Artist Residency Program
A space to belong and become
Now in its eleventh year of artist residency programming, FTGU elevates sidelined voices, sparks essential community dialogue, and champions the creation of stories that are too often overlooked. By bringing these stories to the forefront, and by centering the artists behind them, the organization creates spaces that empower, challenge norms, invite the unusual, and forge new pathways that uplift individuals and communities.
Applications LIVE - FULL DETAILS AND APPLICATION LINK BELOW
the basics:
This six month Artist Residency Program is a 6 month program that offers artists and community members alike the space, resources, support and visibility needed to bring their imaginings, ideas and unique vision to life!
Led by Katherine Murphy Lewis, who is not simply the nonprofit’s founder; she is a director and dramaturg with a singular creative methodology refined over a decade of practice. Her work spans physical theater, contemporary dance, storytelling, clown, and stand-up comedy — frequently within a single production. Critics note the way her process yields work that is “real and raw yet polished and top-tier.”
Under Katherine’s leadership, with support for our Program Director and our dynamic team of Associate Artists, each resident will be given the mentorship, training, support and resources to fully realize their project. In this process driven program Katherine has developed a curriculum and creative approach that centers each participants authentic voice - giving everyone who enters ‘the room’ the opportunity to create work from their most authentic self!
“I had the chance to find my courage to speak my truth. Doing things I’d never done before - which often ended up being far more rewarding than I could’ve imagined. I can’t imagine where my creative life would be right now without having found From the Ground Up.”
Incoming residents will engage in workshops, structured feedback sessions, one-on-one sessions with our Artistic Director and artistic team, while drawing upon a dynamic and inspiring cohort of other artists and makers. In this residency you will receive:
Personalized Direction
Creative Mentorship - With our Artistic Team, including our Visiting Artists
Access to open studio time ( 2-4 Hours per week)
Production support (ticketing, marketing, design and tech support)
Promotional materials (Production Photos and Video)
25 % discounts on our community workshops and intensives (CLICK HERE to see our workshops/intensives page for this years schedule)
Professional mentorship during and after you leave the program
A dynamic creative community of people all working towards the same goal.
You will leave having presented your emerging work in our annual New Works Festival, with greater self producing/directing skills, ongoing mentorship from From the Ground UP and their team and a production packet for your emerging work that is ready to enter the next stage of development.
OUTCOMEs
Few organizations of any size can point to a clear, replicable pathway from residency to nationally recognized performance; FTGU can. Several alumni have continued success post Residency Program including moving onto the Liminal Series to fully realize their piece.
Andrea Parson entered the 2022 residency cohort, premiered work in the New Works Festival, developed through the Liminal Series with Katherine’s direction and dramaturgy, toured the Pacific Northwest, and won Best Physical Theater at the Fall United Solo Festival 2024 in New York City, all through FTGU’s pipeline. This is a working model.
“Working within this community for the last six months has revitalized a sense of belonging and a yearning to keep creating, to keep waking up and believing there is beauty and meaning and connection to be found.”
Program Details
WHEN:
January-July 2027
The weekly meeting time will be based on the selected Artists in Residence availability.
WHERE:
COST:
The costs of creating, rehearsing and presenting new live art is at best prohibitive if not totally out of reach for most individual artists locally and nationally. This program is designed to support artists in getting their work up and out into the world. By working inside a cohort and within a festival model FTGU is able to reduce the costs of presenting new work.
We estimate that to fully produce each piece in our New Works Festival costs $10,000 - this cost reflects the all studio time, staff and development hours, performance space, professional PR, festival photo and video, design support and tech and board operators throughout the festival.
FTGU operates on a foundational that the room only does its job when it is built for the people who most need to be in it. To make sure we meet this marker we automatically subsidize $5000 of the cost for each artist and have created a sliding scale payment model to create accessibility for this six month flagship program.
For questions about subsidies or scholarships or anything else about the program email our Artistic Director Katherine Murphy Lewis at katherineftgu@gmail.com
SLIDING SCALE PRICE POINTS
SUPPORTING —- $5000
SUSTAINABLE —- $3750
ACCESSIBLE —- $2500
From the Ground UP is committed to ensuring that our programming remains accessible to all those interested. If the cost of this program is a barrier please email Katherine at katherineftgu@gmail.com.
Please note that our financial assistance programs prioritize communities and individuals who would otherwise not be able to afford this program, including but not limited to BIPOC, low income, single parents, seniors living on a limited budget, and students.
APPLICATION INFO & TIMELINE
After you submit your application we will follow up to schedule a 30 minute info session. Once application’s close selected artist’s will be invited for a in person interview with our Artistic Director Katherine Murphy Lewis & our Program Assist Aberdeen Stuart.
The weekly meeting time will be based on the Artists Residents Availability.
August 10th - Applications Open
October 10th - Applications Close
October 11th - October 30th - In person interviews (Will be scheduled individually)
November 1st - Artist Residency Cohort Announced