Application Guidelines
GRANT TIMELINE
Applications Open: Thursday, April 25 at 10:00 AM ET
Applications Close: Tuesday, June 18 at 5:00 PM ET*
Applicants Notified: Fall 2024
*Please note that the application form on Submittable will automatically close & stop accepting applications at this time.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
The Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award is open to New York State playwrights and screenwriters, including those who live within the five boroughs of New York City.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a working playwright or screenwriter. Acceptable forms of playwriting or screenwriting include stageplays, screenplays, teleplays, libretti, radio plays, and audio dramas. No audio is accepted.
- Must self-identify as LGBTQ+.
- Must be a current full-time resident of New York State for a minimum of 12 months at the time applications close.
- Must be at least 25 years of age at the time the application closes.
- Cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program of any kind.
- Can be past recipients of any NYFA grant or fellowship programs, except past recipients of the The Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Dramatic Writing Award.
- Cannot be a NYFA employee, members of the NYFA Board of Trustees or Artists’ Advisory Committee, and/or an immediate family member of any of the above.
Questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page or email [email protected]
APPLICATION CONTENTS
The Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Playwright Award is open to New York State playwrights, including those who live within the five boroughs of New York City.
WORK SAMPLES
Work samples are a representation of your artistic work created within the last five years (recommended). This is the most important part of your application, as it will be the primary point of review. Keep in mind the panel reviews a large volume of material in quick succession; therefore, it is very important that you present your work clearly. This is not a project grant; therefore you should be submitting work that is completed.
TIP: This award aims to support artists who are actively creating new work, so to strengthen your application, submitting recently made work is strongly encouraged.
Contents
Manuscript
- 1 manuscript up to 20 pages in maximum length
Synopsis
- 250-Words, Required
Character Sheet
- 250-Words, Optional
Formats Accepted
Manuscript
- PDF Document Only
- Language: English
- 12 point font, double spaced or in script format
- One page title page with the title of the work(s), and year(s) of completion.
Synopsis
- Directly to the application form in the corresponding textbox
Character Sheet
- Directly to the application form in the corresponding textbox
Support Statements
- Artist Statement (250-Words), Required
- Impact Statement (250-Words), Required
Support statements are to be submitted directly to the application form in the corresponding textboxes
MANUSCRIPT
Applicants can submit up to 20 pages from a manuscript that best represents their practice. Please also include a 1 page title page in your PDF in addition to the 20 page manuscript (21 pages in total).
- Your manuscript can consist of a singular body of work or multiple bodies of work.
- The title page should include the title of the piece and the date of completion..
- 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.
Note: Panelists are instructed not to review any materials beyond the maximum number of pages allowed (21 pages).
Work Sample Descriptions
Metadata Section in Application: A metadata section will appear on your application form after your work sample has been uploaded. In this section, you will be able to provide the following information:
- Title(s)
- Date(s) of completion
SYNOPSIS
(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.
CHARACTER SHEET
(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.
SUPPORT STATEMENTS
Support statements are to be submitted directly to the application form in the corresponding text boxes. We recommend writing your statements in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and pasting them to Submittable once they are complete. Document uploads for support statements are not accepted.
ARTIST STATEMENTS
(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 write what you write, and/or why you write what you write).
- This statement should also specifically reflect the ideas and inspiration relevant to your submitted work samples.
- This is not an Artist Bio.
IMPACT STATEMENT
(Required, 250-words Max.) A statement describing how this Award will impact your career and/or creative practice.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Applications should demonstrate creativity through their work samples, articulate the potential impact of receiving this award, and provide supporting statements that effectively convey their artistic vision. Eligible applications will be assessed by peer review panels according to the following evaluation criteria:
- Artistic Merit: A competitive application’s artistic merit, originality, and creativity is clearly presented in the submitted manuscript. Quality of the writing, depth of themes explored, and innovation in storytelling will be considered.
- Potential Impact of the Award: A competitive application should clearly articulate how receiving this award will significantly contribute to your artistic practice and/or career progression as a playwright or screenwriter in the Impact Statement.
- Clarity of Supporting Statements: A competitive application ensures that your supporting statements are clear, concise, and compelling. Your Artist Statement should provide insight into your artistic vision, motivations, and creative process. If providing a Synopsis or Character Sheet, ensure they succinctly convey the essence of your work and characters.
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
To request an accommodation or if you need assistance in applying online, please email [email protected]. We ask that requests for accommodation be made as soon as possible, and no later than Tuesday, June 4 to allow adequate time for staff to support the applicant before the deadline.
Once submitted, you will no longer be able to make changes to your application!
