Through our partnership with the Mellon Foundation, A.R.T./New York strengthened & supported theatres across all five boroughs through general operating grants. Awarded grants were used over a three-year period, paid out once a year upon receipt of a brief Interim Report. On June 28th, it was announced that the Mellon Foundation New York Theater Program (NYTP) will receive a fourth and final year of funding to be distributed to the programs current grantees in July 2022, extending their grant cycle through June 30, 2023.
Please note: Applications for this program are closed. The information below is for archival and informational purposes only.
Program Goals:
Recognize the outsized influence of small and midsize New York theatres on the field locally and nation-wide.
Provide multi-year general operating support grants to small and midsize theatres, providing them with the support to build their capacity, make long-term plans knowing they have funding secured, and build their funding portfolio with an eye towards stability and growth.
Fund a vibrant mix of theatres working with diverse aesthetics and serving a wide range of cultural communities across New York City.
Support companies who are impacting the field in New York City and nationally, who work with intentionality and integrity in the creation of their work, and who are making work that is relevant to the theatrical field and cultural conversation more broadly.
The New York Theater Program application process for the FY20-FY22 funding cycle runs April 2018 - June 2019. Unlike other grants administered by A.R.T./New York, applications are by invitation only. All A.R.T./New York members who meet the eligibility criteria will be considered for review.
The application process for NYTP will be conducted as follows:
Nomination: A.R.T./New York solicited nominations from artists, theatre makers, arts administrators, and theatre professionals in the community to assemble a list of theatres for review. (March - August 2018)
Auditing: Auditors consist of members of the theatre community recommended by A.R.T./New York staff and members. Auditors review the work of theatre companies selected through the nomination process that meet eligibility criteria. (April 2018 - March 2019)
Invited Application: Based on auditor responses, selected organizations were invited to apply through a competitive process. A.R.T./New York also looked at methods to make the application process simpler and more straightforward, as we do with all our grants, and worked with applicants to shepherd the strongest possible application package for the panel. Applications and invites to apply opened on March 25th, 2019 and will close May 6th at 5:00pm.
Invited Panel: As with other A.R.T./New York grants, applications will be evaluated by a peer panel. (June 2019) Auditor evaluations will also be available for panel review. Evaluation criteria for the panel will include:
Organizational Identity
Artistic Impact and Excellence
Administrative and Financial Best Practices
Impact of the Award
Decisions and Award: Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by June 30th, 2019.
The New York Theater Program is by invitation only. In 2018/19, 18 auditors selected from community and staff recommendations reviewed over 150 eligible theatre companies. Based on the auditor responses, selected organizations were invited to apply through a competitive process. Invitations to apply were sent on March 25th, 2019, and the application closes May 6th, 2019.
To be eligible for funding through the New York Theater Program, companies must:
Produce theatre within the five boroughs of New York City (A.R.T./New York has an expansive understanding of the definition of theatre as a discipline of live performance);
Be able to demonstrate a significant contribution to the New York theatre scene and to the form as a whole, and have a meaningful body of work that has been shown to the public (three years of producing history preferred);
Have an average general operating budget (excluding capital activities) of between $50,000 and $3 million over the past three fiscal years;
Must not be primarily a theatre education organization.
A.R.T./New York membership is not a requirement, though membership will be part of the award for non-member grantees.
Does the company have an impact on the local and national theatre field? Is the work being produced or presented by the company relevant to the current creative conversation in theatre or in the field at large?
How does the artistic work of the company represent marginalized or underrepresented voices, communities, and/or artists on stage and off? Does the company’s work center ideas, subject matter, voices, or artists that are often marginalized or underrepresented?
Is the company creating work at a high level of creativity, execution, and artistic rigor? Keep in mind the definition of artistic excellence shared in your panelist instructions.
In its larger artistic programming, is the company creating or presenting work that distinguishes itself from others in serving a unique community of artists or audience members?
Organizational Identity
Does the applicant clearly articulate its mission, vision, goals, and core programming? Are these in sync with one another? Is the artistic product of the company in line with the stated mission, vision, and goals of the company?
Does the company make intentional steps around audience building and experience?
