Modeled on NEFA’s National Dance Project, NTP not only provides funding but also animates an informed, interactive network of producing theaters, presenters, and ensembles that promote the funded projects and the development of the field as a whole. Projects are supported through Creation & Touring Grants, which fund creation and preparation for touring of devised projects and Presentation Grants, which are awarded to presenters by the artist and support up to 50% of the artistic fee for NTP projects.
NTP supports work that reflects the evolving environment for theater, including but not limited to projects that:
- Support the creation/development and U.S.* touring of new artist-led devised, ensemble theater works that demonstrate excellence in the artists’ practice. NTP uses the following definitions in consideration of grant applications:
- Ensemble: A group of two or more people committed to working together over time to develop a distinct practice and body of work.
- Devised: A process of co-creation and joint discovery that prioritizes generative artists, which may include but does not prioritize playwrights, is iterative, and results in original work.
- Support work that contributes to the cultural and aesthetic diversities of today’s theater. NEFA values an equitable, diverse, and inclusive world, which we interpret as all people having fair access to the tools and resources they need to realize creative and community endeavors. We acknowledge structural inequities that have excluded individuals and communities from opportunity based on race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, language, culture, nation of origin, and geography, and strive to counter those inequities in our work.
- Reflect meaningful partnerships with presenters, producers, and other organizations that are involved in the development, promotion, and/or touring of the new work.
- Offer the potential to deepen engagement because of the work’s relevance, originality, and/or timeliness.
- Produce a viable plan for touring the supported work in multiple communities in the U.S. and its territories*.
*NEFA defines U.S. as all 50 of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
Deadline: January 4
Dollar Amount: Awards range from $80,000 to $130,000. Part of the award is distributed directly to the artist to support the creation of the new work. The remaining grant amount is set aside as artist-directed allocations distributed to presenters of their choice to cover part of their artist fee (Presentation Grants). Additionally, finalists will be offered an NTP Artist Development Grant. These small grants offer development support between $5,000 and $10,000 to projects reviewed in the final application round who were not ultimately selected for a Creation and Touring Grant. All finalists will receive a $2,500 Finalist Award to compensate the time and expenses required to go through the full proposal process.
Eligibility:
- The National Theater Project will consider projects submitted by U.S.-based theater ensembles and individual theater artists with identified collaborators. Only one application per ensemble or artist will be accepted per year.
- Organizations must be able to prove nonprofit status; for individual artists, an organizational partner may serve as the fiscal agent.
- This grant supports the creation of new work. The project development end date must be after September 30 to ensure that the project is still in development at the time the grant is awarded.
- All projects must have one committed, U.S.-based development partner relationship.*
- Preference is given to those projects which are within two years of being ready to tour from the NTP award date.
- Preference is given to those projects with at least one interested presenting partner.**
- Returning Artists: All NTP-supported presentations are completed and it has been one year since the last NTP-supported presentation.
- Applicant must be able to fulfill the Requirements & Reports for Grant Recipients if awarded.
Theater artists apply to receive support for both the development and U.S. touring [virtual or in-person] of artist-led, ensemble, 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.
* Development partners provide a variety of resources during the development of a work including, but not limited to, residency space, virtual platforms, 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, ensemble theater.
** A presenting partner is the operator of a virtual platform or in-person venue that offers the work to an audience, including but not limited to U.S. arts spaces, presenting organizations, producing theaters that also present touring productions, and festivals.
Projects Not Supported:
- Projects focused solely on children’s and family theater
- Projects by solo performers
- Projects developed by lead artists who are non-U.S. based
Full RFP: https://www.nefa.org/grants/find-grant/national-theater-project-creation-touring-grant