CO/LAB:connect
CO/LAB:connect is a partnership program where CO/LAB Teaching Artists travel to different locations across New York City to provide high-quality theater programs to existing groups, programs, or locations where individuals with developmental disabilities gather. CO/LAB:connect programming features single workshops or longer-term residencies.
Workshops: Workshops are typically one 60-90 minute session. In a CO/LAB workshop, we follow an agenda of activities and games to warm up, learn new concepts, create new material, and share with our ensemble. These are a great opportunity to introduce participants to fundamental theater topics such as ensemble building, character, environment, and improvisation or to go deeper in an art form like musical theater, puppetry, and many other customizable topics.
Residencies: Multi-session residencies include multiple visits, often culminating in a public sharing or performance. This is a great opportunity for a group to explore multiple theater topics, dive into one performance style, or devise an original theater piece. Meeting for multiple sessions allows our Teaching Artists to work consistently with the group in developing skills and material.
Bring CO/LAB:connect to your organization
The standard rate for a CO/LAB:connect program is $525 per 90-min workshop.
If you are able to pay for a workshop or residency at the standard rate…
…please contact CO/LAB directly to plan a workshop or residency. Partners that pay our standard rate allow us to offer subsidized rates to other partners.
If the standard rate is cost-prohibitive for your organization…
…we encourage you to apply for a subsidized workshop in our tiered pricing structure, funded by The New York Community Trust.
About CO/LAB: Connect Tiered Pricing
CO/LAB:connect was born from the belief that everyone should have access to high-quality theater programming. Over the last 10 years, our partnerships have allowed hundreds of actors to explore topics from puppetry to musical theater in spaces they know well. Throughout this process, we have learned that the cost of overcoming barriers such as transportation, staffing, and other budget constraints can be burdensome to some organizations, and privileges those with financial resources. We knew there had to be a more equitable way to share the joy and creativity of the CO/LAB classroom that wasn’t as dependent on a fixed cost.
As a result, CO/LAB:connect has a tiered pricing structure that allows potential partners to apply for the price that matches their budget. It is our goal that this new structure builds longer-term, more honest relationships with organizations in the field and allows us to focus our energy on supporting participation, without the stress of sustaining financial support, cutting costs in other departments, or compromising on the desired impact of the program.
By leveling the program’s financial landscape to match the diversity of our city, we are hopeful that “all are welcome,” as stated in CO/LAB’s values, to host CO/LAB programming at their organization. We see shifting CO/LAB:connect to a tiered pricing model with low cost options as a vital step in promoting true arts access for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Goals & Eligibility
The tiered pricing structure allows potential partners to apply for the price that matches their budget.
The goals of this program are as follows:
To provide an easy and accessible way for organizations to apply for subsidized programming with CO/LAB
To provide high-quality theater programming to populations that currently have low to no access at a low cost
To prioritize partnerships with organizations in neighborhoods where we don’t currently or consistently offer programming (Some examples include: Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, outer parts of Brooklyn, northern and southern Manhattan)
In order to be eligible to apply for this program, the potential partner organization must work with individuals with developmental disabilities and be located in one of the 5 boroughs of New York City. It is encouraged that potential partners that cannot currently afford a full-cost workshop apply for a subsidized partnership. If a partner can pay the full cost (standard rate of $525/90-min workshop), they should contact CO/LAB directly to plan a workshop or residency.
Application Deadlines
CO/LAB:connect has 3 application cycles over the course of the year: in fall, spring, and summer. Potential partners are welcome to apply to as many cycles as they’d like, regardless of acceptance in the previous cycle.
Fall Cycle: For programming September-December 2023
Application Due: August 5, 2023
Partners Announced/Programs Booked: August 8, 2023
Winter Cycle: For programming January-April 2024
Application Due: December 1, 2023
Partners Announced/Programs Booked: December 15, 2023
Spring Cycle: For programming May-August 2024
Application Due: March 18, 2024
Partners Announced/Programs Booked: March 25, 2024
Applications will be reviewed by a panel of CO/LAB community members, which may include staff, Teaching Artists, actors, parents/caregivers, and Board and Associate Board members. Each cycle’s panel will recommend recipients to CO/LAB’s staff, who will then make the final decision.
How to Apply
There are 3 tiers to which partners are welcome to apply. These tiers are meant to reflect a range of budget and organization sizes across the city. Partners should apply for the tier that matches their organization’s capacity and will be asked to submit materials (budgets as a primary example) to help CO/LAB learn about their organization. Organizations with larger budgets are encouraged to apply for tiers that pay a higher percentage of program costs in order to make space for smaller organizations, with smaller budgets, in the other tiers. Our aim is to encourage organizations to consider the whole field and naturally subsidize peer organizations, ultimately providing high quality theater programming to as many individuals with developmental disabilities as possible.
Partners can apply for one-time workshops or multi-session residencies. The following outline, which should guide the tier you select for your application, is an example of costs for standard curriculum with no travel fees. Some customization may affect the exact cost of your programming, should you be selected.
Tier A
90% Subsidized / Partner pays 10%
Workshop cost to partner: Approximately $45
10-session residency cost to partner: Approximately $450
Tier B
65% Subsidized / Partner pays 35%
Workshop cost to partner: Approximately $150
10-session residency cost to partner: Approximately $1,500
Tier C
35% Subsidized / Partner pays 65%
Workshop cost to partner: Approximately $280
10 session residency cost to partner: Approximately $2,800
If your organization is approved for funding, you will meet with our team to determine additional program logistics including supplies, location, and transportation costs. Some costs may be the responsibility of the partner, but the final budget will be developed together.
The application will remain open at all times, but entries will only be reviewed and notified according to the timeline outlined above. It is our hope that this is not a time-consuming application. Please feel free to respond in bullet points, pull language from other resources, and share materials that are easily accessible.
History of CO/LAB:connect
Connect has always been a staple of CO/LAB’s Programming. Some of CO/LAB’s very first partners were YAI and Heartshare and participants we met along the way have remained involved in our programs! Over time, connect has evolved to match CO/LAB’s most present values, adjusting the cost of the program and the reach along the way.
When CO/LAB began, our core programs were meant to be in a centralized, consistent location determined by CO/LAB and were free or low cost. The CO/LAB:connect program was intended for CO/LAB to travel to other locations and provide programming, and functioned as an earned revenue stream. CO/LAB has always valued access to programs, and financial access is central to that belief. As our organization grew, more partnerships formed and more potential partners emerged. However, many organizations couldn’t afford to pay for a long-term residency, despite how dedicated they were to providing the experience to their participants. We introduced a subsidy fund, which allowed us to discount the price of the program for partners that couldn’t afford the full price. Though this allowed more partners to work with us, the subsidy fund felt like a short-term solution for something the organization wanted to systematically change: arts access.
This brings us to now! We’re hopeful that this funding structure change will mean that we can work with many more individuals and organizations in New York City, regardless of where they are or how big their budget is.