Since 1983, NW New Works has been a vibrant celebration of artists from all performance disciplines, showcasing the dynamic arts community of the Pacific Northwest.
NWNW has an extensive history of presenting emerging works, with past festivals featuring renowned artists and groundbreaking performances that have left an indelible mark on the arts community, including:, Degenerate Art Ensemble, zoe | juniper, Wade Madsen, Waxie Moon, Amy O’Neal, Peggy Piacenza, Cherdonna Shinatra, Kultur Shock, Molly Sides, dani tirrell, Fox Whitney, Keyes Wiley, and many more.
In an effort to make the festival more equitable and responsive to the regional arts community, we updated the festival model in 2025 to feature a selection process led by a curatorial cohort made up of regional artists, educators, and arts professionals. The new model also includes: higher, more equitable artist fees; stipends for project development; rehearsal space; production support; and professional development sessions with our Marketing team.
Join us to experience bold new works from:
Swim Pony - Seattle, WA
Elegy for a Former Best Friend
Joanne Park & Colby Mclean aka Ripcode aka Ghost Rexx - Vancouver, B.C.
In an Adjoining Room
Unfortunately, Joanne and Colby are unable to join us for the festival due to unexpected visa conflicts. Please follow their work on IG: @joannepark.13 // @coco.t_t
Meysha Harville & Mare Hirsch - Seattle, WA
gig // assembly
Undercurrent - Seattle, WA
Surface Tension
Tariq Mitri - Seattle, WA
whole
Naomi Deckard - Seattle, WA
The Identity Ballgown
Nia-Amina Minor with Black Ends- Seattle, WA
Antiq
The 2026 NWNW Festival will feature 7 new works, curated by Rana San (intermedia artist and curator), ILVS STRAUSS (multi-disciplinary artist and NWNW 2025 participant), and Parmida Ziaei (multidisciplinary artist and designer).
Big News! This year, we’re experimenting with holding all performances on the Merrill Theater stage in one fell swoop. We think it will work, let’s see what happens?!
NWNW is made possible through generous support by John C. Robinson and Maya Sonenberg, Norie Sato and Ralph Berry, Raynier Foundation, and The Tulalip Foundation.
Photo: Akoiya Harris & Kearia “Keke” Duncan in NWNW 2025 by Allina Yang
In the Press
“Seattle-area shows our theater writer is looking forward to in 2026” by Gemma Wilson for The Seattle Times | December 30, 2025
2026 NW New Works Artists
2026 Curatorial Cohort
June 4-6, 2026
Thursday, June 4 | 7pm¹
Friday, June 5 | 7pm
Saturday, June 6 | 7pm