NEST Artist Requirements

All artists listed on a NEST application must complete and maintain an up to date profile in CreativeGround, NEFA’s free regional arts and culture directory, to be NEST-eligible. Follow the instructions on CreativeGround and pay attention to the specific guidelines below to clearly demonstrate your work for NEST-eligibility.

An artist requesting NEST-eligibility must maintain a permanent residence in one of the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont) and spend at least half of the year living in that state.

An ensemble must be artistically led by an artist based in New England, and at least 50% of the performers must live in New England. Ensembles incorporated in New England but who are not made up of performers primarily based in New England are not eligible for NEST.

While we recognize that artists often live and work in many places and employ collaborators from around the world, the purpose of NEST is to support artists residing in New England.

Step 1: Log in to CreativeGround.org 

Go to www.CreativeGround.org and click ‘GET LISTED,’ and create a user account or log in if you have a CreativeGround account. (Reset your password if needed.)  

Go to your 'My Dashboard’ page. There you will see all public profiles that are associated with your user account. If you do not see a profile listed on your Dashboard, do a quick search in CreativeGround to see if it already exists in the database. If it does and you would like to manage it, click Claim this Profile' at the top of the page.   

If the profile for you/your artist group does not exist yet, Create a new public profile from your CreativeGround Dashboard.

Step 2: Complete Your Profile 

Once you have access to edit your public profile in CreativeGround, please complete all the recommendations listed here to ensure you have a robust profile that allows presenters to search for and see your work easily. 

Required for NEST-Eligibility 

Make sure you have filled out these specific fields with the additional requirements for being a NEST-eligible artist: 

1. About 

• In Activities and Services, you must select "Performance/Concert/Reading" as a service offered by your CreativeGround profile. You may list other services or activities, but in addition to the requirement above.
• In Populations Engaged, you must select at least one group your work is for. 

2. Institution/Business Type 

• You may select the type which is most appropriate for your work. However, we strongly recommend that you select ‘artist (individual)’ or ‘performing group’ as your Institution/Business Type because that is likely how most presenters will search. 

3. Media Gallery 

• Include at least one photo and one video of your work in addition to your main Profile Image. 

4. I have worked with... 

• List at least five different public engagements you were hired for in the last year anywhere in the world. Examples of NEST eligible engagements include performances, readings, or film screenings.
• For each performance, please complete the Relationship Description field with a brief overview of your performance engagement (1-3 sentences) and Relationship Date (note the Month and Year). For organizations within New England please link to their profile page in CreativeGround. 

5. Affiliations & Accomplishments 

• List any relevant awards; if none, fill in "N/A" 

6. Touring Artist Information 

• Check the "I wish to be considered for NEST eligibility" box.
• State of Residence – NEFA recognizes that ensembles may be comprised of individuals based in different New England states. For the purposes of NEST-eligibility, your group must select ONE state of residence, which will be considered your state of residence across all NEST applications.
• Technical Requirements – include the essentials needed to ensure a successful performance at any venue. You do not need to include a complete tech rider.
• Minimum Number of Performers
• Maximum Number of Performers
• Touring Fees – please include a monetary range, instead of using language like “prices negotiable.”

Step 3: Respond to Approval Process Follow-up

NEFA grant staff review the NEST eligibility queue weekly, and sometimes more often as NEST deadlines approach. If any of the above information is missing or incomplete, NEFA staff will follow up directly via the internal contact email used in your profile. A lack of response by you may result in a delay or decline in your CreativeGround NEST eligibility.

After your profile has been approved by NEFA grant staff, the phrase “NEST eligible Artist” will appear in the Touring Artist section on your CreativeGround profile indicating that you are eligible for NEST funding.