core Members. 

HOW TO APPLY:

Option 1: Complete and submit the application questions in writing via this Google Form.

Option 2: Answer the application questions in the form of a video essay and submit a PUBLIC video link via this Google Form.

Option 3: Request to receive the application questions as a .pdf in either English, Spanish, Arabic, or Mandarin by sending an email to bostondancetheater@gmail.com. Return your completed application by email, or send a hard copy to Boston Dance Theater: 64 Hillsdale Rd, Medford, MA 02155. 

Deadline to apply is February 14, 2022 at 11:59PM Boston time.
For more information, visit our website.