ChamberQUEER is thrilled to receive many pitches and proposals for collaboration throughout the year. In order to create a structured and equitable process by which we review these submissions, and improve transparency around the ways CQ chooses what to support and who to work with, we’ve created our annual Open Submission period, running for the second time this year.

LGBTQ+ artists with a desire to collaborate with CQ in 2026 are invited to submit a proposal with a brief project description, work samples, a project budget (please see note below!), and other materials that may provide context via our submission form from June 23 through July 15, 2025. Proposals are welcome to take many forms, including possible co-productions, works-in-progress, and new pieces. However, the more details you can provide relating to both logistics and alignment with CQ’s mission, the more seriously we can consider your proposal for partnership in 2026.

There will also be a suggestion box where you can submit smaller-scope things like single pieces you would love to see programmed, orgs we should know about and build a relationship with, and other submissions that are not proposals for partnership in 2026.

Work will be reviewed by ChamberQUEER co-founders and two outside readers. We are committing 10% of ChamberQUEER’s annual budget to supporting projects we learn about through Open Submission. This year, ChamberQUEER anticipates having about $8000 in total to devote to supporting Open Submissions work, which we plan to divide among 2-3 projects. It is realistic to expect that this financial support will make up only part of the budget of any given project; proposals should address the plan to raise the rest of the funds.* 

The theme of our June 2026 festival is Climate. If your proposal engages deeply with this theme in some way and you would like it to be considered for inclusion in the festival in NYC, please specify this in your submission; the dates for the festival this year will be within the first two weeks of June. However, we are considering proposals for all topics and dates with the 2026 calendar year, and all potential projects will be given equal consideration.

Submissions are due by 11:59 PM on July 15; all artists who submit work will be contacted with decision information before September 2025.

We can’t wait to see all the amazing queer art you’re making, and hear how we can be involved in supporting its realization!

PLEASE NOTE, based on observations of last year’s submissions:

*The budget should provide equitable funds for all artists and producers in your submission. The W.A.G.E fee calculator provides a starting place for understanding your rates in terms of your project’s total budget or your organization’s annual expenses. While CQ understands that every project is different, it’s important to us to see that artists are being paid realistically and in a way that values them, if we are going to partner on it. You can definitely use the additional information section of the form to give any context that can help us understand budget decisions for your project.

Budget Examples:

Creative Capital published a helpful guide back in 2017. 

Here’s a fillable template from Mid-Atlantic Arts

If your budget is very simple, it can be just a paragraph or two or a short chart explaining where the money is coming from and how it’s being used. The main thing is that we see how you’re planning and on what scale, how feasible that seems with or without CQ’s help/funds, and that it more or less balances out.