The School of Making Thinking (SMT) and Abrons Arts Center are now accepting proposals for artists and thinkers to teach a class for our Fall 2024 semester.  We are seeking course proposals that offer unique approaches to instruction and bridge creative disciplines. Artists and thinkers working across the areas of architecture, visual art, writing, performance, music, movement, community organizing, and more, are encouraged to apply. Four courses will be selected for our Fall 2024 series. All classes will take place at Abrons Arts Center in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

SMT classes are an opportunity for artists to bring others into their thinking and making practices through experimental pedagogies.  Please see our Spring 2024 courses for examples, or our archive of past courses.

Proposals can be submitted via our online Submittable form, and are due Monday, July 22nd, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST. 
About Abrons Arts Center 
Abrons Arts Center is a program of Henry Street Settlement, a social services agency with nearly 130 years of experience providing front line support to New Yorkers. Since the founding of our Neighborhood Playhouse in 1915, Abrons has been a space for artists of all ages and stages to experiment with and share new ideas. Our Arts Education programming is shaped around the interests of our learners and is facilitated by professional teaching artists.  

About The School of Making Thinking
The School of Making Thinking (SMT) creates immersive artist residencies and arts programming responsive to community needs and in pursuit of equity, justice and sustainability. SMT employs radical pedagogy and strategic program design to shape gatherings and to holistically support artists and thinkers in their practices.


Eligibility Criteria 
  • Must be eligible to work in the United States.
  • Prior teaching experience is highly encouraged, but not a requirement. A passion and interest in teaching is a must. 
  • Faculty must be available for the mandatory orientation and all course dates. Please review the “Important Dates” section before submitting your proposal.  
  • We are interested in proposals that push the edges of creative fields. Course proposals should be socially and politically responsive, experimental, pedagogically innovative, and relevant to the instructor’s practice, in alignment with the mission and values of Abrons Arts Center and SMT. 

Course Details 
  • Courses run for 4 weeks beginning on October 14 - November 8, 2024
  • Class time runs for 3 hours. 
  • Courses are hosted on weekday evenings between 6-9pm
  • All courses will gather on the evening of Thursday, November 14 to share their work. Faculty attendance and facilitation is required.
  • Courses are held once a week on weekday evenings, scheduled in partnership with the instructor. 
  • Courses require a minimum of 7 learners to run. The maximum capacity of a course is 20. Courses with less than 7 enrolled learners will be canceled. 
  • Courses will take place in person at Abrons Arts Center.
  • Teachers will be required to attend the mandatory Faculty Orientation on Friday, October 4, 2024, 5-6pm EST on Zoom

Compensation Details 
  • Faculty are paid $1,050 for their course ($75/hour for 12 teaching hours + 2 hours at the final sharing). Payment is issued 2 weeks following the culmination of the course. 

Course Registration Information 
  • Courses cost for learners is $350 for a 4 week course with an additional $25 registration fee.
  • Abrons Arts Center and SMT offer 50% tuition discount for lower income participants and sliding scale tuition rates to Black, Indigenous and People of Color in addition to the $25 registration fee.Activating these discounts requires a simple application process and email correspondence with Abrons administrators. 

Questions?: Please email [email protected]
Photo by Eli Schmidt.

Our classes are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.