Dance/NYC and its program partner Gibney are pleased to announce the second iteration of the Disability. Dance. Artistry. Residency Program, made possible by the generous support of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs CreateNYC Disability Forward Fund and the Shelley & the Donald Rubin Foundation. Dance/NYC will award week-long residencies to up to four (4) disabled dance artists or integrated dance companies at Gibney from May 21, 2020 through June 20, 2020.  The purpose of the residency program is to expand opportunities for dancers with disabilities, and to advance accessibility and inclusion within the larger dance, residency and presenting communities.

The Residency Program responds directly to Dance/NYC’s recent research, Performing Disability. Dance. Artistry. (Dance.NYC/PerformingDDA18), which underscores the need and opportunity to engage residency centers in the professional development and training of disabled artists and to provide critical training to presenters, driving mentorship and shared learning among artists and presenters.

“With this program, Dance/NYC continues to advance a cultural ecosystem that expressly and equitably fosters opportunities for disabled dance artists,” says Alejandra Duque Cifuentes, Executive Director of Dance/NYC. “We are grateful to our program partner Gibney, and to the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs CreateNYC Disability Forward Fund and The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation for ensuring that disabled dance artists continue to have the resources they need to thrive.”

“If we don’t make deliberate investments in supporting and nurturing artists from every background, we risk losing out on the richness and vitality of a creative community that connects us with the full breadth of artists and experiences,” said NYC Cultural Affairs Acting Commissioner Kathleen Hughes. “We’re proud to support Dance/NYC’s ‘Disability. Dance. Artistry. Residency Program,’ and we appreciate partners Gibney and The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation for joining us in this ongoing commitment to engaging people with disabilities.” 

“We are thrilled to support Dance/NYC’s new partnership with Gibney, which builds on both organizations’ ongoing commitment to equity that will foster real and lasting impact in the disability community and beyond,” says Sara Reisman, Executive and Artistic Director, The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation.

In late February, Dance/NYC will issue an open call for proposals, inviting New York City area disabled dance artists or integrated dance companies, regardless of disability, to submit applications for week-long residencies taking place from May 21, 2020 through June 20, 2020 at Gibney to support their creative process. Up to four (4) dance residencies will be awarded.

Benefits include honoraria of $3,000 per participant, an additional stipend of $750 for personal care assistant(s) and/or access needs, up to 30 hours of rehearsal time over the course of one week and a ten-class card at Gibney, and mentorship support.

Applicants must be dance makers headquartered in the five boroughs of New York City, including, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.  Applications will be considered for only one residency program, per applicant. A copy of the applicant’s U.S. IRS Determination letter, which proves the entity's 501(c)(3) designation or tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Code Section 170(c)(1) is required or proof of fiscal sponsorship. For details on how to become fiscally sponsored, please visit Dance.NYC. The program’s goals are artistic. Applicants with primarily therapeutic, education (arts education) focused, or related work will not be considered.  The application will be available on Dance/NYC’s website at Dance.NYC.

The deadline for application submission is April 3, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Visit Dance.NYC/equity/disability/artist-residency for details on Dance/NYC’s Disability. Dance. Artistry. Residency Program. Additional information about eligibility and application requirements will be available at the end of February. 

Media Contact: communications@dance.nyc

About Dance/NYC (Dance.NYC)
Dance/NYC’s mission is to promote the knowledge, appreciation, practice, and performance of dance in the metropolitan New York City area. It embeds values of justice, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization. It works in alliance with Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance.

Visit Dance.NYC/DDA for details on Dance/NYC’s Disability. Dance. Artistry initiative.

About Gibney (www.gibneydance.org)
Founded in 1991, Gibney is a performing arts and social justice organization. Gibney's mission is to tap into the vast potential of movement, creativity and performance to affect social change and personal transformation. The mission comes to life through two thriving performing arts Centers, a stunning social justice Company, and impactful Community action initiatives. Gibney has emerged a cultural leader operating 55,000 square feet, including 23 studios and 5 performance spaces, across two Manhattan locations. Gibney Company is Gibney’s acclaimed resident dance ensemble whose members serve as not only as performing artists, but also as activists and cultural advocates. Gibney is at the forefront of mobilizing the arts to address social justice issues by working with survivors in shelters, youth in schools, and artists both on and off the stage.

About the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs CreateNYC Disability Forward Fund 
The CreateNYC Disability Forward Fund was launched in 2018 as a pilot initiative designed to support new and ongoing efforts to engage people with disabilities as artists, cultural workers, and audience members. By supporting new and expanded programs in a number of disciplines for a range of different disabilities, the new fund builds on recommendations made in the CreateNYC cultural plan released by Mayor de Blasio in July 2017 and reflects the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs’ commitment to working with cultural organizations to provide opportunities for all New Yorkers to engage in the arts. Learn more: on.nyc.gov/2DqtX8H. 

About the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation 
The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation was founded in 1995, and is primarily committed to providing grants and programmatic support for:
     •Access to art for a broad audience
     •Art in the service of social justice
     •Art in the service of social change and discourse
     •Under-recognized artistic practice
The Foundation supports arts and cultural organizations through grants to catalyze collective action, promote equality, contribute to advocacy and policy change and develop capacity for greater civic engagement.  The Foundation is also interested in supporting organizations outside of the arts whose programs seek to engage communities through cultural activities. Now in its fifth cycle, the art and social justice grant program will reward fifty-three New York–based cultural organizations for their artistic activism and engagement with social justice. Grants will provide direct support for exhibitions, educational programs, activist initiatives, artists’ projects, publications, and operations.