Greenhouse Residency

The Sycamores

The Sycamores

The Dock at Peach Lake

The Dock at Peach Lake

Kay Hall

Kay Hall

The Barn

The Barn

Performance

Performance

The Barn

The Barn

The Icehouse

The Icehouse

Dinner on the Farm

Dinner on the Farm

Greenhouse Residency

Brewster, NY, United States

The Greenhouse Residency offers up to ten aspiring playwrights or theater writers, who have not had access to the professional theatre community through traditional means, a fully-subsidized weeklong residency at SPACE on Ryder Farm. During the residency, participants will have time and space to write as well as to participate in workshops with mentor playwrights and other theatre professionals. The residency is intended for those who are unaware of–or lack access to–new play development or artistic residency opportunities and who may not have considered playwriting as a potential career, despite having artistic passion and potential.

Participants are nominated by a network of diverse theater professionals who work with aspiring theater writers (age 18 or older) and who have demonstrated promise in their voice but have lacked access to opportunities to focus on and develop it into a work that can be produced.

The Greenhouse Residency is offered twice, each for 6 days. 

Residents are housed in Ryder Farm’ Kay Hall and provided with artistic and administrative resources. The only requirements at SPACE are that residents attend three communal, farm-sourced meals each day, give back two to three hours of their time to Ryder Farm, and share some of what they’ve developed while in residence. Please see SPACE’s FAQ page for information about diets and food allergies SPACE’s chefs are able to accommodate. 

Please visit our website for more information. 

Contact

PO Box 370
North Salem, NY 10560
United States

Year Founded
2017
Context
Rural
Residency Structure
Stand-alone
Residency Program Type
Studio-based (with housing)
Residency Length
6 days - 6 days
Languages
English
Average Number of Artists in Residence at a Time
5
Collaborative Residency
N/A
Discipline
Playwriting
Theater
Companions
N/A
Country of Residence
Open to artists based anywhere in the world
Family Friendly
N/A
Stage of Career
Emerging
Additional Expectations/Opportunities
Other
How does your residency program support artists?
Opportunity to be in another context
Immersion in new culture and/context
Unstructured time
Access to studio space to create new work
Inspiration from natural environment
Professional development support and/or trainings
Opportunities to collaborate with other artists/residents
Opportunities to develop relationships with other artists/residents
Opportunities to exhibit or perform new work
Other
Additional Eligibility Information

Candidates, who must be 18 or older, will be nominated by a SPACE-affiliated practicing artist who works with young theater writers. 

Because SPACE residents routinely dine together, work together and inhabit indoor buildings with SPACE staff (who are in turn part of their own communities), minimizing risk associated with COVID-19 requires full participation in straightforward, clear policies. To this end, all residents are required to be fully vaccinated as a condition of attending a 2022 SPACE residency. A similar policy is in effect for SPACE staff and guests. 

SPACE recognizes medical contraindications and closely held religious beliefs may prevent some residents from receiving the COVID vaccine. Furthermore, SPACE knows that many have not had fair and just access to the COVID-19 vaccine and have been disproportionately impacted by the virus, leading to the distrust of government health agencies and hesitancy towards the vaccine itself. Such individuals will be asked to follow a thorough set of safety protocols including quarantining and PCR testing before arrival. Additionally, all residents, regardless of vaccination status, will be tested on the first day of their residency.

Please contact Chief Operating Officer, Allyson Davis, at allyson@spaceonryderfarm.org with any related questions or concerns. For more information on the COVID-19 vaccines available in the US, and where to get one please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html

Artist Stipend
0
US Dollar (USD)
Travel Stipend/Material Stipends
30
US Dollar (USD)
Residency Fees
0
US Dollar (USD)
Grant/Scholarship/other Funding Support
0
US Dollar (USD)
Application Fee
0
US Dollar (USD)
Application Type
Application by nomination only
What does your program provide during the residency experience?
Pre-orientation
Manual / handbook before arrival
Communication before arrival to discuss accommodations, medical conditions, or other health needs
Orientation upon arrival
Is your campus wheelchair accessible?
Partially Accessible
Caregiver/Aide/PCA
Case by case consideration by staff
Accessibility Contact Name
Allyson Davis
Accessibility Contact Email
allyson@spaceonryderfarm.org
Accessibility Contact Phone Number
Other Services/Aids Offered in Residency + Other Programming

SPACE eagerly provides services and aids on a case by case basis.

How much of the residency experience can artists with limited mobility participate?

Residents with limited mobility can participate in the full resident experience. The dock at Peach Lake is a small jaunt from the farm on an unpaved path, but residents with limited mobility can be driven by car or golf cart down the path to the lake, if desired. Other outdoor areas of the farm (the Bowling Green and growing fields) may also prove challenging, as some are multi-level, but reasonable aid and accommodations can be made. Overall, any areas that might be of concern are not core elements of the residency experience.  

Please briefly describe the facilities and areas of the campus that are NOT accessible.

The second floors of buildings on-site are not accessible by wheelchair. Some bedrooms are located on these floors, but bedrooms on ground levels are available for those with limited mobility. All indoor common areas are also on ground levels. The entrances to Kay Hall and The Sycamores include 3-5 steps, but a ramp is available to be installed for use. 

