JLN Arts August 2026 Playwriting Residency Grant Applications Now Open
Launched in 2026, the program awards two residencies annually, in January and August.
The Jeffrey L. Nissen Arts Education & Development Fund (JLN Arts) and Hudson Valley Writers Residency (HVWR) have announced that applications are open for the August 2026 Jeffrey L. Nissen Playwriting Residency Grant, a fully funded, one-month residency designed to support playwrights developing new work for the stage.
Launched in 2026, the program awards two residencies annually—in January and August—providing playwrights with dedicated time and resources to focus on their writing in the Hudson Valley.
The grant will provide:
-
One-month residency at HVWR's Hudson Valley campus
-
Full room accommodations
-
Grocery stipend
-
Reimbursement for travel
The program welcomed its first resident playwright in January 2026, when New York–based writer and performer Sarah Goeke received the inaugural grant to develop a stage adaptation of her award-winning web series Forked. During the residency, Goeke completed a full-length draft of the play and participated in a reading of the script with local actors organized at the conclusion of her stay.
“I'm so grateful for the time, space, and financial support provided by the Playwriting Residency Grant,” said Goeke. “As a working artist in NYC my time is spent auditioning, teaching, and producing full time, and it can be difficult to carve out time to work on scripts and meet writing deadlines. Thanks to the JLN grant I was able to write a full length 60 page play during the month I spent at the Hudson Valley Writer's Residency. The residency director Bjorn Thorstad organized a reading of the script at the end of my stay with exceptional local actors. The Hudson Valley Writers Residency provides a quiet space and ample time to work but also proximity to other artists, and it was a huge benefit to my script to lean on those people for both inspiration and feedback. I can confidently say that the Forked play would not exist without the Jeffery L. Nissen Arts Education and Development Fund.”
The collaboration will continue to bring together JLN Arts' mission of expanding opportunities for artists with HVWR's immersive live-work residency model, offering writers time, space, and creative community in the Hudson Valley.
Applications for the August 2026 residency are open now through March 31, 2026, with the selected playwright to be announced in April 2026.
How to Apply:
Artists interested in applying for the Playwriting Residency Grant can visit the Jeffrey L. Nissen Arts Education & Development Fund's website at www.jlnarts.org/hvwr to review the full eligibility criteria and submit their application.
Videos