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New Victory LabWorks

New Victory LabWorks reimagines what theater for young audiences can be.

Facilitator leads an activity on stage while children stand in colored floor lines, posters on the wall behind them.

New Victory LabWorks provides artists with an individualized experience and resources to create.

Established in 2012, New Victory LabWorks supports New York City-based artists of all performing arts disciplines in making works that challenge common preconceptions about theater for young audiences.

Since its inception, New Victory LabWorks’ approach toward new work development has evolved in response to the needs of the field and the artists it serves. The program currently offers artists financial resources, bespoke professional development, audience feedback, networking and community-building opportunities.

LabWorks connects artists with each other, industry professionals and New Victory families to garner invaluable feedback from kids and the Theater for Young Audiences (TYA) community. New Victory LabWorks invites artists to hone their craft, expand their skills, make contacts in the field, take artistic risks and make bold choices with their work.

Hear from <span style=New Victory LabWorks Artists about the programs." >

Hear from New Victory LabWorks Artists about the programs.

Childcare teacher in tan coveralls leads play, arms up, while kids gather on the floor near windows

LabWorks Launch

New Victory LabWorks Launch supports one New Victory LabWorks Artist project for further development and refinement with the aim of presenting the work at the New Victory and/or on other national or international TYA stages in the future. New Victory LabWorks Launch provides one year of individualized support focusing on specific steps needed to bring a work to a performing arts venue. This includes production support, dramaturgical input, industry relationship connections, rehearsal space and a project fee of $20,000.

For the 2025-26 Season, we assisted with the production enhancement and the local tour of The Garden by Flying Leap Productions ↗, an original, site-specific theater piece designed for children ages 0 – 5 and their families.

Six people seated in a panel discussion, holding microphones in front of stage lights and a boom mic.

New Victory LabWorks Drafts

New Victory LabWorks Drafts incubates new work from within the TYA community through two new programs:

  • Drafts Dialogue—virtual gatherings for guided discussion on new plays and scripted works
  • Drafts Live—an in-person, open rehearsal for workshopping and young audience feedback
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Evolution of New Victory LabWorks

New Victory LabWorks began in response to the NYC-based Theater for Young Audiences community and has remained an iterative program. It has evolved in goals and focus over the years based on feedback and research from partner organizations, program participants and other professionals from the field of TYA.

  • 2010: NYC-based TYA artists gather for the New Victory Scottish Festival and identify a need for professional development and networking.
  • 2012: New Victory LabWorks officially launches with up to 10 works being selected each season for development support at New 42 Studios.
  • 2017: New Victory LabWorks Artists begin traveling to national TYA conferences with New Victory Artistic Programming staff, connecting with presenters and practitioners from around the world.
  • 2020: In response to field research about the significant underrepresentation of artists of color in the field, New Victory LabWorks deepens the emphasis and inclusion of NYC-based artists of color, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+ and/or disabled.
  • 2021: New Victory LabWorks Launch is established, providing individualized support for a particular project to be further developed, with the aim of presenting the work at the New Victory and/or on other national or international stages in the future.
  • 2025: New 42, the parent organization of New Victory, engages in a strategic planning process to assess the current needs of the field and formulate the next iteration of New Victory LabWorks. Artist panels identify an appetite amongst NYC-based TYA artists for more pipeline-to-production and feedback opportunities.
  • 2026: New Victory LabWorks networking and professional development opportunities expand nationally with support from TYA/USA ↗. New Victory LabWorks Drafts launches.

Want to Know More?

If you are interested in joining the LabWorks mailing list, please contact LabWorks@New42.org.

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New Victory LabWorks Professional Development

New Victory LabWorks professional development is bespoke to the Theater for Young Audiences community.

Instructor gestures while addressing a seated group of artists in a school auditorium.

New Victory LabWorks Artists

New Victory LabWorks nurtures artists' creative processes, provides resources for new work and creates networking and community-building opportunities for artists making theater for young audiences.