NWS 2026-2027 BLUE Alumni Project Application

BLUE Alumni Project Application

2026–27 Season | New World Symphony
🎶 Welcome to the NWS BLUE (Build, Learn, Understand, Experiment) Alumni Project Application!

This form is your opportunity to propose a bold and meaningful project to be implemented during the 2026–2027 season. Accepted applicants will receive funding, mentorship, and access to support from NWS staff and partners.

Proposals may focus on a new initiative or an existing project with clear potential for further development. Applications involving existing work should articulate how NWS’s mentorship, resources, and collaborative support would meaningfully enhance the project’s trajectory, impact, or scope.

🔗 Please review the project rubric and criteria before submitting: https://bit.ly/NWSBLUEProjectCriteria
⏰ Deadline: September 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

Your full name:

First NameLast Name
Email
example@example.com
Focus Area During Fellowship
Fellowship Completion Year

Project Overview and Impact
Project Summary: Please provide a clear and compelling overview of your proposed project. This summary should give reviewers a strong initial understanding of your idea, including:
- What the project is: Describe the central idea or experience. Is your idea a concert, installation, collaboration, outreach program, digital creation, etc
- Why now: What makes this project urgent or relevant? Does it respond to a need, trend, question, or opportunity in your community, in the world, or in your personal development?
- Who it’s for: Identify your primary audience or community. Who will be impacted by this project, and how might they experience or benefit from it?
💡 Tip: Think of this as your elevator pitch. It should capture attention, establish purpose, and leave the reviewers wanting to learn more in the full proposal.
Provide your summary here.
3–5 sentence overview.
Title (or working title) of your project
This title can be altered later in the process.
Is this project a continuation of a previously accepted BLUE project?
How would you categorize your project?
I am interested in executing my project during the following time period/s
Optional: If you mentioned a specific month or timeframe in the previous question, please provide any additional details or context here.
2-3 sentences
Audience: Consider who you are designing this NWS BLUE experience for. What do you hope they will feel, learn, or take away from your project? Address why engaging this group matters, whether artistically, culturally, socially, etc.
3-5 sentences
Key Challenge/Opportunity: What key challenge or opportunity is your project addressing? How does your project idea relate to broader trends, systems, or unmet needs within your field or community? Consider how your idea responds to existing gaps or emerging possibilities.
Please answer this in 2-3 sentences.
Experimentation: How does your project experiment, take risks, or break new ground? Think about whether it challenges conventions, reimagines existing formats, or delivers something bold and unexpected.
Please answer this in 3-5 sentences.
Section 1 of 4

Planning and Collaborators
Collaborators: What types of collaboration and support will you need to bring your project to life? You don’t need to name specific individuals yet, but please outline the roles or responsibilities you anticipate.
💡Think about your NWS alumni network, staff, community partners, technical support, mentors, consultants, and others when answering this question.
Project Outline: What are the key phases of your project? The more specific you can be, the better we’ll understand your project’s timeline and feasibility.
💡 Share major milestones you anticipate. This can include rehearsals, workshops, recordings, or events, and when you expect them to take place.
Skill Development: What skills or experiences do you and/or your team hope to develop through this project? Identifying your areas for growth helps us better support your learning throughout the process.
💡 Examples include: public speaking, marketing and branding, commissioning processes, copyright, audience engagement strategies, musicology research, team leadership, or project management. Your response will help us connect you with a mentor who aligns with your goals.
Section 2 of 4

Alignment and Evaluation
New World Symphony Mission: The New World Symphony is where the future of orchestral music is envisioned, cultivated and shared.

New World Symphony Vision Statement: We imagine a world where musicians and audiences are emotionally connected; where orchestral music builds community through shared inspiration, reflection, and joy; where we advance the evolution of the art form; and where our alumni carry this dream forward.

More Information: https://www.nws.edu/about/about-nws/
Describe how your concept aligns with the NWS mission/vision.
2-3 sentences
How would you characterize your project's primary area of focus? If multiple, select all that apply
Describe how your idea aligns with one or more of the focus areas you selected in the questions above. (Community and Cultural Connections, New Audience Engagement, Sustainability, Technology)
3-4 sentences maximum. If you selected “Other,” please provide a brief explanation here.
Measuring success: What does success look like for your proposed project, and how will you measure it?
2-3 Sentences
Section 3 of 4

Budget, Technical Needs, and Final Information
Anticipated total budget:
Please indicate the full amount you expect your project would cost to produce, in U.S. Dollars. You will have an opportunity to break this down in the next question. Please note that a typical NWS Alumni BLUE project ranges from 3,000-$6,000. Projects with a larger budget will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Budget breakdown:
Please share a basic breakdown of your project’s expected expenses and income. Estimates are fine. This helps us understand your project’s scale. Your total should match the overall budget listed above.

💡 Examples of expenses: sheet music, guest artist fees, commissioning, licensing, recording/editing, software, equipment, travel, venue rental, marketing, receptions
You can share your budget breakdown as a paragraph, a bulleted list, or by linking to a cloud-based spreadsheet.
No maximum word count. Please make sure that you do NOT include your name in any linked materials.
Technical element details:
Please describe any specific technical elements you anticipate needing for your BLUE project. Don’t worry if you’re unsure of the exact terminology. Just describe it as clearly as you can!

Some examples might include:
- Audio/Visual: microphones, speakers, projectors, cameras, lighting
- Recording/Editing: audio/video recording, mixing, mastering, video editing
- Stage/Setup: immersive sound, projections, custom lighting, flexible staging
- Technology: live electronics, sensors, visual art integration, interactive media
- Streaming/Broadcast: livestreaming, video switching, Zoom/Twitch integration
- Software: notation, animation, coding, interactivity
Feel free to describe your ideas creatively. We’ll help with the details later!
You can describe your technical needs in paragraph or list form. You may also include a link to a cloud-based document.
No maximum word count.
Repertoire details (if relevant to your project)
If applicable to your project, provide the following details about the expected repertoire for each known work on your program (or, as much detail as is currently available) below:
- Composer Full Name:
- Birth [–Death] Year:
- Name of Piece (symphony/concerto; no.; key, catalog):
- Instrumentation:
- Total Movements:
- Total Length in Minutes/Seconds:
No maximum word count.
Links to supplemental materials (optional)
If you have additional supplemental materials, such as media and/or documents, that you would like to include as part of your application, please include links to those materials below, separated by commas.
If your materials are not already posted on a public site, cloud-based platforms such as Dropbox or Google Drive are recommended (please ensure that the files are viewable by anyone and do not require special access/login permissions). Please make sure that you do NOT include your name in any of the supplemental materials.
Congratulations! 🎉

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If you've forgotten to add any details, use the "back" icon at the bottom of your screen and add those details to the response areas of any of the following questions before submitting this application. Do not use the browser back arrow.

If you are ready to submit, go ahead!
Should be Empty:

BLUE Alumni Project Application

Project Overview and Impact

Section 1 of 4

Planning and Collaborators

Section 2 of 4

Alignment and Evaluation

Section 3 of 4

Budget, Technical Needs, and Final Information

Anticipated total budget:

Budget breakdown:

Technical element details:

Repertoire details (if relevant to your project)

Links to supplemental materials (optional)

Congratulations! 🎉