What are the basic questions on the OP Open Submission Form?
Essentially, we are curious about three things: about you, about your project, and about where you are in your process. We may ask for a small sample of your current or past work as well. See How submitting works for the steps and lab details.

Do I need to be based in NYC to submit to these programs?
No, as many of our labs remain virtual at the moment. International submissions are welcome as long as you can join lab meetings, which will generally be afternoons or evenings US EST time. However, for our NYC Greenhouse program, while we are welcoming submissions from those outside the NYC area, please understand that there are meetings for artists to join in-person, and that experience may differ between local and non-local artists.

Are commitments for each program compatible with a full-time work or student schedule?
While some of our labs require a full time commitment during the residency (e.g. our Performance Lab), many of our current lab offerings allow for the labs to be integrated into other schedules. We have had artists participate in these labs with new children, day jobs, student schedules, staff writing gigs, and more.

Are there any costs to submit or for being a part of any program?
There are no costs at all for participants. There is also no cost to submit.

Is there financially compensation for these programs?
There is currently no financial compensation as a component of The Orchard Project’s artist support programs. However, for some activities, including participation in our Summer Festival weekend of sharings, honoraria is provided. All residency costs while on site in Saratoga Springs (housing, food, etc) are covered by the Orchard Project, and we acknowledge that a lack of additional compensation may be a significant barrier to participation for some.

What are our obligations to The Orchard Project for your support?
In general, lab participants are solely required to provide credit back to the Orchard Project for any work developed within its labs.

Does having an agent affect my eligibility for any of these programs?
No it does not, although our programs are best suited to those with some experience manifesting their work in public, in any sphere.

Can I submit for more than one program?
Yes. Each lab has its own application in the submission portal.

I am a past OP artist – can I submit again?
Of course! We try to balance the need to open ourselves up to new and diverse voices with also being a true home to our current family of artists. We never see a residency as a one off, but rather as the beginning of a relationship. Hopefully you will too.

When will I hear back?
Expect to hear from us in late spring, we anticipate our highest ever number of submissions, and we apologize in advance if the review process takes longer than we would have hoped.

Are there age restrictions for submitting to any of these programs?
No, there are not.

Can I be enrolled in school while attending any of these programs?
Yes, you may.

Will the entirety of the programs be digital or are there in-person components offered?
Please see our program information page for more information on each lab, as some labs will have in person opportunities and others may not.

Can my project be attached to a commercial producer/company and still submit?
The short answer is yes. We sometimes seek clarification of how we can best work with artists and partners already working together, but if you have any questions about this, please just email us.

If I am working with a collaborator, do we both need to submit?
No – one submission is enough.

Who will be reading my submission?
Submissions will be reviewed by a diverse and distinguished group of Orchard Project friends and alumni.

Will I need a completed draft of my project as a part of my submission?
No.

How do we get selected?
Please read our submission guideline and process document, linked above.

How long should my submission be?
We hate long forms as much as you do, so our open submission form is intentionally very short.

Can I use AI in my submission or work samples?
We want you to tell us about your project and what you hope to develop in your own voice, so please do not. You’re welcome to use tools for proofreading, translation, or accessibility. The ideas, experiences, and creative goals you describe should be your own. If generative AI contributed substantially to ANY material you’re submitting, include a sentence or two explaining what it generated and what you and your collaborators made. If working with AI is part of the artistic premise, tell us how.

Do work samples need to be from the project we are proposing?
For the Performance Lab and Greenhouse, the objective for the readers will generally just be to get to know you and your work/POV as best as possible. So, the samples can really be from anything – as we know the work in both labs is in supremely early stages.

For the Episodic Lab, we have gotten a number of questions about whether non-project related samples are okay. While generally we would love to see samples from the project (as they will help provide context as regards the project itself), we want the process to be as accessible as possible. If you cannot provide a sample for the project, please don’t let that hold you back – please submit a different writing sample (and include a disclaimer to let us know on the cover page) – but please understand that it might put our readers at a slight deficiency in providing full context.

Additionally, there are links for additional samples, such as video or image links, available to upload. These optional uploads are not required and we cannot assure you that every single one of them will be viewed. The key sample for our panel to read will likely be a writing sample, but if the panelist is looking for more context (and if you are interested in providing additional materials), such optional materials are welcome.

Do the same group of people review submissions for the various programs (aka should we post the same work samples twice)?
Some reviewers will be the same, and some will be restricted to just one program because of conflicts of interest. More important is the fact that the review panel is large enough that not everyone reading for one specific lab (e.g. Performance) will review every single submission for that lab. Please assume that reviewers have not read something in another location whenever that question occurs to you.