Type of Housing
Private bedroom in a shared housing facility on campus
Accessible Housing
Partially Accessible (50% or more)
Housing for Companion And/or Caregivers
Case by case consideration
Accessible Communal Spaces
Inaccessible
Common/Communal Spaces Information

KAY HALL

This modern home was built in the post-and-beam style in the early 1980s and is SPACE’s residency house. In addition to each bedroom (furnished with a bed, bedside table, and writing desk with chair), there are several workspaces scattered throughout the house, including: 

  • The Main Room: The open-concept first floor of Kay Hall includes a sitting area and dining room, and offers several distinct workspaces and areas for gathering. The first floor contains a couch, rocking chairs, a chaise lounge and a large dining table with views of the pond and sheep pasture.
  • The Garage: This partially open-air space has two large tables and a bulletin board, which is perfect for larger group meetings. It also has a Casio Privia PX-800 keyboard. The Garage can comfortably fit twelve people.
  • The Back Deck: Completed in 2017 thanks to a generous donation by Alec and Lee Seymour, the Kay Hall deck overlooks the pond with a small table and chairs covered by an umbrella to keep away the sun. The deck is accessible from the first floor of Kay Hall, as well as the second floor bedrooms, each of which has its own balcony.

 

THE BARN

Originally built by Will Ryder in 1910, the barn offers a large open area for groups or individuals looking for a large open space. With a wooden stage donated by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in 2013 and numerous chairs and tables, the barn is easily configured to best serve a resident’s needs, and has been used in the past as a recording studio, rehearsal space for blocking and staged readings. The barn also has a well-maintained Weber upright piano. There is access to electricity and a weak Wifi connection in this space.

 

THE CHICKEN COOP

A large renovated chicken coop with windows and concrete floors. The space contains two desks and a Roland Juno-DS weighted keyboard. Past residents have used this space both for music recording and as a visual arts studio. There is access to electricity but not Wifi. There is running water just outside the building.

 

BOWLING GREEN AND STAGE

The Bowling Green is a gently sloping open field with a concrete open-air stage at its end. Numerous lawn chairs and other furniture live on the green. The green is useful for exploration, the meeting of larger groups and leisure.

 

THE GAZEBO

An open-air structure directly adjacent to one of Ryder Farm’s growing fields, the gazebo is a little further away from the hustle and bustle of the main SPACE campus allowing a quiet place to concentrate and contemplate. There is no access to Wifi or electricity. The Gazebo can comfortably sit four people.

 

THE DOCK ON PEACH LAKE

Offering some of the most beautiful vistas on the farm, this floating dock, built by the SPACE team in 2012, allows for some peace and quiet far away from the main SPACE campus for a resident to dig into their work. Residents have even been known to take a boat out onto the lake to really clear their minds as they work. There is no access to Wifi or electricity at the lake.

Additional Housing Information
Access to laundry in housing
WIFI available in housing
Air Conditioned Housing
Heat and Cool control managed by resident
Meals Provided
All meals
Additional Meals Information
Vegan meal options can be requested
Vegetarian meal options can be requested
Gluten-free meal options can be requested
Kosher and halal options can be requested
Food allergies and restrictions can be accommodated
Snack and beverage provided
Computer/Internet Access
Wireless Internet (WIFI)
Studios/Facilities Details

Each resident is provided with a bedroom furnished with a writing desk. Residents are also invited to make use of various facilities around the farm, including: 

 

THE BARN

Originally built by Will Ryder in 1910, the barn offers a large open area for groups or individuals looking for a large open space. With a wooden stage donated by Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in 2013 and numerous chairs and tables, the barn is easily configured to best serve a resident’s needs, and has been used in the past as a recording studio, rehearsal space for blocking and staged readings. The barn also has a well-maintained Weber upright piano. There is access to electricity and a weak Wifi connection in this space.

 

THE CHICKEN COOP

A large renovated chicken coop with windows and concrete floors. The space contains two desks and a Roland Juno-DS weighted keyboard. Past residents have used this space both for music recording and as a visual arts studio. There is access to electricity but not Wifi. There is running water just outside the building.

 

BOWLING GREEN AND STAGE

The Bowling Green is a gently sloping open field with a concrete open-air stage at its end. Numerous lawn chairs and other furniture live on the green. The green is useful for exploration, the meeting of larger groups and leisure.

 

THE GAZEBO

An open-air structure directly adjacent to one of Ryder Farm’s growing fields, the gazebo is a little further away from the hustle and bustle of the main SPACE campus allowing a quiet place to concentrate and contemplate. There is no access to Wifi or electricity. The Gazebo can comfortably sit four people.

 

THE DOCK ON PEACH LAKE

Offering some of the most beautiful vistas on the farm, this floating dock, built by the SPACE team in 2012, allows for some peace and quiet far away from the main SPACE campus for a resident to dig into their work. Residents have even been known to take a boat out onto the lake to really clear their minds as they work. There is no access to Wifi or electricity at the lake.

 

Studios/Special Equipment
Private Studios
Shared Studios
Performance/Presentation Facilities
Piano
Printers + Scanner
Washer And Dryer
Studios/Facilities Accessibility
Partially Accessible (50% or more)
Studio Support/Tech
No studio support provided