McKnight Theater Artist Fellowships
McKnight Theater Artist Fellowships support mid-career Minnesota theater artists beyond playwriting, funding creative development and artistic risk-taking to advance their practice and careers.
Funder: Playwrights' Center
Due Dates: March 25, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. CT (Application and working-process statements)
Funding Amounts: $25,000 fellowship; July 1, 2027–June 30, 2028
Summary: Supports mid-career Minnesota theater artists other than playwrights to advance their artistic practice and careers.
Key Information: Applicants must have continuously resided in Minnesota since March 25, 2026, and remain residents throughout the fellowship.
Description
The McKnight Theater Artist Fellowships, administered by Playwrights’ Center with backing from the McKnight Foundation, recognize accomplished theater artists other than playwrights. The program supports mid-career artists living and working in Minnesota who demonstrate sustained accomplishment, commitment to theater, and artistic merit. Selection emphasizes professional achievement and a body of work developed over multiple years rather than a single production or project.
The fellowships are intended to significantly advance recipients’ art and careers. Financial support creates space to deepen artistic practice, pursue creative development, take artistic risks, and undertake opportunities that might otherwise be financially difficult. Eligible disciplines encompass performance, directing, dramaturgy, stage management, design, and other qualifying live-theater practices.
