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Grants up to $9,500 for organizations to present a Southern artist for a performing arts, literary arts, visual arts, or film engagement.
View Full GuidelinesApplications for this program closed on March 1, 2023. The guidelines below are for reference only.
Presentation Grant applications will require a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Obtaining your UEI could take a minimum of 30 days. Read more about obtaining a UEI to begin the process today.
How to Obtain a UEIPresentation Grants are an opportunity for organizations in South Arts' nine-state region to receive fee support to present Southern guest film directors, visual and performing artists, or writers from outside of the presenter's state. Artist fee support is awarded for:
Projects must include both a public presentation (film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement component. These grants are limited and very competitive. Based on the artist fee, the maximum request is $9,500 for modern dance and contemporary ballet or $7,500 for other artistic disciplines. The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match (for example, an applicant that requests $7,500 must provide a $7,500 cash match for a project with a $15,000 artist fee).
South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations representing persons with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, we encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities.
New applicants are encouraged to contact Nikki Estes at 404-874-7244 x816 to discuss eligibility before applying.
In addition to the dates and deadlines above, South Arts has a series of professional development webinars that may be a useful resource as you are preparing a Presentation Grant application. These include previous recordings of Accessibility in Digital Spaces, Readiness Planning, and Accessibility in the Arts which may be viewed on our website.
The following is a top-level list of the main eligibility requirements necessary to be considered for a Presentation Grant. Please refer to the full list of eligibility requirements in the Guidelines section below.
A full list of eligibility criteria and other project requirements is provided in the guidelines below.
The following webinar was recorded on December 6, 2022, and discusses best practices when preparing a Presentation Grant application.
While preparing your Presentation Grant application, please refer to the following guidelines.
You can request a review of the method for South Arts' decisions concerning grant applications through the Appeals Process. If you did not receive funding or if your grant award was rescinded or reduced, you may submit an appeal based on the criteria listed below. Incomplete applications are not eligible for the appeals process. Dissatisfaction with the denial or amount of an award is not a sufficient reason for an appeal. An applicant not funded may appeal South Arts' decision if the applicant can demonstrate that the application was rejected for any of the following reasons:
If an applicant's funds were rescinded or reduced, the applicant may appeal South Arts' decision if the applicant can demonstrate that (a) the project activities outlined in the application were performed, and (b) the contract terms and conditions were followed and fulfilled. To appeal a funding decision, first contact the Program Director, Nikki Estes, to request a review of the considerations affecting South Arts' decision. Subsequently, if you believe there are grounds for an appeal, you must submit your appeal, in writing, to South Arts' President & CEO no later than 15 calendar days following the receipt of the written notice from South Arts. The submission should contain evidence to support one or more of the allowable grounds for appeal. The President & CEO will make and render a final decision within 30 days of the appeal.
Mail your appeal to:
South Arts
ATTN: President & CEO
1800 Peachtree Street, NW
Suite 808
Atlanta, GA 30309
Applications are reviewed and funding adjudications are made using the following criteria to evaluate each application:
Helpful Resources:
In addition to organizational and project information, you will need to provide a narrative addressing the following:
(Maximum 500 characters including spaces)
Provide a one-sentence description of the project, which South Arts will use in publicity if a grant is awarded. For example: "XYZ Ballet Company will conduct a three-day residency, with two master classes, two workshops for older adults, a Q&A with the artistic director and local choreographers, and a public evening performance at the ABC Theatre."
(Maximum 1,250 characters including spaces, approximately ¼ page)
List the chronological schedule of activities during the project including what, when, where, who, with/for whom; include ticket prices where applicable. NOTE: If your schedule is not complete at this time, provide as much detail as is known about how many activities will take place and the community members or groups likely involved.
(Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces, approximately ½ page)
Evaluation of this criterion is based on the submitted:
Work samples should represent the quality or type of work the artist/company will have presented during your engagement and should be no more than three years old. For audio/video samples, include instructions identifying the particular selection to be played. For video samples, we encourage applicants to submit a continuous work sample for the artist that is at least 3-5 minutes in length, but not to exceed 10 minutes. If the sample is part of a larger publication/book, please mark the passage/section to review.
Describe the artistic excellence of the artist included in project. Specifically include information about the artist's impact or influence on the artform (local, regional, and/or nationally), the artist's contributions to the artform, and/or if the artist or artistic expression is demonstrative of a historically underrepresented community.
