Catwalk Residency 2026

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

WHAT: Low-tech residency for all disciplines
WHEN:  May 20 - October 11, 2026
WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Tisch Faculty, Staff and Alumni with Advanced Degrees in the Arts
DEADLINE: February 25th, 2026 at 11:59pm EST

In Spring 2015, the Tisch Initiative for Creative Research launched a partnership with Catwalk Institute, offering residency opportunities for alumni, faculty, and staff. Catwalk provides a unique, low-tech environment for artists and scholars from the Tisch community to write, reflect, and create on Catwalk’s 70-acre property in Catskill, NY. Residents stay at the property in private living spaces with separate work spaces available for use across the property. Full use of the grounds is encouraged along with exploration of the Catskill and Hudson area. Projects that are collaborative and/or connect specifically to the region are especially appropriate for selection. While there are no traditional performance spaces or movement studios, site-specific performance works are encouraged.

Application

To apply for the Catwalk 2026 Residency you must complete this Google Form by 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. A panel of Tisch’s Catwalk alumni (which may include current Tisch faculty and staff) will review and nominate proposals to be considered by Catwalk leadership and staff. Catwalk will review nominated applications and contact artists directly to confirm residency. 

Successful applicants will clearly articulate in a one to two-page description: 

  • Your project and where you are in your creative process
  • What you hope to achieve during the residency
    • Does your project draw on the history, culture, and/or ecology of the Hudson River Valley?
    • Are there specific sources of inspiration in the region informing your project and/or your process?
    • How might your project impact the region following your residency?
  • How would being in residence in the Catskills relate to your project/process
  • Whether the work you're proposing would be well-served by some kind of public component - a reading, a demonstration or roundtable discussion, an informal/studio presentation, etc. If so, please describe what you currently envision.

Additional Requirements include:

  • A letter of reference addressing your capacity for self-directed residency, and speaking to what you plan to achieve during your residency.
  • Resumes for you and any collaborators who will be attending the residency.
  • A brief cover letter.
  • An image (to which you own the rights) that represents you or your proposed project.


Important Information to Note

  • Awarded applicants are responsible for arranging their own travel to, from and around the Catskills
  • Funds will not be provided by Tisch or Catwalk for residents
  • Residents must be available for a twelve, nineteen, or twenty-six-day stay
  • At the conclusion of their research activity, applicants will be asked to share findings from their research and to participate in an informal evaluation of their experience
  • For more information about Catwalk, including its current health and safety protocols, please refer to the Catwalk Residency website
  • Applications for 2026 Residencies due by 11:59pm EST on February 25, 2026

For additional questions, contact tisch.research@nyu.edu and use subject line: Catwalk Question 2026.

Apply Here
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