OVERVIEW
The Writers Residency Grants provide $1,000 supplemental funds to not-for-profit NAMT members to work with writers on developing a new musical. The musical can be at any stage of development and the project can happen either at the member theatre or off-site as long as the writers and the theatre are both actively involved in the develoment process. All grants are for $1,000. The Writers Residency Grants are part of the National Fund for New Musicals, whose goals can be found here.

The grants are a great way to bring a writer to your theatre to work or to meet with the writers at another venue to develop a new musical. The money can be used to either fill a gap in funding or to expand the current residency plans. There does not need to be a long-term commitment to the project just a passion for helping the writers develop their show. All projects are expected to have culminating activity which can be anything from a new draft of the script to a full production.

• REQUIREMENTS

1. only not-for-profit NAMT member theatre organizations in the U.S. may apply for the grant
2. the project budget must match the grant 1-to-1 ($2,000 minimum budget)
3. the writers may be in residence at the theatre or off-site (e.g. in New York City working with a rep from the member theatre)
4. the writers need to be actively working on the musical and that work should be reflected in the reading, workshop or production
5. the writers must be paid a stipend, honorarium, royalty and/or per diem, given housing and travel (if the writers are not local)
6. the theatre must provide the appropriate resources to the writers (piano, space, copier, cast, dramaturgical support)
7. there must be a culminating activity be it a table read-through, a demo, a staged reading, new draft, workshop, and/or production
8. the member must be in good standing
9. a member can only receive one Writer Residency Grant per NAMT Fiscal Year (May-April) 
10. a member who has received a Production Grant from the National Fund of New Musicals during the current granting cycle is a not able to apply until the following cycle
11. preference will be given to pieces with original music but pieces utlizing pre-existing music will be considered

TIMELINE
There are 4 granting periods throughout the fiscal year with grant applications due 1 month prior to the granting period.  Recipients will be notified at least 1 week prior to the granting period. Project periods are now 4 months in length. Applications can request funds for development that starts or ends outside of the assigned project periods but the bulk of the work and expenses should still lie within the 4 month project period.

Round 1
Application Due: May 10, 2011
Project Period: June 1, 2011- September 30, 2011

Round 2
Application Due: August 1, 2011
Project Period: September 1, 2011-December 31, 2011

Round 3 (revised dates)
Application Due: November 3, 2011
Project Period: December 1, 2011-February 29, 2012

Round 4
Application Due: January 12, 2012 (revised date)
Project Period: February 1, 2012-May 31, 2012

APPLICATION
The application will be available 1 month prior to each Application Due Date. Please use the application online at that time and not prior versions as the application may change between rounds. The following information will be requested:

1. Organization Info
2. Project Details and timeline
3. Show title and short description
4. Project Budget
5. Artistic Director Statement
6. Writers Statement
7. Key artists bios

No Work Samples or CD will be needed. The application is a short fill-in form that applicants will e-mail to NAMT.

SELECTION CRITERIA
NAMT's New Works Committee will jury all applications and select all recipients on the following criteria:

1. completeness of the plan presented in the application by the member organization
2. the merit of the work and the writers
3. the goals of the project
4. the submitted project budget includes payment for the writers
5. the potential impact of the project on the work

The financial need of the organization or the writers will not be taken into consideration.  

The Committee may select up to 2 recipients per granting period, but if there is unallocated money from any previous granting cycles the committee may elect to give additional grants if there are applications of merit. 

The recommendations from the New Works Committee will go to the Executive Committee of the Board for final vote of approval. 

Any NAMT Member who has any questions regarding the Writers Residency Grants, please contact Branden Huldeen, New Works Director, at 212-714-6668 x14 or branden@namt.org.

The instructions for filling out the application for the Writers Residency Grant can be found here.
The Application for Round 4 can be found here.

PLEASE NOTE: Application must be submitted as a single PDF.