We encourage projects that integrate technological and scientific research into the artistic process and the craft of storytelling.

About MAX

MAX operates at the intersection of artistic creation, scientific inquiry, and technology to produce groundbreaking live and immersive experiences. We foster deep partnerships between storytellers, scientists, and creative technologists to amplify scientific insight while exploring its impact on the shared human experience.

Through the MAXmachina laboratory, we invest in these artists by providing the necessary resources—from commissioning stipends to supporting scientific and artistic collaborators—to bring ambitious works from concept to a fully produced NYC showcase.

The 2026 Cohort: Human Stories inside Complex Systems

Our 2026 laboratory explores the idea that technology’s artistic potential is best realized when paired with a strong human narrative. We believe it is urgent that we use artistic methods to interrogate the ever-more complex systems that define our lives. Additionally, we aim to traverse the terrain that scientific inquiry opens up to the artist and catalyze artistic insight into the promise and the peril generated by the discoveries.

It is in that spirit that we seek uniquely compelling projects that aim to humanize complex systems and experiences.

We encourage projects that explore themes such as:

• The Ghost in the Machine: Celebrating the unpredictable human element—our creativity, mistakes, and emotions—that animates technology and gives it meaning.

• Productive Disruption: Reimagining unpredictability, imperfection, and the "glitch" as a creative catalyst in art, technology, and science.

• Narrative vs. Technology: Investigating the shifting roles of narrative and technology as allies or adversaries—exploring the "positive friction" generated when they challenge, disrupt, or transform one another.

• The Digital/Physical Blur: Projects that dissolve the binary between the digital and the physical. Are our bodies now as much computational as they are flesh?

Support & Residency Details

• Commissioning Stipend: Each project receives a stipend of $5,000-$7,500 for artist fees and development.

• Travel Note: We are based in NYC; travel funds are limited and must be factored into project costs.

• Production Support: Additional tailored support includes access to rehearsal space, technical equipment, and a dedicated production manager to support the "positive friction" of bringing complex work to life.

• The Advisory Panel: Artists work with individuals from our curated panel of renowned scientific advisors, creative specialists, and story consultants (dramaturges) to ensure deep research and rigor.

• Showcase: Works will be presented in a fully produced showcase at a major NYC venue.

What Artists Will Do

• Develop a Production-Ready Work: Move your project from concept to stage. Artists will refine their proposals into feasible, fully realized productions, ensuring creative ambitions are achieved within the agreed-upon budget and timeline

• Collaborate with Experts: Engage in "positive friction" through regular sessions with MAX’s Artistic Director, scientific advisors, and dramaturges. These collaborations are designed to ensure deep research and narrative rigor.

• Refine & Iterate: Participate in a structured development process. Through regular progress updates and creative check-ins, artists will evolve their work while discussing major creative shifts in advance to keep the production on track.

• Showcase: Present the final work in a fully produced showcase at an NYC venue, bringing the human story inside a complex system to a live audience

Criteria & Eligibility

• Development Phase: Projects must be past the initial concept phase.

• Live Component: Projects must include a live element; we champion the power of bodies in a room.

• NYC Premiere: Projects cannot have been previously performed in New York City.

• Tech and Science Integration: Projects must interrogate or integrate technology or science in some way.