Organizational History
How it all Began
Redtail Artist Residencies (RAR) started in July 2020 as a continuation of the EtM Choreographer + Composer Residencies created by Exploring the Metropolis. Due to the unexpected impact COVID-19 had on NYC and the world, Exploring the Metropolis was forced to close its doors in June of 2020.
As the staff and board at EtM were faced with difficult decisions, EtM began to think creatively about how to continue the legacy and the vital work they did over the past 38 years in New York City. Thanks to the support of EtM’s Founder Eugenie C. Cowan, previous resident artists, and staff, EtM was able to save one of its most impactful programs. In July 2020, EtM’s former Program Manager Katie Cox took on the role as Executive/ Program Director of Redtail Artist Residencies.
Redtail is excited to continue our partnership with the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning and offer workspace and financial support for choreographer and composers. We are grateful for the encouragement of colleagues and supporters such as the Mertz Gilmore Foundation to continue this program as the new Redtail Arts Residencies! To understand the full history of Redtail, it is important to know the history of EtM and what led to the EtM Choreographer + Composer Residencies.
The History of EtM Choreographer + Composer Residencies in Partnership with Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning
Exploring the Metropolis began in 1982 in response to the upzoning of the Theatre District to allow large commercial buildings to replace the relatively anonymous but integral small buildings that supported theatre and the performing arts. To read more about Exploring the Metropolis’s full history and legacy, click here.
The EtM Choreographer + Composer Residencies began in response to several EtM-authored reports. The first was We Make Do, More Time is Better, But Budget is King, assessing dance rehearsal space needs and availability, focused on mid-career, single-choreographer-led companies. The report recommended several collaborations to support the dance community and facility infrastructure. One recommendation was the CUNY Dance Initiative.
In 2014 EtM led the Queens Workspace Initiative (QWI) to help ensure that the performing arts offerings in the borough of Queens are the best they can be. For Phase One, EtM assessed workspace needs for performing artists in Queens through interviews with key players, surveys, and focus groups. The report, Queens Performing Artists & Workspace: “I Want to Do More Than Survive—I Want to Thrive “ was released in June 2014.
Thus EtM’s Choreographer + Composer Residencies, in partnership with Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning, was launched in early summer 2015. This interdisciplinary residency brought choreographers and composers together to develop new work in Jamaica, Queens. This program was EtM’s first implementation stemming from the Queens Workspace Initiative.
The EtM Choreographer + Composer Residencies ran for five cycles supporting more than 30 choreographers and composers. Click here to see a full list of former artists-in-residence from the EtM Choreographer + Composer Residencies.