Expeditions/Overview
NEFA’s Expeditions program is committed to funding high quality and innovative touring projects in New
England. Grants are made to New England-based nonprofit organizations to support the planning or
touring of projects with performing, literary, and/or visual arts components.
Program Goals
The Expeditions program strives to:
- Support New England as a region which nurtures the planning and implementation of high quality arts
projects for region-wide touring
- Broaden the range of arts projects and activities available to New England communities
- Encourage thorough planning and delivery of innovative projects that provide meaningful interaction
between artists and communities
- Stimulate better collaborative opportunities in arts touring and presenting
Expeditions offers two types of support: Planning Grants and Touring Grants, and operates on an annual funding cycle.
An important part of the Expeditions funding program is the annual Idea
Swap. This one-day event is an opportunity to gather with colleagues from around the region to share ideas for
performing, literary, and visual arts touring projects. Participants are encouraged to use the event to
forge partnerships that will result in applications to Expeditions.
Types of Support
Planning Grants
Planning grants provide funding for the development of arts projects that will fulfill Expeditions criteria, but need planning and research time before being realized.
Expeditions Planning Grants support only activities directly related to the planning of a tour. Planning grant applications do not require organizational partners. Only one planning grant application may be submitted per project.
Expeditions Planning Grants of up to $5,000 per project provide financial support for the planning of a
project that will later tour New England, possibly with Expeditions Touring Grant support. The award of
Planning Grant support one year does not guarantee Touring Grant support in the following year.
Eligible Planning Grant expenses include (expenses must be related to tour planning):
- personnel (part-time, tem po rary or consulting)
- travel and other costs related to planning activities
- presentations/exhibitions and residency activities
- technical (not artistic) production costs
- marketing/promotions
The touring project being planned must eventually meet a minimum three-engagement/ three-community/two-state tour requirement. Planning processes must be completed within the June 1 - May
31 timeframe following award notification.
Planning grantees are strongly encouraged to develop project plans as soon as possible after the planning
period start date of June 1 so that project plans can be initially shared at the Idea Swap in November.
View a list of this year's Expeditions
Planning Grantees.
Touring Grants
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Photographer: Marian Gray |
Touring grants provide fund ing for presenting high quality artists through projects that exhibit strong collaboration between artists and nonprofit organizations and that creatively bring the arts to communities and underserved populations in New England.
Expeditions Touring Grant projects must include at least three New England nonprofit organizational partners in geographically separate communities from at least two states. Expeditions Touring Grants provide up to 50% of artist fees (maximum $10,000 per engagement site). Artist fees may include the cost per engagement/exhibition and residency services, travel, accommodations, and per diem.
Each of the three or more touring sites must include public performances, readings, exhibitions, and additional community engagement activities. Artist fees for multiple performances, residencies, and other contextual outreach activities are considered eligible expenses.
Expeditions Touring Grant projects must occur within the June 1 - May 31 timeframe following award notification.
Each partner must submit a separate application; one partner is to serve as lead applicant.
View a list of this year's Expeditions Touring Grantees.
Note: Projects will not be eligible to receive both an Expeditions Planning Grant and an Expeditions Touring Grant within the same funding cycle.
To apply for an Expeditions grant, visit the Expeditions Grant Instructions page.
Timeline
- February 13, 2009: Receipt Deadline for Expeditions Planning and Touring Applications
- Mid-April 2009: Expeditions Planning and Touring grant recipients notified
- June 2009:
- Planning period begins (and continues through May 2010) for planning grantees
- Touring season begins (and continues through May 2010) for touring grantees
- Early November 2009: Idea Swap (annual, one-day networking conference) - held this year (2008) on November 5.
 Funders
The Expeditions program is made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from
the six New England state arts agencies and the Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund.
Contact Info
For more information about Expeditions, email regionaltouring at nefa dot org
or call [617] 951-0010.
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