Jazz Road

Jazz Road offers three grant opportunities across two programs: 

Jazz Road Tours

Jazz Road: Jazz & Human Connection – January 2026 Cycle  

Jazz Road is a national initiative from South Arts supporting jazz artists through touring and residency grants that bring jazz into new places, strengthen artist careers, and build deeper connections with communities. Rooted in the African-American tradition, jazz thrives on connection, and this cycle is all about just that.  

The January 2026 theme is Jazz & Human Connection, with a focus on rural and underserved areas that Jazz Road hasn’t meaningfully reached over the past eight years.  

Letters of Interest (LOIs) should be submitted from:  

• Jazz artists based in rural areas or nearby urban centers;  
• Artists with personal ties to underserved communities—through family, history, or shared cultural connection.  

Submit a LOI by March 2, 2026. Full applications for invited applicants only are due April 15, 2026  Funding is for tours after July 2026.

Learn More About jazz road tours 

Jazz Road Creative Residencies

Jazz & Human Connection 

Residencies should explore the theme of Jazz & Human Connection, whether through artistic creation, meaningful community engagement, or a combination of both. These projects are meant to deepen an artist’s creative practice and amplify the social power of jazz through connection, storytelling, and shared experience. Grants are up to $40,000 and must take place July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2017. The deadline is May 1, 2026. 

Jazz Road Legacy Residencies: Honoring the Artists Who Carry the Story 

Jazz Road Legacy Residencies celebrate the artists who have shaped the sound, story, and spirit of jazz over decades. Designed for artists age 55 and older, these residencies provide time, space, and support to reflect, create, and share your artistic legacy on your own terms. Grants are up to $40,000 and must take place July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027. The deadline is May 1, 2026. 

Learn More about Jazz Road creative Residencies

Other Jazz Road Initiatives

Call for Presenters & Venues

Are you interested in being contacted by artists about potential Jazz Road engagements? Jazz Road relies on successful connections between artists and the venues/presenters/communities which will host them. If you represent an organization that presents jazz–or is interested in expanding their work to include jazz presenting–please complete the form below. We are looking for presenters of all types, from jazz clubs to places of worship to performing arts centers to house concerts to non-traditional presenters, and communities from rural or isolated to urban.

About Jazz Road

Jazz Road is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from the Mellon Foundation, and is led by South Arts in partnership with the five other U.S. Regional Arts Organizations (Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, and Western Arts Alliance/Western States Arts Federation). For more information about Jazz Road, visit www.jazzroad.org.