Please read this FAQ before beginning your application. If you have any questions please contact Residency Coordinator Phaedra Tillery-Boughton at residency@deborahslater.org.
- The Studio 210 Residency is open to artists in all performing arts disciplines (e.g., dance, theatre, music, etc.). Groups/ensembles may apply but will need to identify a primary contact in the application and will need to clearly describe who will be involved and in what capacity in their project description.
- Applicants must have three years of professional experience in their field. This does not include work done in college. If you do not have three years of professional experience and are interested in applying, please contact Residency Coordinator Jessica Judd at residency@deborahslater.org.
- Applicants must be in the Bay Area and available to work on their projects the majority of the Residency (January 4th - March 4th, 2023). Please note that we cannot provide housing.
- Applicants must be available to participate in the final performances (March 3rd and 4th, 2023), and must be available for a tech rehearsal the week of the show (date TBD).
No, it is free to apply.
Yes! We encourage previous applicants to apply again.
Applications for the Summer 2023 Residency open on February 7th, 2023 and are due by 11:59pm Friday, March 10, 2023. We encourage applicants to start the application process early and to take time preparing the application and supporting documentation. Please do not wait until the day the application is due to begin gathering your application information or to reach out to us for assistance.
We will notify applicants by the week of April 10th, 2023.
The Summer 2023 Residency runs from June 1st - July 29th, 2023
Each Resident receives: six hours of free rehearsal space at Studio 210 (3435 Cesar Chavez #210, San Francisco, CA) for eight weeks (COVID conditions permitting); weekly mentoring meetings with Deborah Slater, Artistic Director of Deborah Slater Dance Theater (DSDT); an artist stipend of $1,000 provided by DSDT; and two hybrid performances (in-person + livestreamed); and high quality video of their final presentation.
We strongly encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with Deborah Slater, Studio 210, and the Studio 210 Residency before applying.
All applicants are required to submit the following in the online application:
- An artist statement that provides the residency selection panelists with a good understanding of who the applicant is as an artist, including what artistic disciplines in which they work, what motivates/inspires their work, and areas of interest/inquiry;
- A project description of the proposed project that includes topics to be explored, a description of the involvement of all collaborators (where applicable) and the roles of all collaborators, and a general plan for the final presentation;
- An explanation of why the applicant wants to be mentored by Deborah Slater and how the residency would be beneficial to the applicant at this time;
- A brief description of the resident’s plan for community outreach;
- A CV for the applicant and short bios for all collaborators;
- Up to three high resolution photos;
- Up to five minutes of video footage;
- A writing sample (if applicable); and
- Availability during the Residency.
Many of the questions have character count limits. We strongly recommend that you write these answers in Word or Google Docs before submitting them in the application so that you can utilize the character count feature, as well as check spelling and grammar.
The Studio 210 Residency is designed to be a place to dive into making something new and our preference is that applicants propose a new project. Applicants who apply with a project that is not new need to explain what new components they plan on exploring in the Residency, and/or how they plan to expand the project in the Residency.
Residents need to be ready to begin work on June 1st, 2023 and may begin using Studio 210 on that date. Residents will schedule their six free rehearsal hours per week in consultation with the Residency Coordinator and Studio Manager and may start the scheduling process in November. Residents will meet weekly with mentor Deborah Slater either by phone, video call, or in person. Slater will attend Residents’ rehearsals as desired by the Residents. Residents will need to periodically provide the DSDT Communications Manager with images and/or video clips for use on social media, the DSDT website, and the DSDT newsletter. Residents will participate in a livestreamed discussion with Deborah Slater about their work midway through the Residency (date TBD based on Residents’ availability). Residents are responsible for bringing in half the audience to the Residency shows and DSDT asks that all applicants have a plan to engage their communities throughout the process.
Each Resident has approximately 20 minutes for their final presentation in the Residency shows. This presentation can be a work in progress showing, a performance of complete work, a showing of fragments of work, a discussion of their work and process, etc. It is up to each Resident in consultation with Deborah Slater to decide on what will be presented in the shows. Presentation of work is followed by audience discussion each night of the shows. DSDT is planning to hold the Summer 2023 Residency shows both in person at Studio 210 and virtually with a livestream.
Strong applications have:
- A well articulated project concept that is engaging, thoughtful, and well-defined;
- A project description that is detailed, concise, and readily understood by those who are unfamiliar with the applicant and their work. Vague or unclear project descriptions will not be competitive;
- A proposed project that is appropriate in scope for an eight week residency. Proposed projects that are too large or broad in scope for the time restraints or format of this Residency will not be competitive;
- A clear description of the involvement of any and all collaborators;
- An artist statement that clearly communicates who the applicant is as artist, including in which artistic disciplines they work, areas of interest/inquiry, and motivations/influences;
- A compelling description of why Deborah Slater's mentorship would be of value to the applicant and why the applicant wants to participate in this particular Residency at this time;
- A clear plan for engaging the applicant’s community throughout the process;
- Information demonstrating that the applicant has the experience to execute their proposed project;
- Image, video, and writing (if applicable) samples that are interesting and support the application. The applicant should be clear in the application about why the samples were chosen.
We choose two Residents each cycle (Summer and Winter).
Residents are selected by our Residency Selection Panels which consist of 5-7 panelists including Deborah Slater, the Residency Coordinator, experienced local performing artists, former Residents, and local arts administrators and cultural workers. All panels include BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists. Panelists rotate each cycle.
After you have read through this FAQ, fill out the application here: https://forms.gle/wYb6XUsH68P1nd5cA