Is the company serving a diverse audience and cohort of artists, and defining diversity effectively for their community? Do the artists and administration involved in the company reflect the cultural and aesthetic diversity of theatre and their own community in this moment?
Administrative and Financial Best Practices
Is the company working with an appropriate and effective management and administrative structure?
Does the company explain any deficits and debts, and any plans to address it? Do the company’s future plans make sense within the financial data provided? Is the company fiscally responsible?
Does the company present a healthy, balanced operating budget that includes contingencies, contains realistic projections of revenues and expenses, and explains variances and deficits in a clear way?
Do the company’s artistic and administrative staff receive appropriate and fair compensation? Does the company explain any recent major staffing changes, and do these changes inform and acknowledge the company’s future planning?
Impact of the Award
Does the applicant clearly articulate the impact an award through this program would have on the organization? Would receipt of this grant allow the company to stabilize, grow capacity, or address an opportunity or challenge over the course of the grant?
Most important, does the applicant make a case for funding?
Artistic Statement, 3 pages maximum. The artistic statement should be written primarily by your Artistic Director or artistic team. This document should outline the artistic scope of your work, and how the mission, vision, goals, and values of your organization are expressed and forwarded by the artistic history and future plans of the organization.
Organizational Statement, 3 pages maximum. The Organizational Statement is primarily your opportunity to share with us the mission, vision, values, and goals of your organization, the breadth of your programming, and any challenges or opportunities that this funding would help your company address. We encourage you to think expansively about your organization's vision for the future and your goals, and share those here with the panel. Companies who have recently applied for the Nancy Quinn Fund or Creative Opportunity Fund will find these narrative questions almost identical. Please feel free to repurpose previous applications to complete this narrative statement.
Budget, 1 page maximum. You may utilize your own budget template, or you can use A.R.T./New York's template (download here). Please upload a budget document that shows income and expenses for the following:
your two most recently completed fiscal years,
your current fiscal year actuals
your projected budget for the current fiscal year, and
your projected budget for the next fiscal year
Budget notes, 2 pages maximum. Please upload budget notes to provide context that you think will help the panel understand this budget, including research where appropriate. Please note:
Any line item that changes by more than 10% (up or down) between fiscal years.
Details for both earned and contributed income, including projected ticket sales and individual and board contributions, and indicate secured and pending institutional funding.
If your organization shows a deficit, explain the cause, and especially take time to explain plans to address year-over-year deficits or an accumulated deficit.
Fiscal Review. Upload a 3-year fiscal review using A.R.T./New York's template (download here). You are welcome to add or delete lines in the balance sheet as is helpful to you. Please note: the information in this document should match submitted audits, and your balance sheets should balance.
Financial Notes. Please upload a document containing financial notes that may be helpful in providing contact for the balance sheet. Please address the following in your financial notes:
Explain any permanently restricted assets.
Explain your organization's Operating Cash Reserve, if you have one.
If your organization holds debt through a loan, line of credit, Board of Directors loans, or any other form of debt beyond monthly credit card debt, describe the purpose of the loans and the repayment plan (if available).
Production history, 2 pages maximum. You may use A.R.T./New York's template (download here) or your own, provided the required information is included. Please include a two-year production history that includes:
number of performances,
venue capacity,
actual attendance,
# of artists served, and
ticket price info including minimum and maximum ticket prices.
You may include up to TWO additional PDF attachments of TWO pages each that will enhance the panel's understanding of your organization and help them evaluate your application.
These sessions, held in our Manhattan office and online, will be hosted by A.R.T./New York programs staff who will walk applicants through the application and guidelines. Applicants are welcome to bring questions and are strongly encouraged to read the application and guidelines before coming to the session.
Grant Info Session #1
Friday, March 29: 10:00am - 12:00pm Studio B – [email protected] (520 8th Ave, 3rd floor, Manhattan)
Grant Info Session #2 Thursday, April 4: 3:00pm - 5:00pm Bruce Mitchell Room – [email protected] (520 8th Ave, 3rd floor, Manhattan)
Grant Info Session #3 Tuesday, April 9: 12:00pm - 2:00pm Online (Live video session)
If you couldn't find the information you were looking for, please email [email protected].
