Application Guidelines
Application Deadline: Friday, June 30, 2023 5:00PM EST
NYFA only accepts applications submitted online at apply.nyfa.org/submit.
ABOUT
The Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Playwright Award is a $10,000 cash grant to be awarded to one (1) New York State-based playwright who self-identifies as LGBTQ+.
This Award aims to honor the life and work of Ryan Hudak. Ryan was a gay playwright, theater maker, filmmaker, and a valued member of NYFA’s staff, serving on the executive and development teams. Tragically, Ryan passed away in May 2022 after a long battle with Leukemia at the age of 32. Funding for this Award is generously provided by Ryan’s parents, Pat and Tom Hudak, and individual donors.
GRANT TIMELINE
Application Open: Tuesday, May, 10:00AM ET
Application Deadline: Friday, June 30, 5:00PM ET*
Applicants Notified: October 2023
*Please note that the application form on Submittable will automatically close & 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.
WHO CAN APPLY?
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.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a working playwright. Acceptable forms of playwriting include stage plays, libretti, radio plays, and audio dramas. No audio is accepted.
- Must self-identify as LGBTQ+.
- Need to be a current full-time resident of New York State for a minimum of 12 months at the time applications close.
- Be at least 25 years of age at the time the application closes.
- Cannot be enrolled in a degree program of any kind.
- All past recipients of any NYFA grant or Fellowship are eligible to apply.
- 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.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- Work Samples – Up to 20 pages of manuscript, 12 point font, double spaced or in script format, and a 1 page title page (21 pages total maximum)
- Artist Statement – up to 250 words
- Impact Statement – up to 400 words
Optional written statements:
- Cultural Statement – up to 250 words
- Excerpt Explanation – up to 400 words
- Character Sheet – up to 250 words
WORK SAMPLES
Work samples are a representation of your artistic work created within the last five years. This is the most important part of your application, as it will be the primary point of review.
WORK SAMPLES: INVENTORY
What to Submit
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). The title page should include the title of the piece and the date of completion, but not the name of the author. 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, but can be translated into English by someone other than the artist.
File Format
File name: label your manuscript with the title of the work, ex. The Big Story.pdf or Work Sample 2023
Length: Up to 20 pages. Must be 12 point font and double spaced or in script format
Title Page: One page title page with the title of the work(s), and year of completion, but not the name of the author/applicant.
Language: English
File format: PDF
Work Sample Descriptions
Before you upload the .pdf file to your application, you will need to name your file. Do not label your work sample with your name. Instead, label it with the title of your work.
After your work sample has been uploaded, you will be able to provide a description (metadata) including title, date the work was completed, and additional information. Do not include production or publication history.
SUPPORT STATEMENTS
Artist Statement
(Required, 250 words Max.) A short concise statement giving an overview of your artistic practice. This statement should give a brief introduction to ideas, themes and methods in your practice. This is not an Artist’s Bio. Up to 250 words.
Impact Statement
(Required, 400 words Max.) A statement describing how this Award will impact your career and/or creative practice. Up to 400 words.
Cultural Statement (Optional)
(Optional, 250 words Max.) A supplemental statement describing how your work is rooted in a specific cultural technique, tradition or community. Up to 250 words.
Excerpt Explanation (Optional)
(Optional, 400 words Max.) A supplemental statement further explaining 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 Excerpt Explanation you can itemize each submitted Work Sample – if there is more than one excerpt included – and talk about them individually. Up to 400 words.
Character Sheet (Optional)
(Optional, 250 words Max.) A supplemental description of relevant character’s personalities, as they relate to the Work Sample. Up to 250 words.
HOW TO APPLY
All applications must be submitted via the online application platform Submittable at https://apply.nyfa.org/. NYFA does not accept any physical copies of applications.
Applicants must have a Submittable account in order to access the application form and upload supporting materials. To create an account, click on the Ryan Hudak LGBTQ+ Playwright Award application, enter your details, and click Create Account and Continue. A verification email will be sent to your email address; check your inbox and click on the link provided in the email to verify your account. If you already have an account, sign in and begin the application.
*If you do not receive an email from Submittable in your inbox, be sure to check your Spam inbox.
Saving your progress on Submittable
To save your working application as a draft, scroll to the bottom of the form and select Save Draft. Applications are not considered complete until you hit Submit. Sign in here to access your draft application.
Locating your Submitted Application
Click here to review your Submitted application
Notifications
Applicants will be notified of their application results via Submittable. We recommend using an email address that is regularly active to ensure that you are receiving updates.
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
To request an accommodation or if you need assistance in applying online, please email [email protected] or call (212) 366-6900 ext. 248 on Tuesdays-Thursdays between 10:30 AM and 5:00 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 May 19 to allow adequate time for staff to support you in submitting an application before the deadline.
Once submitted, you will no longer be able to make changes to your application!
You will receive an automatic confirmation notification from Submittable once your application has been successfully submitted. If you do not see this confirmation, please contact [email protected].
Application Deadline:
Friday, June 30, 5:00PM ET
