Arts Midwest is currently accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Shakespeare in American Communities: Schools.
Donor Name: Arts Midwest
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/09/2023
Size of the Grant: $15,000 to $25,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
Shakespeare in American Communities is a theater program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Through grants to theater companies that produce Shakespeare’s works, this program supports high-quality productions and educational activities in middle schools, high schools, and juvenile justice facilities throughout the United States
Grant Awards
Applicants may request grant awards ranging from $15,000 to $25,000. These grants are federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Grant Period
Arts Midwest is currently accepting applications for events occurring between August 1, 2023, and July 31, 2024.
Project Requirements
- Perform a professional production of a play by Shakespeare; an adaptation of Shakespeare’s text; or a production that incorporates scenes, monologues, and/or sonnets by Shakespeare.
- All productions should offer students the opportunity to view Shakespeare’s text in performance.
- The actors in the production must be professionals, paid at no less than the prevailing minimum compensation. (This requirement is in accordance with the regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor in part 505 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations.) It is not required that actors be part of an Actors’ Equity contract.
- Performances may be held in a theater company’s facility, a school, a community venue, or virtually.
- Conduct related educational activities with students that further explore and address Shakespeare’s work in modern context.
- Activities must be led by experienced teaching artists, educators, or actors with strong credentials and training.
- Examples include workshops, pre- or post-performance discussions/talkbacks, curriculum-based residencies, or other activities that offer interaction between students and teaching artists or actors. Study guides do not qualify as an activity.
- Activities must be related to the production being performed for students.
- Virtual and/or pre-recorded activities are eligible as long as students have the opportunity to interact live and in real-time with teaching artists in some capacity.
- Reach five or more middle and/or high schools with a performance and related educational activities.
- Activities must be facilitated in partnership with middle and high schools, rather than through summer camps, performing arts centers, universities, or other.
- The majority of schools must educate students from underserved communities. Factors include but are not limited to:
- Title 1 eligibility
- National School Lunch Program statistics
- Geographic location (rural or urban areas)
Examples of eligible projects
- A theater company hosts an immersion day in their theater for middle school field trips. This includes their mainstage performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a post-show talkback, and a tour of backstage.
- A theater company tours a professional bilingual (English-Spanish) adaptation of Romeo and Juliet to schools in their metropolitan area, offering in-class workshops after the show.
- A theater company offers an original virtual production based on Shakespeare’s Henry VI plays, followed by an in-school residency.
Criteria
Arts Midwest welcomes applications from all eligible organizations, including first-time applicants; organizations serving communities of all sizes, including rural and urban areas; and organizations with small, medium or large operating budgets.
Applicants must:
- Be a 501c3 nonprofit, professional theater company located in the U.S. and the Native nations that share this geography.
- Have a minimum of two years’ experience providing professional performances and related educational activities to middle and/or high schools.
- Compensate all performers and related or supporting professional personnel at no less than the prevailing minimum compensation. (This requirement is in accordance with the regulations issued by the Secretary of Labor in part 505 of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations.)
- Agree to acknowledge Arts Midwest and the National Endowment for the Arts in all programs and press materials related to funded engagements.
- Have a valid Unique Entity ID via SAM.gov (free to acquire).
- Comply with Federal eligibility requirements.
For more information, visit Shakespeare in American Communities Grant.
