The New Harmony Project’s 40th anniversary season culminates in the 2027 Annual Writers’ Residency: a transformative and celebratory ten-day gathering in the pastoral landscape of New Harmony, Indiana. For four decades, NHP has acted on the belief that writers need more than deadlines and deliverables: they need time, space, community, and care. In a small town founded on the pursuit of a better world, writers are invited to step away from the pressures of everyday life, renew their creative practice, and devote themselves fully to the stories only they can tell.
Building on the discoveries of the 2026 Residency, the 2027 program brings together writers working in theatre, film, and television, embracing the rich conversation that happens when storytellers across disciplines share ideas, questions, and craft. While NHP has always welcomed writers from all three mediums, this intentional focus marks a return to the organization’s founding vision and acknowledges the reality that today’s writers often move fluidly between forms in pursuit of the stories that matter most. At the heart of the Residency is NHP’s enduring commitment to community. Writers are offered one-on-one consultations with theatrical dramaturgs and film/TV script advisors; participate in workshops with accomplished professionals from all three disciplines, both in person and virtually; and find opportunities to connect with others in an atmosphere of generosity and connection. Alongside creative support, participants become part of a community of care that values belonging, well-being, and the relationships that sustain artists long after the residency concludes. The Residency provides the freedom to imagine, experiment, and write without the distractions of daily life. Writers are encouraged to shape their own creative path, whether diving deeply into a single project or exploring several ideas, while drawing inspiration from the quiet beauty of New Harmony and the extraordinary cohort of fellow artists gathered there. It is a place to listen, to risk, to dream, and to remember that stories have the power not only to reflect the world as it is, but to imagine the world as it can become. Applications open in early-September, and will be due on October 1, 2026. During the application process, writers will be asked to select the primary medium they intend to focus on during the Residency. The 2027 cohort will include 18 Writers in Residence, joined by two Productions in Residence. Applications are accepted only for the Writers in Residence program. Forty years after its founding, The New Harmony roject continues to invest in the simple, radical idea that when writers are given time, trust, and community, extraordinary stories follow.