NYC Artist Safe Haven Residency Program (NYCASHRP)
Funding Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Grant Type
foundation
Overview
NYC Artist Safe Haven Residency Program
Program Type: Yearlong residency for international at-risk artists
Geographic Scope: New York City-based artists; international artists welcome
Focus Areas: Visual artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers who have faced censorship, persecution, or threats to their freedom of expression
- International artists at risk
- Must have faced censorship, persecution, or other threats to freedom of expression
- Currently serving visual artists and musicians (writers/filmmakers not currently hosted as of 2024-2025)
Eligibility
- Legal Services: Pro bono immigration assistance provided by Artistic Freedom Initiative, including talent-based and performance visas, asylum applications, and Employment Authorization Documents (EADs)
- Financial Assistance: Living expenses and artist materials support (provided in 2024-2025)
- Housing: Free artist housing at Westbeth Artists Housing in Manhattan's West Village (provided 2017-2023)
- Professional Development: Customized programming including network support, project and production assistance, exhibition and public programming opportunities
- Community Engagement: Partnership with Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, Residency Unlimited, Tamizdat, and The New School
Services Provided
- Founded in 2017 by Artistic Freedom Initiative, Todd Lanier Lester (ArtistSafety.net/FreeDimensional), Residency Unlimited, and Westbeth Artists Housing
- Has hosted 21 artists from Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Congo, Vietnam, Haiti, Uganda, India, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Palestine, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan
- In 2024-2025, program hosted visual artists and musicians through coalition partners
- From 2017-2023, hosted visual artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers
Program History
- Matches musician residents with carefully selected mentors
- Partnership with Joe's Pub at the Public Theater
- Opportunity to develop specific work, hone skills, and expand professional network
- Note: Not currently hosting musician-in-residence as of document date
Musicians Program
Safe Haven Incubator for Musicians: New York City (SHIM: NYC)- Artistic Freedom Initiative (legal services)
- Joe's Pub at the Public Theater
- Residency Unlimited
- Tamizdat
- The New School
- The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
- Westbeth Artist Housing
- The Wilhelm Family Foundation
- New York State Council on the Arts
Support Organizations
Contact Information
80 Hanson Place Suite 303 Brookly, NY 11217 (+1) 929.294.9226 Email: Available through websiteHow to Apply
Application Process
Applicants should use the Application for Assistance form available at artisticfreedominitiative.org/application-for-assistance/
Required Application Materials
1. Personal Information
- Full name, pen name (if applicable)
- Gender identity and pronouns
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Nationality
- Languages spoken
- Contact information (telephone, email, website)
- Current residential address
2. Immigration & Legal Status
- Citizenship information
- Legal status in country of origin (citizen, permanent resident, visa type, etc.)
- Legal status in country of residence
- Marital status
- Number of children
- J visa history (if applicable)
3. Professional Documentation
- Complete artist CV or resume (PDF, DOC, DOCX format; max 128 MB)
- Profession/type of artist
- Employment status and details
- Current employer information (if employed)
- Employment skills unrelated to art
4. Background & Situation Documentation
- "Current Situation" document (3-5 pages maximum, required):
- Where you currently live
- Dangers/risks faced if still in country of origin
- Ability to return to country of origin
- Travel and/or residency restrictions applied
- Risk of detention or danger upon return to country of origin
- Contact with other governments or organizations seeking refuge
- "Details of Attack, Threat, Persecution, or Censorship" document (required)
- "Civil and Political Organisations" document (3-5 pages maximum, if applicable):
- Membership or employment in political or other organizations
5. Program Information
- Type of artist or cultural worker
- Which of the following has applicant experienced: Censorship, Persecution, Forced Displacement, Armed Conflict, Humanitarian Crisis, or None of the Above
- Services requested (check all that apply):
- Pro bono immigration representation for relocation to the United States
- Pro bono immigration representation for at-risk artists already in the United States
- Limited referral to pro bono immigration representation internationally
- Assistance connecting to artists residencies
- Assistance connecting to arts and advocacy organizations
- Assistance connecting with professional opportunities
- Assistance finding and applying to emergency funding
- Online application form at artisticfreedominitiative.org/application-for-assistance/
- Supporting documents uploaded directly to form (max 128 MB per file)
- Accepted file formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX
Submission Format
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
Categories
Browse similar grants by category
Related Grants
Similar grants from this funder and related organizations
The Fabulous Find Monthly Partnership Grant
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Adrienne Shelly Foundation Production Grant (AFI's Directing Workshop for Women)
Amount
Varies
Deadline
May 1, 2026
Adrienne Shelly Production Grant (Boston University)
Amount
Varies
Deadline
January 1, 2027
Adrienne Shelly Award for Best Female Director (Columbia University)
Amount
Varies
Deadline
May 1, 2026
Adrienne Shelly Foundation Film Grant (Horizon Award/Sundance Film Festival)
Amount
Varies
Deadline
January 1, 2027
Adrienne Shelly Director's Grant (IFP)
Amount
Varies
Deadline
October 1, 2026
Ready to apply for NYC Artist Safe Haven Residency Program (NYCASHRP)?
Grantable helps you assess fit, draft narratives, and track deadlines — so you can submit stronger applications, faster.