The Performance Lab is open to creators/projects who meet the following eligibility requirements:

The project submitted must be a multidisciplinary project.

Artists cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the time of application.

Application must be submitted by a generative artist or a team of generative artists, applications submitted by agents, managers, and producers of projects will not be considered.

1-5 days of rehearsal space, typically falling between the hours of 10-6pm, with exceptions as circumstances require

Access to HERE’s rep lighting and speaker plots, if technical elements are involved

Appropriate technical and production personnel to support the work of the residency

Fees for collaborators who participate in the residency

Coordinating and hosting 1-2 public showings at the end of residency

Collaboration on showing invitations to relevant industry professionals, as desired

Photo and video documentation

HERE does not provide housing, transportation, or per diems for the residency team

A HERE Performance Lab does not guarantee a future production at HERE.

In describing my project, should I share the biggest dream version with the fullest expression of everything I’m excited to explore, or pick something specific to focus on?

It’s really helpful for us to know both! We would like to understand what all your questions are and what you would like to explore. Please share as much information as you can about who you would like to work with in the room, what you are interested in experimenting with creatively, and what kind of material or immaterial support you would need to do your work. We will be thinking about how to match your ambitions to our budget and capacity. So, that might look like being able to support one part of your project’s development through this residency, but not everything you dream about.

What do you mean by multidisciplinary?

We’re open to receiving applications for projects that inherently involve more than one artistic form, medium, or practice in its fullest expression, even if the specific focus of the residency week zooms in on one aspect of the piece. We are also interested in artists who frequently practice in one discipline using Performance Lab as a space to explore and experiment in a form/discipline/practice that feels new to them.

Can I apply to Performance Lab even if I don’t have established collaborators?

Yes, you can! Please describe the type of collaborator you might need during the residency, so we can understand who we might bring in if your project was selected. 

Do I have to do a public presentation?

Yes. We’re seeking artists who wish to have the experience of sharing work in-progress with an audience as part of the development of the project they are applying for and would see that as an asset to their process, not an obligation or hindrance.

Can I receive feedback on my application?

Unfortunately we are not able to provide individualized feedback on applications due to staff capacity.

Can I submit more than one project?

At this time, we request you submit only one application as the lead artist. If other applicants list you as a collaborator on their application, that’s ok!

How many projects are selected for Performance Lab?

Each year, we aim to select between 4-6 projects. The exact number will depend on the scope of the projects selected and what we feel we can robustly and confidently support within our resources.

What do you mean when you say technical and production personnel? What are technical elements that can be supported?

For projects that require exploration with lighting or sound, we will provide a basic plot and can hire labor to make minor adjustments to this plot. Additionally, we will provide operators for your rehearsal and showing. For projects exploring elements of space or physical scenic elements, our primary limitations are that we cannot do full riser moves and we likely cannot build full scenic elements from scratch. Artists will need to work within existing space configurations, with small adjustments to chairs possible. Artists may decide to use the time and space to fabricate material elements themselves, but large scale builds that require multiple hands to execute will likely not be supported as we do not have a scene shop. If you intend to fabricate material elements and need the labor to offer small-scale support, we may be able to fulfill that request. We can work with you to allocate resources to materials and share our existing sound, light, and video equipment inventory with you, but will likely not be able to make large equipment or material purchases.

What is the timeline? When will I hear back?

Applications will close October 31, 2026. All applicants will be notified by no later than January 5, 2026.