Women in the Arts/ National Women’s Music Festival
is offering Grants for Performance or Production Development Grant
Grant Application Procedure
The purpose of WIA, Inc. is to produce and sponsor programs that promote and affirm the creative talents and technical skills of women in the visual, performing, and fine arts. The primary vehicle to meet this purpose is the production of the National Women’s Music Festival. In producing this and other arts programs, WIA will also strive to facilitate the growth, knowledge and empowerment of women in the other varied aspects of their lives.
In all programs, WIA 1) strives to reflect the diversity and multicultural reality of the women’s community in regard to race, age, religion, physical ability and sexual orientation and 2) will actively reach out to reflect this diversity in its workers, participants, performers and presenters and grantees.
Explanation and Criteria
WIA/NWMF Performance Development Grants are available for women artists including but not limited to musicians, dancers, spoken word artists, photographers, writers, poets, and playwrights to help develop a specific project that will benefit the artist and women’s community and promote the WIA/NWMF mission. Performance Development Grants are also available to organizations or producers of events that will benefit women’s community and promote the WIA/NWMF mission.
Grants will be awarded in amounts ranging from $250 to $500.
Applicants must be committed to honoring and advocating for works by women. Artists shall demonstrate that they strive to invigorate audiences and reinforce the continued relevance, strength and importance of women artists. Artist projects shall include exhibition or performance of the project described in the grant application. Grantees will acknowledge the WIA/NWMF grant in all promotional materials and performance programs. WIA/NWMF will provide promotional materials for presentation and display at exhibitions or performances. Only non-profit organizations will be eligible for WIA grants.
Criteria:
- The group or individual will demonstrate a commitment to emphasizing works by women.
- Only new creations are eligible for grant funds, whether performance, exhibition, or a reading performance using a previously published literary work.
- Event production applications will be considered only for those events, such as festivals or performances that support the WIA.NWMF mission.
- Each grant recipient will report results and data of the funded project to WIA/NWMF within thirty (30) after the conclusion of the event.
- Grantee projects may include, but are not limited to festivals, conferences, expenses of recording or touring for an emerging artist, supplies, studio space or exhibition costs for a visual artist, production of theatre or spoken word works, costuming or rehearsal space expenses for a dance concert or theatre work.
- Factors considered by the review panel will include:
For established producers/organizations:
Stability of the organization as evidenced by longevity, leadership by women, experience in production and fiscal responsibility, goals for the event; commitment to women’s culture; marketing expertise and marketing plan for the event.
For new organizations:
Leadership by women; the experience of leaders; available mentorship; fiscal responsibility, goals for an event, and commitment to women’s culture, marketing expertise, and marketing plan for the event. All producers/organizations will be evaluated on the demonstrated ability of individual members or the group as a whole to produce successful events as evidenced by clear reporting of audience size, audience satisfaction, teamwork, community contacts, and marketing materials.
For artists:
Judging will be based on the demonstrated quality of work and commitment to women’s culture as presented in recordings and other material such as media and social media likes and reviews, support statements from previous producers or other professionals, demonstrated discipline (practice hours, training and applicable education, comments from mentors, demographics of audience, and the artist’s marketing practices and plans.
Grant Application Process:
- The application must be completed and submitted by electronic or postmarked postal mail by April 15 or November 15 for funding within the following six months.. 2018 exception is that Grant application is due by December 15, 2018
- The WIA/NWMF Board of Directors will review applicants and report awards by January 31, or May 30 of each year.
- The Board may consult the WIA/NWMF Advisory Panel or other experts to aid in the decision making process.
- Funds will be awarded during the six months following the application.
- One grant will be awarded per organization or artist within a twelve-month period.
- Members of the WIA/NWMF Board of Directors and Advisory Panel are not eligible to receive funds.
Applicants are welcome to submit an application no later than thirty days in advance of the deadline for feedback from the WIA grants administrator/s. Applications are available by request at wianwmf.treasurer@gmail.com.