Mission:

 

The mission of Rhinebeck Writers Retreat is to provide a sanctuary for musical theatre writers to develop their musicals in the heart of the Hudson Valley, and to promote awareness for the creation of this uniquely American art form.

 

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Values:

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We provide an environment which fosters creative development. We commit to being an inclusive community in all areas of our work. We believe in the continued exploration and evolution of the musical theatre form and the power of diversity in our artists and the stories they tell. We believe that the inclusion of diverse people, ideas and stories enriches our insights and understanding of one another through the unique expressive possibilities of the musical theatre idiom.

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Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access:

 

We are dedicated to making a welcoming and safe space for all musical theatre writers. We are committed to reflecting and celebrating a diversity of stories and voices, and to supporting artists of any ethnicity, race, gender identification, sexual orientation, religion, age, or ability. We commit to an ongoing journey of continuing to reflect anti-racism as a core value of our policies, communications, and culture.

 

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Commitments:

 

We have taken the following steps to support our values and DEIA goals.

 

• Selection process for weeklong residencies

  • We simplified the application and made our selection process more transparent.

  • We offer guidance to any writer to help them complete their application.

  • Our first application deadline has no fee, and an applicant can request that the final application deadline fee be waived for any reason.

  • Our application readers represent a diverse community of artists, and 50% are Black, Asian, LatinX, or mixed-race.  All readers are paid $8 per application.  

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• Governance

  • We are committed to fostering an anti-racist environment and to a diverse Board of Directors with the inclusion of additional members from historically marginalized communities. 

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• Weeklong residencies

  • We have always paid for all the writers’ costs, including food, home, pianos, supplies, and air travel (up to $1000).

  • We have always given every writer a stipend of $550 per writer.

  • If a writer has a physical disability, we will find a home for the entire team to live in which is accessible to all.