Playwriting/Screenwriting

➔Playwriting/Screenwriting

GRANT TIMELINE

Applications Open: Tuesday, October 8, 10:00 AM ET
Applications Close: Tuesday, December 17, 5:00 PM ET*
Applicant Notifications: Summer 2025

*Please note that the application form on Submittable will automatically close and stop accepting applications at this time.

Applications submitted after this deadline will not be accepted and no exceptions will be made. We strongly recommend that applicants complete their applications in advance of the deadline to allow time for work samples to upload and to avoid potential technical problems. 

Applicants will receive an automatic response from Submittable once their application has been successfully received.

DISCIPLINE DESCRIPTION

This category accepts work in the writing of stageplays, screenplays, teleplays, libretti, radioplays, and audiodramas. While librettists may apply in this category, no audiotapes are accepted in this category.

APPLICATION CONTENTS

1. Work Samples

Work samples are a representation of your artistic work. 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, or is a completed piece of an ongoing/continuing body of work.

TIP: Work samples produced in the past five years are highly recommended. If you submit older work samples, consider providing an explanation as to why you chose the older work samples in the metadata section.

What to Submit: 

Applicants must submit 1 manuscript, up to 20 pages in maximum length, plus an additional title page (21 total pages).

Manuscript
  • Format Accepted
    • PDF Only
    • Language: English
    • 12pt font, double-spaced, or in script format
    • The title page should include the title of the piece and the date of completion but do not label your work sample with your name.
  •  Your manuscript can consist of a singular body of work or multiple bodies of work. 
  • 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 by someone other than the artist. 

Note: Panelists are instructed not to review any materials beyond the maximum number of pages allowed (21 pages, including the title page).

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.

2. Support Statements

Support statements are to be submitted directly to the application form in the corresponding textboxes. We recommend writing your statements in Microsoft Word or Google Docs and pasting them to Submittable. Document uploads for Support statements will not be accepted.

What to Submit:

Artist Statement

(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 make what you make, and/or why you write what you write. 
  • This statement should also specifically reflect the ideas and inspiration relevant to your submitted work samples. 
  • Use this statement to highlight your role in creating/executing the work, as well as describing the key technical aspects of the work. 
  • You can also describe the circumstances in which the viewer/audience should experience the work. 
  • This is not an Artist Bio.
Cultural Statement

(Optional, 250-Words Max.): A supplemental statement that describes how your work is related to and/or rooted in a specific cultural practice, tradition, or community. This statement can also offer an opportunity to describe how your artistic work relates to or stems from your culturally-specific lived experience(s).

EVALUATION PROCESS

Applications are reviewed over the course of 3 elimination rounds. All applications are reviewed anonymously in Round 1. 

Rounds 1 & 2: The panel will carefully review and score assigned applications independently. Applications are assigned a number and are reviewed anonymously.

Round 3: The panel will meet as a group and collectively discuss the applications that have made it into this round, and conclude by selecting the Fellowship Recipients.

Evaluation Criteria

Peer review panelists will assess eligible applications according to the following evaluation criteria:

  1. Artistic Merit
    • A competitive application demonstrates excellence in their discipline through strong Work Samples that highlight the applicant’s creativity, technical proficiency, and cohesive artistic vision. 
  1. Clarity and Cohesiveness:
    • A competitive application presents clear, concise, and compelling Support Statements that provide valuable insights into their practice and motivations. The Support Statements should work together with the submitted Work Samples to provide a comprehensive understanding of the applicant’s vision and goals.
  1. Originality and Innovation: 
    • A competitive application showcases innovative methods, ideas, and/or concepts that makes their work stand out within the discipline. Panelists will assess the uniqueness and originality of an applicant’s approach, including the quality of execution, innovation in materials or techniques, and the overall impact of your work.
Funding Priority

As part of the evaluation process, the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship prioritizes applications from New York State residents who live outside of the New York City metropolitan area. While this prioritization is considered within each round of review, it does not guarantee any specific outcomes regarding who will ultimately be awarded a fellowship.

HOW TO APPLY

We only accept applications via Submittable. First-time users will need to register with Submittable to access the application portal.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted and no exceptions will be made. We strongly recommend that applicants complete their applications in advance of the deadline to allow time for work samples to upload and to avoid potential technical problems. 

Applicants will receive an automatic response from Submittable once their application has been successfully received.

APPLICATION ASSISTANCE

Visit the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship homepage to view this year’s Information Sessions.

To request an accommodation or if you need assistance in applying online, please email [email protected] or call (212) 366-6900 ext. 166 on Tuesdays – Thursdays between 10:30 AM and 4:30 PM ET (NYFA is currently working on a hybrid schedule). We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible, and no later than Wednesday, December 4 to allow adequate time for staff to support you in submitting an application before the deadline.