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north carolina choreographic fellowship

A North Carolina Choreographic Fellowship (NCCF) in Dance provides immersive creative time and space to select North Carolina based dance artists.

Launched in 2023, and available to North Carolina choreographers and dancemakers, awardees receive the rare opportunity of uninterrupted time and space in an inspiring setting to create their next great work, along with a variety of supportive financial benefits.

The length of the Fellowship is seven to nine days and the choreographer can be joined by 1-4 additional dancers/collaborators. Due to shifts in funding, we will support up to three Fellowships either in late August-September 2025, or late May-June 2026. Specific dates WITHIN those timeframes can be somewhat flexible.

During the NCCF Fellowship, artists are invited to engage with the regional community in a variety of ways. During the residency, there may be a Meet the Artists event, or other opportunities to interact with Trillium’s growing cohort of local and regional artists. Trillium Arts acts as a facilitator for this “Exchange” portion of NCCF, providing suggestions for pairings and introductions as necessary. Beyond any selected engagements, this is a self-directed program, and the artists determine the specific ways to use their residency time. However, priority for NCCF awardees is given to artists who are at a catalytic point in their artistic career and are actively incubating a new project for future public presentation.

 With funding support from our sponsors, Trillium Arts can provide NCCF awarded artists with the following:

• $1,000 honorarium

• Private lodging for up to five artists in a combination of the Trillium Arts Artist Suite and other cabins that are within walking distance. Trillium is located in a beautiful setting on 22 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Mars Hill, NC (30 minutes north of Asheville).

• Rehearsal space in the Red Barn Studio at Odonata Farm

• Welcome dinner with your hosts

• Per diems for up to five artists

• Shared use of the grounds, including firepit, hot tub and waterfall area

• Use of a variety of supplies and onsite creative spaces that include a contemplation gazebo and a 380 square foot open air, covered workspace. Learn more HERE.

• Basic kitchen supplies and all household goods (towels, linens, paper products, etc.)

• Access to high speed fiber optic internet and laundry facilities

• Opportunity to share a work-in-progress showing with select invited guests at the conclusion of the Fellowship and/or interaction with local and regional artists.

• Mentorship related to administrative and organizational development provided by Trillium Arts co-founders Phil Reynolds and Heather Hartley, who have decades of experience in performing arts management.

Who is eligible? Choreographers who have been residents in the state of North Carolina for at least one year are eligible. Choreographers at any stage of their careers are invited to apply. There is no application fee.

Timeline: For the 2025-2026 cycle, an open call application process for North Carolina based choreographers will begin on March 1, 2025. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 11:59pm EST. This is a firm deadline. Late or incomplete applications will be disqualified and will not be considered.

A panel will review all the applications with a priority based on artistic merit. The awarded artists will be notified by late May 2025.  NCCF residencies will take place during either August 15-September 30, 2025 or during May 23 – June 30. 2026.

REQUIREMENTS:

Applications must include:

· CV or Resume (not to exceed 5 pages)

· A one-page Project Description: Your description should describe your intention for a Trillium Arts North Carolina Choreographic Fellowship.   What do you plan to accomplish? Who do you imagine would be most served by this project? What is its value? If this project offers a pivotal change or enhancement for your career, please elaborate. Please include a description of any plans that are confirmed for a future production or ticketed event of the material that you will work on at Trillium Arts. Also include description about and the number of collaborating artists that you intend to have join you at Trillium.

A one-page statement that addresses the question of, “Why Trillium Arts?” Be specific on how a Fellowship at Trillium Arts will benefit your creative work. How do you anticipate Trillium's basic values and natural setting will enhance or contribute to your work?

· One Letter of Recommendation: 

This letter should be submitted separately by an outside recommender. The letter should specifically refer to your proposed project. Be sure to choose someone who can speak specifically about your project. We suggest you share your work sample with your recommender so they can be informed about your proposal. Recommendation letters need to be received by the deadline or no later than two days after the Applicant deadline. Please plan accordingly to ensure that your recommender has enough time to submit. In your letter, the following two questions should be addressed:

1. What makes the applicant's project significant?

2. What do you find inspiring about the applicant's project?

The Letter of Recommendation needs to be submitted via a link within the Submittable application software by no later than Thursday, April 17, 2025 at 11:59pm EST. (This is intentionally a two-day grace period for external letters to be received after you have completed your application by the artist deadline of April 15.)

Video Work Sample:

Work Sample Guidelines:

·       LENGTH: A limit of up to five (5) minutes total of video footage per application. For work samples longer than five minutes, clearly indicate cue times. If you are submitting multiple videos, each video should be at least one minute. Work sample submissions with combined viewing time over five (5) minutes, or without cue times, will be watched up to the five (5) minute mark, and not longer.

·       AUDIO: All video work samples should utilize original audio, if available.

·       TYPES OF WORK SAMPLES: Since you are applying for funding of a work not yet fully produced, you may submit:

·       A video of the in-progress work named in the application;

·       A video of similar work with the company or choreographer named in the application;

·       Or a combination of both.

·       Please explain how the submitted work samples relate to the proposed project.

·       We encourage submission of your most recent works. Consider works within the last five (5) years when possible.

Promotional videos and/or video montages will not be accepted.

Instructions:

·       Upload video work to a video sharing site, such as Vimeo or Google Drive.

·       Enter the URL link to the video in the Work Sample Link field in the Submittable application. Please include one Work Sample per section; if you have an additional Work Sample, use the second Work Sample field for Work Sample 2.

·       For password-protected links, please provide the password.

·       Do not change permissions for videos or remove links before being notified of your application status.

Only one application per applicant. Please do not submit multiple applications with different projects.

Incomplete applications or late applications will not be accepted. Complete applications will be reviewed by a panel and decisions will be announced by late May.

The Deadline for North Carolina Choreographic Fellowship Applications is Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 11:59pm EST.

TO APPLY:

Beginning March 1, 2025, go to the application on Submittable.com