National Theater Project Creation & Touring Grant

Creation & Touring Grants provide funds for creation and preparation for touring of collaborative, devised projects. These grants are highly competitive and are awarded to approximately six projects annually.

Eligibility 

• The National Theater Project will consider projects submitted by U.S.-based nonprofit organizations as well as individual artists who have identified collaborators. Only one application per artist or ensemble will be accepted.
• Organizations must be able to prove nonprofit status; for individual artists, an organizational partner may serve as the fiscal agent.
• All projects must have one committed development partner relationship.*
• Projects which are awarded touring support must allocate the funds among tour sites within 2 years of receiving the grant.
• Preference is given to those projects which are within 18 months of being ready to tour from the NTP award date.
• Preference is given to those projects with at least one interested presenting partner.**
• Artists receiving an NTP grant in any given round are not eligible to apply for another NTP grant until the original project has completed its NTP-supported tour.
• Applicant must be able to fulfill the Requirements & Reports for Grant Recipients if awarded. 

* Development partners provide a variety of resources during the development of a work including, but not limited to, residency space, audience for work-in-progress showings, administrative guidance or support, marketplace advocacy, tour planning assistance, and the leveraging of additional funds for the project. It is understood that the need and level of assistance between development partners and artists varies from artist to artist, but NTP believes strongly that partnerships greatly benefit the development and distribution of devised, collaborative theater.

** A presenting partner is the operator of a venue that offers the work to an audience, including but not limited to arts spaces, presenting organizations, producing theaters that also present touring productions, and festivals.

Theater artists apply to receive support for both the development and touring of collaborative, devised theater projects. Grants support the development of the project, costs and incentives needed to establish a plan for touring, and subsidies for presentation of the work. Funded projects are expected to complete an evaluation within one month of the project premiere as designated in the contract.

Awards range from $80,000 to $130,000. Part of the award is distributed directly to the artist to support creation and development. The remaining grant amount is set aside as artist-directed allocations distributed to presenters of their choice to cover part of their artist fee.

Funding Criteria

Creation and Touring Grants:

• Make possible the creation and development of original, high quality, artist-led collaborative, ensemble, and devised theater work.
• Result in better realized work, produced with a plan for touring subsequent performances and engagements in multiple sites.
• Reflect well-articulated collaborations with presenters and producing theaters who are involved in the development and promotion of the work.
• Increase the field's understanding of successful development and touring of contemporary, devised, collaborative theater work.

NTP is interested in devised theater projects developed using a variety of methods and types of collaborations. These could include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Ongoing ensembles of collaborating artists with a history of devising work.
• Artists and ensembles who lead projects and engage collaborating artists on a project basis.
• Artists and ensembles with touring experience who have innovative project proposals.
• Artists and ensembles who have little previous touring experience, but have relationships with presenters or other theaters.
• Artists and ensembles with local support and organizational partners who will assist in development and tour planning.

Types of projects that will not be considered:

• Projects focused on children’s and family theater.
• Projects by solo performers.
• Projects developed by lead artists who are non-U.S. based.

Deadline

• Preliminary application: March 21, 2013 (11:59PM EST)
• Final application: June 18, 2013 (11:59PM EST)

Grant APPLICATIONS & Instructions

Click below to LOG IN and RETURN to your grant application. 

 RETURN TO YOUR GRANT APPLICATION  

Requirements & Reports for Grant Recipients

Requirements
Grant disbursement is made in three parts:

1. Upon receipt of signed contract agreements: NEFA will issue 50% of the development funds of the Creation & Touring Grant to the artist or the artist’s fiscal agent. 
2. Upon receipt of interim report and supplemental materials: NEFA will issue 25% of the development funds of the Creation & Touring Grant to the artist or artist’s fiscal agent. Requirements for payment:
1. Creation & Touring Interim Report (completed and submitted online).
2. Copies of publicity materials showing required crediting (if applicable).
3. Hi-res photos of the work in progress (if available) emailed to ebouchard@nefa.org.
3. Upon receipt of evaluation and supplemental materials: At the end of the development period and once the project has premiered, NEFA will issue the final 25% of the development funds of the Creation & Touring Grant. Requirements for payment:
1. Creation & Touring Grant Evaluation (completed and submitted online).
2. Copies of program and publicity materials showing required crediting.
3. DVD of the completed work, if available.
4. (Strongly Encouraged) Hi-res photos of the NTP-funded engagement emailed to ebouchard@nefa.org.

Click below to log in and begin your grantee report. You may save and return at any time.

 START YOUR GRANTEE REPORT   

Contact

Quita Sullivan | Program Manager,
National Theater Project
qsullivan@nefa.org | 617.951.0010 x531

Elizabeth Bouchard | Program Coordinator,
National Theater Project, Presenting & Touring
ebouchard@nefa.org | 617.951.0010 x516