(Maximum 5,000 characters including spaces, approximately 1 page)
Describe the project. Include a detailed description of the presentation and explain why this artist/company was chosen. Explain why this project is important to your community. The educational/community engagement component* requires that participants be engaged in learning activities that have a lasting impact. Describe the educational and community engagement activities.
*An educational/community engagement component is a learning event that has a lasting impact on the audience (e.g., workshops, lectures, and master classes) and is not limited to student participants. The educational/community engagement component is integral to the engagement and should be carefully planned. A meaningful component should involve concentrated preparation by the artist(s) and presenter. The artist(s)/company must conduct the activity.
(Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces, approximately ½ page)
Audience development includes assessing audience and community needs, cultivating audiences, creating an engagement plan, and developing effective partnerships. Describe the audiences and community segments you are targeting and engaging with this project. Explain why they were selected for this project, how they are involved in planning, and what community partners are involved. Describe any plans to broaden or diversify your audiences, any additional efforts to reach those lacking access to arts programs, services, or resources, or how your organization addresses diversity, equity, and inclusion. Describe your marketing plan for target audiences.
(Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces, approximately ½ page)
Grantees are required to ensure accessibility to funded programs for people with disabilities. Beyond meeting the minimum ADA requirements, describe actions to ensure programmatic and communications accessibility. Activities can include and are not limited to planning/advisory committees include people with disabilities, large print programs/labels, American Sign Language interpretation, audio description, and specific marketing strategies. Provide specific details on how you will reach those without access to the arts due to disability for this specific project (not your organization's work in general).
(Maximum 2,500 characters including spaces, approximately ½ page)
Describe your organization's ability to carry out the proposed project. Provide a summary of your organization's presenting/programming history. Describe the method(s) you will use to evaluate the project's success.
South Arts is committed to making business continuity planning a priority in the arts and encourages all arts organizations to develop and maintain readiness plans to ensure their sustainability. If you have a readiness plan, please attach a narrative (up to two pages) describing your plan and how/when you update it.
A readiness plan is a combination of documents, processes, and training that formulate what your organization will do should the unexpected occur. It focuses on protecting your organization's critical functions through an "all-hazards" approach, so that you can resume business quickly after any type or size of disruption. Strong readiness plans are comprehensive, updated at least annually, and comprised of more than just a facility evacuation plan or regular data backups. Plans should cover all aspects of your operations and assets by identifying how your organization will re-start post interruption. Critical functions can be programs, events, communications, people resources, finances, insurance, technology, exhibits, productions, and other primary activities.
Readiness planning is a required component for organizations applying for our grants. If you have a readiness plan, you must describe your plan and how/when you update it. You may contact South Arts staff for more information on readiness planning. We do not require you to use any particular resource for developing your plan.
For more information and resources for readiness planning, read What is a Readiness Plan? and visit dPlan|ArtsReady. The dPlan|ArtsReady online tool guides users through developing a customized readiness plan and provides templates and examples of readiness plan elements. South Arts is offering a free year of access to dPlan|ArtsReady for performing arts organizations. For more information, please visit our website.
Please be aware of the following major updates to the 2023-24 Presentation Grants cycle:
Please plan plenty of time to organize your application in our Salesforce system.
South Arts encourages applicants to contact us with questions more than 48 hours before the application deadline; due to the volume of requests, South Arts team members may not be able to respond to inquiries submitted after that time.
All grant applications must be submitted online using our grants management system. We recommend that you visit the site early to create your account and become familiar with the system. Complete your application and upload the required materials as detailed above. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by email within 12 weeks of the deadline. For assistance, contact Nikki Estes at 404-874-7244 x816.
South Arts strictly adheres to deadlines and will NOT accept late or incomplete applications. Deadlines are not extended due to inclement weather. Grantees will be required to adhere to grant requirements based on the grant program and program source of funds as set forth in the grantee's award letter and/or contract. These can include, but are not limited to, Grant Acceptance Terms and Conditions, Assurance of Compliance, and Federal Suspension and Debarment Requirements.
Have a question about the guidelines or priorities above? It may be addressed in our Presentation Grants FAQ.
Read the FAQAfter reviewing program guidelines, log in to SalesForce to apply for a Presentation Grant, edit an application in process, and submit any required reports.
Log in to SalesForceReview recipient terms and conditions, download the appropriate logos, access final reporting requirements, and more.
Manage Your AwardSouth Arts is looking for leaders in the presenting field from our nine-state region to serve as panelists for this grant program.
Nominate yourself as a panelistIf you have a previous Presentation Grant (issued in FY23 or earlier) and need to complete your final report, please visit our eGrant system.
For questions about Presentation Grants, contact program director Nikki Estes.
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