Changes to the Lab Artists Program Application and Selection Process

by Shawn Lent (Programs and Communications Director) and Joanna Furnans (Executive Director)

Chicago Dancemakers Forum remains committed to practice-based research and experimentation for the artists we support and for ourselves as an organization. As a result, we are continuously evaluating our practices and seek direct feedback from our community. As we approach the open call for the 2025 Lab Artists Program, we’ve been reflecting on and refining the design of the application, the panel evaluation process, and the description of the program overall. In April of this year, we held focus groups to gather feedback from artists to determine if we will continue with our current methodologies and/or make additional changes to the selection process or evaluation criteria moving forward. 

Here’s a brief recap of changes to the Lab Artists Program application process over the years:

• 2003-2016: During the first years of the program, only nominated artists could apply. Eventually, it was switched to an open call process. Each year, a group of approximately 15 Finalists had about two months to complete a second application. Four Lab Artists were selected by each year’s panelists. The grant amount stayed level at $15,000. 
• 2017-2020: During these years, there were two application rounds beginning with the open call, but Finalists had less time (about one month) to complete and submit the second application. Six Lab Artists were selected each year. For the 2020 program, the grant amount was increased to $20,000.
• 2021: Beginning of COVID (Digital Dance Grants and COVID BIPOC Relief Grants)
• 2022 & 2023: We transitioned to a single round application with four Lab Artists selected by a randomization process from a group of 10 Finalists, all of whom were paid modest stipends. We also implemented an applicant prioritization system based on personal identification factors. The grant size was increased to $25,000.

April 2024: Chicago Dancemakers Forum held three paid focus groups of approximately five dancemakers each. The participating fifteen artists included a mix of past Finalists, previous applicants, selected/drawn Lab Artists, and local dancemakers who have never applied. The focus groups were facilitated by Kevin Iega Jeff, 2009 Lab Artist, Consortium representative and program mentor, former executive & artistic director of Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and long-time Chicago dance community member. Measures were put in place to keep the process anonymous in the transcriptions shared with staff and the Program Evaluation Committee of the Board (Adia Sykes and Darrell Jones). 

The aim of the focus groups was for Chicago Dancemakers Forum to hear from artists during the (re)designing of the program’s application and selection process. The intention was to air different perspectives and opinions, rather than to come to a consensus. The information gathered from the focus groups was considered along with feedback received from, and conversations we’ve had with applicants to the program.

As an outcome to this process as well as feedback received from other artists, we’ve decided to continue the practice of randomized selection. Once a group of Finalists are selected through the competitive process, randomization helps reduce the impact of curatorial gatekeeping that can happen with short lists. We are also able to spotlight a greater number of artists (10 rather than just 4) and communicate broadly their equivalent strengths. A random draw also reduced labor on behalf of Finalists needing to complete a lengthy second round application. 

In addition to keeping the randomization process, Chicago Dancemakers Forum will be making the following changes to the application and selection process for the 2025 Lab Artists Program, which opens for applications on July 1, 2024:

