Creation & Development Fund Grant

Summary

The Creation & Development Fund, administered by the National Performance Network, supports the creation and mobility of artistic works that promote racial and cultural justice. It fosters collaboration between artists and communities through financial support, enabling artists to develop meaningful relationships and present their work. The fund emphasizes equity, access, and the importance of public engagement, ensuring that diverse voices are represented while addressing systemic injustices in the arts.

Overview

NPN contributes to a more just and equitable world by building artists’ power; advancing racial and cultural justice in the arts; fostering relationship-building and reciprocity between individuals, institutions and communities; and working towards systems change in arts and philanthropy. The Creation & Development Fund supports the creation, development and mobility of new artistic work that advances racial and cultural justice and results in live experiential exchange between artists and community. The fund provides a framework for relationships to develop, over time, among diverse artists, arts organizations, and communities. Through the investment of commissioning funds from arts organizations and NPN direct subsidies, each project is eligible for multi-level support.

Phase I - Creation Fund Vision & Purpose

• Fosters Equity: Promotes racial and cultural justice within the arts.
• Supports Artist Development: Provides comprehensive support for the entire creative process.
• Expands Access: Increases access to commissioning opportunities, ensures equitable funding distribution, and addresses geographic disparities.
• Cultivates Meaningful Partnerships: Encourages long-term relationships and fosters new, authentic collaborations between artists, communities, and commissioners.
• Strengthens Organizations: Builds the capacity of organizations to develop artistic work.
• Maximizes Impact: Leverages additional funding, presentation opportunities, and national recognition to amplify the impact of supported projects.

Phase II - Development Fund

Additional Development Funds are earmarked for every Creation Fund Project. NPN invites artists who have received Creation Fund support to apply for development support through the Development Fund.

Phase III - Mobility

Once a work is developed, co-commissioners support artists through a public engagement of the new work, focused on an in-person, virtual, or hybrid exchange between artists and communities. NPN offers access to, but does not guarantee, Artist Engagement Funds for NPN Partners to support artist fees for Phase III. NPN remains flexible with the definition of public engagement.

Eligibility

• NPN National Partners collaborate with an artist or artist company and at least one other commissioner to apply for a Creation Fund grant.
• Artist Eligibility: Artists/companies may be based in the United States and its territories, or Mexico.
• Commissioner Eligibility: NPN National Partners may only participate as the Lead Commissioner on one project per Creation Fund round; however, they can participate as a Co-commissioner on any number of projects.
• Although projects need to be led by an NPN National Partner, other co-commissioners can come from outside of the Network.
• Co-commissioners can be any type of presenting or exhibiting organization, such as a theater, arts center, museum, gallery, community organization, producing artist company, university department, etc.
• There is no limit to the number of Co-commissioners - projects may have an unlimited number of additional Co-commissioners.
• If the artist is a company member or staff member of one of the Co-commissioning organizations, a minimum of three co-commissioners (instead of two) must be identified.

Project Requirements

• Artistic projects must be in the early stages of creation, to be presented in time frame specified on website. (NPN recognizes timelines may shift.)
• Projects must authentically advance racial and/or cultural justice.
• Projects must culminate in an in-person, virtual, or hybrid exchange between the Creation Fund artist and each co-commissioner’s community.