The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Performing Artist in Residence program offers a unique opportunity for artists to explore and interpret the relationship between humans and nature through live performance. Each year, one artist is selected to develop a project inspired by the Garden’s thematic focus. The 2025 theme, "Natural Connection," encourages artists to examine the interdependence between humans and the environment, reflecting on how human actions shape nature and how nature, in turn, influences human life, emotions, and ideas. The selected artist will have the opportunity to engage with the Garden’s resources, develop original work on-site, and present their final project in September 2025.
The residency provides extensive support, including access to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's library and archives, research meetings with staff and gardeners, access to the Garden during and outside public hours, a shared workspace, and Wi-Fi. The artist will receive an $8,000 stipend, along with additional funds for production and performer support. The artist is expected to conduct two public engagement activities, such as classes, seminars, or workshops, as part of the residency.
Eligible applicants must be New York City residents and must be active in the live performance field, including but not limited to choreography, dance, music, playwriting, or theater-making. The residency does not provide housing or transportation. Artists must adhere to Garden rules and respect plant life. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden encourages applications from all eligible artists and is committed to equal opportunity.
The application process requires a portfolio of three to five past works, a resume, and a written proposal outlining performance ideas, public engagement plans, the artist’s relationship to botanic subject matter, anticipated needs for the residency, and an artist statement. The selection committee, composed of Brooklyn Botanic Garden staff and past artists in residence, will evaluate proposals based on the integration of the theme, feasibility for an outdoor performance, public engagement plans, and artistic merit. The top three finalists will be interviewed before the final selection.
Applications are due by February 28, 2025, with the selected artist announced on May 1, 2025. The residency runs from June 1 to September 30, 2025, culminating in a final public presentation on September 21 and 22, 2025. This opportunity provides a platform for artists to create immersive, site-specific performances that engage the Brooklyn Botanic Garden community while deepening public understanding of the human-nature connection.