How do I know my submission went through?
After you submit, the confirmation page links to My submissions. Look for your application in the submitted section. Use Save Draft before leaving an unfinished application.

What happens after I submit my submission?
Our panel reads applications after the window closes. Some applicants will be invited to a short conversation with panelists. For help with your submission, email info@orchardproject.com.

Can I submit multiple times?
You may apply to more than one lab. For a lab you have already applied to, check My submissions before starting another application.

Who else will participate?
We have already hosted artists from companies as diverse as Tectonic, Elevator Repair Service, Radiohole, Pig Iron, the Royal Court, The National Theatre Studio (UK), Belarus Free Theater, The Rude Mechs, A.R.T., the TEAM, and The Civilians, so you can expect a very diverse group.

I can’t make the full dates the lab – can I just do a segment of it?
Sadly, no.

PERF LAB: What are the dates of the 2027 OP Summer Performance Lab in Saratoga Springs?
The dates are currently: June 21–July 18, 2027 with four sessions organized as follows (dates include arrival AND departure days)
SESSION 1: June 21–June 26
SESSION 2: June 27–July 3
SESSION 3: July 4–July 10
SESSION 4: July 11–July 18

PERF LAB: I am not attached to a company – can I still submit?
YES! The focus of the OP in the past has been ensembles and companies, but it continues to expand to more and more disruptive work and disruptors in the arts. Thus, the OP has hosted a number of individual artists. The experience of mixing these individuals with companies in residence has always proven fertile, and as thus, we are now making the policy of allowing individual submissions official.

PERF LAB: How do I know if I will be invited just as myself, as a small team, as a cast you support, or…?
We work hard to balance both your needs and our resources in order to support as much work as we can, so this is often a conversation we try to have as we get further down the road in our summer planning. In 2025, for instance, out of 20 projects we supported, about 8 of them were single artists-in-residence (writers, composers, etc), 4 projects brought small creative teams (a group of writers, a writer/director/designer, etc), 4 brought their own performers, and for 4, the Orchard Project worked with the project to cast a team of performers to work and develop the piece. It is an imperfect art, but please note how the 20 projects break into these various groups.

PERF LAB: Does the Orchard Project pay for performers if I need them?
Traditionally, the Orchard Project created space for companies, teams, and ensembles, and they would bring their own teams. Over time (and pre-COVID), that did evolve to a point where the Orchard Project would engage performers for particular sessions or weeks. We decide whether we can support performers on a case-by-case basis after selecting projects, usually as part of our public programs budget.

PERF LAB: Is travel covered?
For generative residencies, usually the answer here is no. If there is a sharing component as part of our final session, there is usually support for travel.

PERF LAB: What disciplines will the OP support?
While the Orchard Project was set up to support theater, our support has expanded in recent years to include dancers, physical theater, composers, film-makers, novelists, and even app-makers. In 2020, we supported over 150 artists as they explored questions of liveness, and many of the digital projects from that discussion would find a natural home in our Performance Program.

AUDIO: Is the audio lab specifically for narrative fiction podcasts/audio events?
We look at the term drama with very open arms – so while the Audio Lab is primarily for fictional/dramatic work, there are definitely other projects we feel like could be supported in the lab.

EPISODIC: I don’t have a sample from this pilot, but I still want to submit. What do I do?
Please understand how we are trying to balance keeping our submission easy with providing our readers with a full picture of the work you are looking to accelerate. While we would like this to be preferably/ideally from this project you are proposing, we will accept other samples as well. A sample from the pilot itself provides your strongest ability to align the writing with the rest of your submission and understand how your point of view currently comes across in your writing, but if you cannot provide us with that, please just chose the most appropriate other sample of your work. If you have questions about this, please feel free to ask us at any time by emailing info@orchardproject.com.

EPISODIC: Will feature length movies be considered?
At this time, no. We are very mindful of having resources and bringing relationships to our labs that help accelerate the work of artists, and thus because of our limited support, we cannot include film content at this time.

GREENHOUSE: What disciplines are represented in the Greenhouse?
While the Orchard Project was set up to support theater, our support has expanded in recent years to include dancers, physical theater, composers, film-makers, novelists, and even app-makers

GREENHOUSE: Do I need to be in NYC to submit?
While it is not a requirement to be NYC based (or nearby), given the periodic weekend gatherings of the Greenhouse (to meet, workshop material, etc), participants will likely get much more out of the Greenhouse program if they can be present for these gatherings.