The Hobby Center’s Houston Is Inspired programming initiative is designed to help local performing artists move ambitious ideas from concept to stage.

 

We leverage our production, technical, administrative, marketing resources, and staff to help elevate Houston artists and organizations’ existing capacities and capabilities, amplify local work, and build a stronger Houston artist community.

The residency provides space for experimentation, allowing artists to develop work that might otherwise be difficult to produce.
Through an open call and proposal process, the program invites Houston-based artists and organizations to be considered for a week-long residency designed to support artistic development, production growth, and deeper audience engagement.

Presented by the Hobby Center, each selected project receives:
  • Five days of full access to Zilkha Hall, including stage, dressing rooms, technical equipment, and production staff for rehearsals, tech and final performance.
  • Stipend of $20,000 to support the creation and development of the artistic concept.
  • Marketing investment from the Hobby Center and project-specific promotional plan created and executed in partnership with artist or organization.
  • Professional photography and videography of the culminating performance.
  • Box office support and 30 complimentary tickets for the performance.
  • Community engagement and educational opportunities relevant to the artist concept.
  • Approximately a 90 to 120-minute ticketed performance at Zilkha Hall to culminate the week-long residency.

Successful applicants are Houston-based artists or organizations whose work reflects a clear creative identity and readiness to make strong use of a week-long residency at the Hobby Center. The program is designed for artists and organizations with a demonstrated commitment to their practice and interest in deepening how their work connects with audiences, communities and the larger Houston landscape.

 

Houston Is Inspired is best suited for artists and organizations developing performance-based work for public presentation, especially projects rooted in production development, creative growth, and deeper audience connection.

 

Interested in Applying?

For the 2027-2028 season, applications are open from September 9 through October 30, 2026.
  • An online information session was held with the Hobby Center’s Programming & Education department on October 13, 2026. You can find a summary of the discussion along with FAQs here.
  • Projects will be selected in early 2027.
  • Selected projects will participate in a week-long residency at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Fall 2027 and Spring 2028.
Click Here To Apply

 

For any questions about the Houston Is Inspired series, please contact Joseph Blanchard, Programming Coordinator, at [email protected]

Houston Is Inspired 2025-26

CJ Emmons “I’m Freaking Talented," [Jk]creativ "Our Road Home," and Silambam Houston “Kāvya: Poetry in Motion”

Reviews

Years from now, I believe we will look back on our Hobby Center experience as a pivotal moment in the journey of our artistic company. The gratification of local artists being recognized as worthy of a larger stage, and the confidence boost that gave us, justifies in full the name of the program. We were indeed inspired - by the production possibilities that opened up, the warmth and brilliance of the Hobby Center crew, and the final product that showed us what we were capable of given the right resources.

Lavanya Rajagopalan - Artistic Director, Silambam Houston

Houston Is Inspired has been a catalyst for a deepened relationship with Houston audiences and the communities that shape our movement, music, and writing. Through this experience, we’ve advanced artistically, expanded our production capacity, entered new disciplinary spaces, and increased our audience by over one hundred percent. Equally impactful, the Hobby Center team has been a true ally in our organizational growth, and our development as creatives and cultural storytellers rooted in Houston.

Jakari Sherman - Creativ. Director, [Jk]creativ.

History

Houston Is Inspired celebrates the artists, stories, and perspectives that define our and strengthen Houston’s cultural identity. By investing in locally created work and providing a platform for Houston-based artists, the series reflects the Hobby Center’s role as a cultural hub that connects audiences with artists, convenes communities around shared experiences, and cultivates creativity that enriches our region. More than a performance series, Houston Is Inspired demonstrates the power of the performing arts to foster belonging, civic pride, and meaningful dialogue across our community.

 

Houston Is Inspired broadens access to original, locally created work, giving audiences opportunities to discover voices, experience world premieres, and engage with performances that reflect the creativity of the city they call home. The result is a richer, more diverse arts experience that complements the Hobby Center’s programming.

 

2023-2024 – The Inaugural Season
2024-2025 – Established Artist Residency Program
2025-2026 – Established Open Call
Upcoming: 2026-2027 – Established Houston Is Inspired Artist Cohort