National Queer Theater Seeks Submissions For The 8th Annual Criminal Queerness Festival

National Queer Theater is now accepting, through August 25th, submissions for the 8th annual Obie Award-winning Criminal Queerness Festival (CQF), which will take place during NYC Pride in June 2026 and will be co-produced with HERE Arts Center at their SoHo venue. CQF strives to uplift and amplify new theatrical works by LGBTQ+ artists from countries that censor or criminalize queer communities.

Up to three shows will be selected and given performances in New York City. NQT will hire all the artists, provide dramaturgical support, assemble the design and technical teams, and produce developmental productions of the shows. The selected artists will be awarded a stipend of $2,500USD, roundtrip airfare to NYC, and accommodations for 7 days in NYC.

The Criminal Queerness Festival welcomes:

• Shows by queer artists from countries that censor or discriminate against LGBTQ+ communities. New for 2026: the curators are also open to considering submissions from LGBTQ+ writers in the U.S. currently facing criminalization, especially trans writers living in conservative states, and Native, formerly incarcerated, and/or undocumented artists.

• Because these are developmental productions and not world premieres or second productions, shows that have previously received full productions in the United States will not be considered. A full production is one where all design elements were present, all artists involved received some form of compensation, and there was a ticketing system. Prior staged readings or workshops without fully realized design elements are okay.

• Shows that intend to run 90 minutes or less, as well as in-progress and in-development works from writers who are open to creative collaboration and feedback leading up to the production.

• Interdisciplinary work, and proposals for concerts, dance-theater, drag, comedy, or other storytelling formats are also welcome.

Submissions of this kind should include an estimate of performers involved, anticipated design/technical needs, and a synopsis/outline of the evening.

Submissions will be evaluated by a curatorial team of three international writers and dramaturgs who were involved in prior festivals: Dena Igusti, Jed Mugarura, and Khristián Eduardo Méndez Aguirre. Submissions are due August 25, 2025.

Apply at www.nationalqueertheater.org. 

About The Criminal Queerness Festival

The Criminal Queerness Festival (CQF) is an Obie Award-winning annual event produced by National Queer Theater that showcases the works of international LGBTQ+ playwrights from countries where queer identities are criminalized or censored. Since its inception in 2019 during WorldPride, CQF has provided a vital platform for these artists to share their stories, fostering global awareness and solidarity.

Over the years, CQF has showcased works from playwrights hailing from diverse countries, including Syria, Venezuela, Uganda, Kenya, Iraq, China, Pakistan, Tanzania, Egypt, Mexico, India, Lebanon, and Poland. The festival has garnered critical acclaim, being recognized as a 2020 NYC Mayor's Grant for Cultural Impact Awardee and receiving recommendations from esteemed publications such as The New York Times, The Advocate, and Thrillist. NQT partners with community groups such as Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI) and esteemed venues such as Lincoln Center and the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) to amplify the festival's reach, engaging diverse audiences in critical conversations about LGBTQ+ rights worldwide.

Through CQF, NQT not only elevates marginalized voices but also enriches the cultural fabric of New York City by introducing audiences to bold, original works that challenge societal norms and inspire change. The festival embodies NQT's commitment to artistic excellence, social justice, and the celebration of queer narratives from around the globe.

The Criminal Queerness Festival has been supported by generous funders, including New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; the JKW Foundation; NYC Pride; and the Terrence McNally Foundation.

About National Queer Theater

National Queer Theater (NQT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company based in New York City, dedicated to celebrating the brilliance of generations of LGBTQ+ artists and providing a home for unheard storytellers and activists. By serving elders, youth, and working professionals, NQT creates a more just future through radical and evocative theater experiences and free community classes. Believing in the power of theater to effect sweeping social change, NQT cultivates a more just, joyous, and empowered intersectional queer community that is celebrated in all corners of society. NQT was founded on the principle that through art and free community programs, we are able to create and organize together, working towards a more equitable vision of a world bursting with pride. For more information about NQT, visit www.nationalqueertheater.org. 

About HERE Arts Center

Since 1993, HERE Arts Center has been one of New York’s most prolific arts organizations. Today, it stands at the forefront of the city’s cultural scene, producing and presenting daring, new, multidisciplinary performance experiences. From our home in Lower Manhattan, HERE builds an inclusive community that nurtures artists of all backgrounds as they disrupt conventional expectations to create innovative performances in theatre, dance, music, puppetry, media, and visual art. By providing these genre-blending artists with an adaptive, flexible home for developing and producing their work, we share a range of perspectives reflective of the complexity of our city. HERE welcomes curious audiences to witness groundbreaking performances, responsive to the world in which we live, at free and affordable prices. For more information, visit www.here.org.