Programs
FRESHWORKS: NEW PERFORMANCE IN PROCESS
Freshworks is KST’s creative residency for artists and collaborators based in the greater Pittsburgh region. Freshworks made its debut in 2013 and supports playful exploration in performance through interdisciplinary work in contemporary dance, theater, music, and multimedia.
The program provides artists with planning support and guidance, studio space, production staff, lighting and sound design and encouragement for creative risk taking. Artists are invited to apply either as an individual or as a collaborative group.
Freshworks artists are provided a $1,000 honorarium and $1,500 resource budget during the residency. This is to help offset the costs of creating new work.
Each residency will take place over a two-month period. During these two months, artists will develop a 30-minute live showing that is a first draft or work-in-process of an original artistic project. It does not have to be a cohesive presentation of material and can be an informal sharing.
The first month is intended for planning; this includes what form the project will take, securing collaborators, and brainstorming design. During this time, artists will meet weekly with KST Programming and Production Staff to chart out production and scheduling needs as well as utilize their outside perspectives. The intention is that KST Staff is present to pose questions that can help the artist think through various aspects of ideas.
The second month is focused on in-studio rehearsal and creation of a 30-minute draft of their project. Weekly meetings with KST Staff continue and shift focus towards actualizing production needs.
The goal of the residency is for the artist to experiment and explore early iterations of ideas and share a draft of these concepts in front of an audience. At the end of the process, they will hopefully have valuable insight into further developing their project.
2023/2024 FRESHWORKS ARTISTS
Pria Dahiya
You and Me and The End of the World
Friday & Saturday, October 1 – 2, 2023
7:30pm
KST’s Alloy Studios | 5530 Penn Ave.
Pay What Moves You: $10 – $25
Andraya Rand-Mathis
Diving Within
Friday & Saturday, December 1 – 2, 2023
7:30pm
KST’s Alloy Studios | 5530 Penn Ave.
Pay What Moves You: $10 – $25
Caroline Yoo & Davine Byon
Prophesies & Soy Sos Shots
Friday & Saturday, April 5 – 6, 2024
7:30pm
KST’s Alloy Studios | 5530 Penn Ave.
Pay What Moves You: $10 – $25
Anna King Skeels
unstitch
Friday & Saturday, May 4 – 6, 2024
7:30pm
KST’s Alloy Studios | 5530 Penn Ave.
Pay What Moves You: $10 – $25
2024/2025 Application Timeline
- Early May: Application Opens
- Mid May: Information Session on Zoom & Facebook
- Late May: Early Submission Deadline for Feedback
- Applicants who submit by the above deadline will get feedback on their application from KST Staff and will be able to edit/modify their application prior to the final submission deadline.
- Late May: Feedback on Early Submission Returned to Applicants
- Early June: Application Closes
- Late June: Freshworks Application Review
- Early July: Applicants Notified
Please review the guidelines below for more information, available residency dates, and further detail on program goals.
Interested in applying and have more questions about the program or the application? Please email KST’s Programming Manager, Sarah Gilmer at sarah@kelly-strayhorn.org.
PAST PARTICIPANTS
Alyssa Velasquez | Michelle Johnson | Nick M. Daniels | B Kleymeyer | Justin Kelly & Ariel / | Jacquea Mae | Christina Kenney | Clara Kent & Ian Brill | Livefromthecity & Sheryland Neal | Ty Greenwood & Cherish Morgan | Luke Murphy | slowdanger | Mark Conway Thompson | Anthony Williams | Alan Obuzor | Anqwenique Wingfield | Jasmine Hearn | Alisha Wormsley | Bill Shannon | Jennifer Meridian and Hannah G Thompson | The DANA Movement Ensemble | Lori Hepner and Kendra Ross | Anthony B. Mitchell Jr and Noel Quintana | Vatic Kuumba, Darrell Kinsel, and Anqwenique Wingfield | Maree ReMalia | Gigi Gatewood and Lillian Cho | Gladstone Deluxe and Samir Gangwani | Kelsey Robinson and Di-Ay Battad | Trevor Miles and Julie Mallis | Vatic Kuumba, D.S. Kinsel & Anqwenique Wingfield | Anthony Mitchell Jr. and Noel Quintana | Philip Wesley-Gates & Jamison Edgar | Jameelah Platt & Lost Culture Dance Crew | Corrine Jasmine & Ru Emmons | Scott Andrew & Jesse Factor | Mita Ghosal & Sue Abramson | NaTasha Thompson & Petra Floyd | Lena Chen & Maggie Oates | Gia Fagnelli & Jordan Harris
Image: Clara Kent & Ian Brill, Freshworks Fall 2021, photo by Beth Barbis