New Jewish Theatre Projects Grant – due MONDAY
The Foundation for Jewish Culture has a grant for New Jewish Theatre Projects. The deadline is Monday, March 24th (postmark, so you can work on it this weekend!!) It’s not so much for individuals as it is for companies, so if you’re an individual you need to do the application through a company or an existing 501(c)(3) theater and apply for the project.
New Jewish Theatre Projects provides grants of up to $5,000 to national, nonprofit theatre companies for the commissioning of new plays, musicals or multimedia works of Jewish significance. Since its inception in 1994, the program has commissioned 88 new plays that have been produced at theaters across the country. A New Jewish Theatre Projects grant supports play or performance development, which can include commissioning fees, playwright’s residency expenses, and research or workshop costs. Awards are distributed directly to the venue where the work is to be presented unless special arrangements are made in advance.
New Jewish Theater Projects 2007 grantees are FortyMagnolias (Cambridge, MA) for The Etty Project by Kirk Lynn (from Austin’s Rude Mechanicals, and author of MAJOR BANG); The Brooklyn Playwrights Collective (Brooklyn, NY) for To the Orchard by Les Hunter; Whole Art Theater (Kalamazoo, MI) for Ain’t Got No Home by Steve Feffer; and The Marsh (San Francisco, CA) for Rabbi Sam by Charlie Varon.
Complete info after the jump. Applications for download at http://www.jewishculture.org
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must:
ü Be a nonprofit organization with federal tax-exempt status;
ü Have completed at least two seasons of public performances (student productions are not eligible); and
ü Commit to presenting the proposed play to the public within one year of receiving the commission. A workshop production, staged reading, or first production is acceptable, and must include a forum for public discussion.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION AND REVIEW PROCESS
Each application is reviewed according to following criteria:
ü Clarity of artistic vision;
ü Qualifications of the playwright/creative team;
ü Significance of the play to Jewish history, life or culture; and
ü Feasibility of the theatre company to manage the commission and produce the proposed work.
All applications will be reviewed by a panel of distinguished theatre professionals assembled by the Foundation for Jewish Culture. Final recommendations will be approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
TIMELINE
All applicants will be notified of their status in June 2008. The grant period begins July 1, 2008 and ends June 30th, 2009.
HOW TO APPLY
Download the New Jewish Theatre Projects application cover sheet from the Foundation’s website. Make sure that the company director signs page 2 for certification.
Assemble your application package according to the directions that follow below and on the next page of these guidelines.
We are happy to assist you if you have questions. Please e-mail Janice L. Shapiro, Director of Grants & Strategy at jshapiro@jewishculture.or or call her at 212/629-0500, ext. 209. You can also email Talia Shalev, Program Assistant at grants@jewishculture.org or call her at 212/629-0500, ext. 219.
All applicants will receive an email acknowledging receipt of the application. This is validation that your package arrived at the Foundation only and does not address eligibility requirements.
ASSEMBLING YOUR APPLICATION PACKAGE
All application documents are to be printed on ONE SIDE ONLY. Minimum font size is 11 point.
Secure [do not staple] each copy of the application package at the upper left-hand corner.
Do not exceed the space or number of pages indicated in the application forms.
Work samples will be returned after June 30, 2008 only if a pre-paid, self-addressed mailer or envelope is provided with the application.
Submit one (1) original and four (4) copies of the completed application package. Applications submitted without copies will not be accepted.
Each application package must include:
□ Application Cover Sheet
□ Playwright Resume
□ Director Resume
□ Treatment of the Subject or Synopsis (up to 12 pages)
Describe the literary and theatrical style or form the production is envisioned to take.
□ Work Sample (3-5 pages)
Provide a sample of the proposed play. If the play is not yet written, include a sample of the playwright’s previous work. Work samples must be in English; translations of works from a foreign language are acceptable.
□ Rights & Permissions Verification (if applicable)
The applicant must provide documentation verifying that rights to any non-original material included in the play have been secured.
□ Theatre Company Mission and History (2 pages plus optional marketing materials)
Describe the current mission and brief history of the theatre company including productions from the past two years and expertise in developing new plays. Company brochures and marketing materials can be included but are not required.
□ Letter of Commitment (1 page)
This letter should clearly state the theatre company’s intention to present the commissioned play to the public within one year of receiving a commission from the Foundation.
□ Budget (1 page)
Provide a budget for the development of the commission through at least the workshop stage and/or staged reading.
□ Timeline (1 page)
Provide a timeline for the development of the commission through at least the workshop stage and/or staged reading.
□ Musicals
The proposal must include five (5) copies of a CD of no more than 10 minutes in length with a maximum of three songs; for operas or continuous musicals, include a CD of two 4-minute segments.
□ Non-Traditional Plays
Please include five (5) copies of any additional materials you feel may be helpful in explaining your concept to the panelists (i.e., pictures, cassettes, drawings, DVDs of staging, etc.).
***
DEADLINE: Postmark Deadline Monday, March 24, 2008
Applications can be hand delivered to:
Foundation for Jewish Culture
New Jewish Theatre Projects
330 Seventh Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY
Mailed applications must be sent to:
New Jewish Theatre Projects
Foundation for Jewish Culture
PO Box 1342
New York, NY 10116 (Please note zip)
Deliveries via Federal Express, UPS, or Certified Mail must be sent to:
Foundation for Jewish Culture
New Jewish Theatre Projects
330 Seventh Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10001 (Please note zip)
INCOMPLETE, FAXED AND LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED