The application window is open from May 1 - 31, 2026. Review of applications will begin as applications are received, and potential candidates will be invited to interview with The Dance Hall team. Selected Resident Artists will be notified by or before June 15, 2026, and their residency term will begin in early July.
To apply, please complete and submit the application below. You may be contacted by a member of The Dance Hall team and asked to submit samples of your artistic work via email.
Should you have any questions, please contact info@thedancehallkittery.org.
Resident Artist Program
There is no doubt we are living in a difficult time– a time of reduction, uncertainty, tension, and polarization. Arts funding– both directly to artists and via organizations that support them– is being reduced or eliminated on the federal, state, and local level. Artists have no artistic home due to the lack of physical space for creation. And opportunities for growth and mentorship through organizational administrative support is being deprioritized.
If artists are to continue to be the catalysts for hope we need, we must step up and in to offer support to our storytellers in all disciplines.
This is why in 2025 The Dance Hall launched our first-ever Resident Artist (RA) program. Our first cohort of four emerging and/or established artists across artistic disciplines– from musicians to dancers to actors—who are at a transformational point in their careers called TDH their artistic home starting in July and running through June 2026.
RAs receive a range of resources customized to their needs, such as: development, rehearsal, and performance space; production support; and opportunities for group and individualized mentorship and growth.
How does it work?
Each artist will meet with TDH Staff to determine when and how the space can be made available to them to work on their craft. The usage of space could include classes, workshops, rehearsals, performances– how each artist uses the space and time is completely up to them, on each day. Some may want to pull back the proverbial curtain on their craft and invite the community in to experience what making looks like for them. TDH staff will be on-site to support whatever is needed, meeting each artist where they are in the moment
How will it benefit the community, the artists, and TDH?
As an arts organization, it is critically important that we show up for our artists at this moment. TDH is doubling down on our commitment to not only showcasing art, but investing in our local creative talent.
The community will have opportunities to experience the process of creation from sitting in on an evening of development or rehearsal to then witnessing a public performance as part of TDH’s ticketed programming.
Resident Artists will build connections with each other, sharing experiences, ideas, and challenges, and will have the opportunity to collaborate and create with each other, possibly even teaming up and sharing their residency time to co-create.
RAs will also act as champions for TDH in the community, and this first cohort will help guide the program overall by sharing radically candid feedback about what is working well and where they need more support. In some ways, this will be a bit like building the plane as we’re flying it, but now is the time for action, and with patience and grace our first cohort will share lessons that guide the program’s future years
How can I become a Resident Artist in future years? 2026/27 APPLICATION PERIOD IS NOW OPEN
This program is on an annual cycle. This year’s application period extends from May 1st - May 31st 2026. A small committee will review applications and choose the second cohort of RAs for The Dance Hall for 2026, beginning in July. As the program grows, we hope to be able to secure financial support in order to offer direct funding to RAs through small stipends, and/or cover costs to help RAs produce content. We will also explore the possibility of increasing the number of RAs selected in order to invest more deeply in the artistic community.
TDH will take a holistic approach to the selection process and prioritize artists who are:
based in Southern Maine or the Greater Seacoast area of New Hampshire
at a transformational point in their career
aligned with TDH's values of accessibility, collaboration, respect, and curiosity.
If you have specific questions about the Resident Artist program, please reach out to Artistic Director, Eric Klaxton : eric@thedancehallkittery.org