• Video and  Written Narrative: The application for the 2025 Lab Artists Program will require both video and written narrative elements.
  • This change is meant to provide applicants the opportunity to speak directly to the panelists using two different modes.
  • Having practice in both oral and written presentations can be useful to artists. Creating a video narrative may support dancemakers in verbally describing their practice with more clarity and effectiveness, and having a written project proposal can be useful when applying to other grant and residency programs.
  • Having a video narrative offers applicants and panelists a more “human” aspect of the process.
  • This change makes both modes of presentation (written and spoken) equally important.
• More Panelists: Chicago Dancemakers Forum makes every effort to engage with panelists who identify with the program prioritization categories, who collectively cover an understanding of a large range of dance forms and practices, and who align with the organization’s values. Scoring panelists change each year. For the 2025 Lab Artists Program, Chicago Dancemakers Forum will engage six paid panelists; an increase from 3-4 paid panelists in recent years. Three of the panelists will be local/regional, including at least one prior Lab Artist, and three will bring a national or international perspective. Panelists will each be assigned a group of applications of which they are especially qualified to review. Each application will be reviewed by at least two panelists. 
  • This change increases the number of voices involved in the selection process and expands the panel’s collective range of expertise.
  • With panelists each reviewing fewer applications, they will be spending more time with the process and be supported to provide applicants with deeper feedback via the Submittable platform. The intention of this change is to provide the applying dancemakers with more thorough consideration and deeper feedback. 
• Panelists’ Orientation: In addition to Chicago Dancemakers Forum providing panelists with a thorough guide (which we have done since 2019) and an orientation at the top of their group discussion, panelists will now have an orientation meeting prior to their review/scoring of the applications.
  • Chicago Dancemakers Forum wishes to support panelists more fully earlier in the process, before they begin their review. This orientation will explain our selection criteria more fully and answer any questions / misconceptions that panelists might have about the selection process, the Lab Artists Program, and/or the Chicago dance ecosystem. 
• Adding an Internal Second Round: To determine the 18-25 applicants that will be considered for Finalists, we will be adding an internal second round review. Panelists will each be assigned a certain number of applications to review, and then move forward three of the top scoring applications from their group. A representative of Chicago Dancemakers Forum (Board, staff, or Consortium) will also select one application per group. Applicants are not required to complete a second round application. 
• Focused Panel Discussion: When the panel gathers to discuss the applications, they will only discuss 18-25 from which they will choose the 10 Finalists. All panelists will review and discuss all 18-25 applications in this second round.
  • With this change, panelists will have the opportunity to get to know the applying artists on a deeper level and to have a more robust conversation in making their selection of the Finalists.
  • As the number of dancemakers applying to the program increases, it has become increasingly difficult for panelists to spend the adequate time for each application (sometimes reviewing as many as 80 applications). It has become necessary for the panelists to each review and discuss a smaller number of applications.
• Increase Finalists’ Honorarium: For the 2025 program, each Finalist will receive a $1,000 honorarium (up from $375 for 2023 and $500 for 2024, $0 in all previous years), in addition to the option of public visibility. For the four artists drawn as the 2025 Lab Artists, this amount will be folded into their $25,000 grant.
  • Increasing artists’ stipend support is a goal of all Chicago Dancemakers Forum’s programs. 
  • Visibility & Promotion for more than four local dancemakers.
• Timing of the Random Draw: Like in the past two years of the program, the four 2025 Lab Artists will be drawn from 10 Finalists. For 2025, this draw will take place on the same day as the selection of Finalists. This means that applying artists will be notified of their status as Lab Artists or Finalists at the same time. 
  • We clearly heard from artists the need to shorten or eliminate the wait-time for Finalists.
• Revising Program Description, Application, and Selection Criteria:  Chicago Dancemakers Forum will be working to revise program language for more clarity and alignment. The weighted percentage per selection criteria will not be changed.
  • Artists have told us that they find the program description unclear and/or unaligned with the application and selection criteria.
  • Focus group participants had varied opinions and perspectives on the importance of each criterion.

EXAMPLE OF WHAT THIS PROCESS MIGHT LOOK LIKE 

(Note: The numbers in the following example will change based on the number of applications we actually receive.)

Open Call

1. (Let’s say) 75 local dancemakers apply to the program by the deadline.

Round One

1. The six panelists are each assigned 25 of the 75 applications to review, providing thorough feedback and scores. Each application is reviewed and scored by two panelists.
2. Based on those scores and notes, each of the six panelists selects three of the applications from their group of 25 to move forward to the second round. This equals 18 applications.
3. In addition, Chicago Dancemakers Forum (staff, board, or consortium members) moves forward one additional application per group.  Let’s say, through this process, an additional six applications are moved forward.

Round Two

1. Now 24 applications are under consideration and all six panelists review all of these applications.
2. Panelists then gather to discuss each of the round two applications. At the end of this conversation, the panelists come to consensus on 10 Finalists.

Random Draw

1. At the same meeting, after the 10 finalists have been determined, the four 2025 Lab Artists are selected by computerized, anonymized, random draw. 

Results

1. Chicago Dancemakers staff notifies the four 2025 Lab Artists and six Lab Artists Finalists.
2. All of the 10 Finalists including the six who were not selected as 2025 Lab Artists receive $1,000 and have the option of public promotion/visibility through Chicago Dancemakers Forum. (This payment becomes the first payment of the $25K grant to the four 2025 Lab Artists). 
3. The 65 applicants who were not selected as Finalists are notified by the end of September, and applicants are each offered a 30 minute call to review the feedback from panelists.
4. If, by chance, a 2025 Lab Artist needs to decline their participation for any reason, an alternate will be randomly selected from the remaining Finalists using the same random draw method.