VoxLab (formerly VoxFest) is seeking Dartmouth Alums and Live Arts creators to develop their work at our summertime lab!
Please click below to apply; applications are due by 11:59 PM ET on February 20, 2021.
VoxLab is a developmental live arts laboratory in residence at Dartmouth College, focused on fostering projects by Dartmouth alumni. During the week-long retreat in Hanover, alumni artists develop their works-in-progress in collaboration with current undergraduates. Our goals are to create a space for alumni to experiment, immerse the students in the process of creating new work, and build a more connected community for alumni in the arts.
This past summer, we held our first fully remote theater festival, showcasing 7 works by more than 60 artists—including 9 student-artists—over the course of a month. The pandemic necessitated some fairly dramatic changes, and we remain in awe of, and so grateful for, all the work those artists accomplished.
Founded in 2013 as VoxFest, VoxLab 2021 marks an evolution that aims to be more inclusive of works that fall outside the usual purview of capital ‘T’ Theater, emphasizing process over product. To that end, we maintain a broad definition of “theater,” and are actively seeking out live arts projects that transcend the category.
We plan to curate with an eye towards a breadth of artistic form, so we are very interested in your installation, your audio walking tour, your dance piece, your political puppetry, your new musical, your meditation, your video game, your… anything that is fundamentally LIVE.
A fundamental part of VoxLab is our collaboration with Theater 65, a course taught during the summer term, that focuses on immersing students in new work development.
During the lab, projects will work closely with students, who, in years past, have performed in, assistant directed, stage managed, designed, and dramaturged pieces. When applying, it is important that you be able to articulate how you might collaborate with the students—part of Vox’s mission is to continue to build up our artistic community, and that includes “future” alumni.
Pre-process support, including the coordination of all casting and hiring; travel, room, and board; and artistic consultation as requested.
Dedicated rehearsal room throughout the retreat period, if in-person; Zoom room, if virtual.
Access to the College’s vast material and natural resources during the retreat.
Free room and board for you and your collaborators during the retreat (if in-person)
Process support for your project from the VoxLab team and Dartmouth Theater Department Production Manager for the duration of your residency, which may include artistic consultation, the sourcing of crucial/minimal props and costumes (if in-person), the opening of Zoom rooms (if virtual), printing of new scripts/scores, etc. The earlier your production needs are clarified, the more likely we can support them, within reason.
The support of a Company Manager who will work to learn and meet your team’s access needs and address housing/food/travel needs as they arise.
Working as a professional live arts designer presents some very specific challenges. How do you get access to a grid full of lights? An entire scene shop? Costumes from any and every period? These, and countless other hurdles, impede our creativity. The Design Residency, a new addition to VoxLab, will offer a Dartmouth alum access to the Theater Department’s technical resources, design stock, and rehearsal/studio space, in addition to all of Dartmouth College’s libraries and online resources.
Similar to a traditional writer’s residency, you will be able to escape to a beautiful place for a week to develop a project, do research, play with Dartmouth’s resources, and meet other wonderful artists.
You will spend half of each day focused on a solo project and the other half working in direct collaboration with the leader(s) of one of the other VoxLab projects.
Our hope in splitting the artist’s time is to maintain our commitment to community building and collaboration, while still supporting each artist’s needs.
VoxLab 2021 will run for 1-2 weeks this summer (exact dates TBD), but we anticipate both the Lab and Design Residency to be some combination of in-person and remote work, in accordance with CDC and Dartmouth College guidelines. Pre-production will begin upon acceptance into VoxLab 2021 (late-March 2021).
All applications are reviewed by the VoxLab team. Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at vox@voxtheater.org, or via the 'contact us' page.
We are excited for this process-focused, pandemic-proof summertime lab for interdisciplinary work...apply, apply, apply!
NOTE: Applications are due by 11:59 PM ET on February 20, 2021.
VoxLab is curated by Vox Theater, with the generous support of the Dartmouth College Department of Theater.