INITIATIVES

Write It Out! is open to anyone living with HIV.

You don’t need any writing experience to apply to The Program. Writing samples can be a scene, poem, essay, etc. Writing samples can be as short as a few sentences but should NOT exceed ten pages.

For the protection of all involved, strict confidentiality is given to each applicant and cohort. The selection committee consists of Write It Out! alums.

The Program runs for ten weeks virtually every Tuesday and Thursday from 5-6:30pm EST, September through December, with a Final Sharing on or around World AIDS Day (December 1st).

The Program comes with a modest stipend given at the end of The Program.

The stipend is for completing weeks 9 and 10 (i.e., the rehearsal process and Final Sharing). If writers do not complete weeks 1 through 8, they cannot participate in weeks 9 and 10. This means they will NOT be given a stipend for failure to complete The Program.

Those participants chosen for The Program who live 90 minutes or more from NYC will be provided roundtrip travel and one-night lodging. We are not able to accommodate travel and lodging for anyone other than The Program participants who live 90 minutes or more from NYC. If participants have someone they’d like to accompany them to the Final Sharing, they have to purchase travel on their own.

Participants selected for The Program are given three excused absences and lateness (no more than 15 minutes or it’s considered an absence). These absences and lateness are not honored during weeks 6-9 when participants start to share work in class. Participants are expected in those sessions.

Though it’s not required, participants often write plays that speak to the experience of living with HIV.

We work closely with professional directors, actors, and stage managers who align with the Write It Out! mission and values. Internally, we curate a set of collaborators who are able to work in an ensemble capacity (i.e., directors and actors who can work with multiple playwrights and plays simultaneously) to ensure a communal experience that celebrates and honors all playwrights involved.