Performing Arts Grants for Schools
Performing arts grants are available to schools that need money to fund programs in music, theater, dance and spoken word. Performing arts grants are available from the government as well as from private and nonprofit foundations dedicated to the advancement of performance art through education. These grants are highly competitive; writing a detailed grant proposal to increase your chances of receiving a performance arts grant for your school.
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Music Grants for Schools
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The National Endowment for the Arts gives grant money to schools for music programs, including chorus classes, early music programs and music festivals. Applications for these grants are available on the NEA.gov Web site. The Mockingbird Foundation awards grants from $50 to $5,000 to fund music education programs. Visit MockingbirdFoundation.org for more details. Another place to look is the VH1 Save the Music Foundation at VH1SaveTheMusic.com, which provides music grants to public schools.
Theater Grants for Schools
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The National Endowment for the Arts has several programs to fund children's theater, including the Creation of New Work and Theater Production grant. Visit NEA.gov for more details.The Children's Theatre Foundation of America at ChildrensTheatreFoundation.org has five grant programs to promote children's theater. The Shubert Foundation awards children's theater grants that are generally available to schools with a professional children's theater. Visit ShubertFoundation.org for more details.
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Dance Grants for Schools
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The National Endowment for the Arts provides grants for dance programs in schools, including the American Masterpieces: Dance grant that provides $15,000 to $150,000 to schools. Visit NEA.gov for more details. The Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation at RudolfNureyevDanceFoundation.org
funds grants for ballet and modern dance performances and also funds dance schools. The National Dance Project is a grant through the New England Foundation of the Arts; the application process is lengthy and requires that grant recipients have dance companies prepared to tour. Visit Nefa.org for more details.
Spoken Word Grants for Schools
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The National Endowment for the arts awards grants for projects that combine presentation and literature. Visit NEA.gov for more details.The Brimstone Award for Applied Storytelling awards grant recipients $5000 in a wide range of areas. Past recipients have included oral storytelling and poetry projects. Visit StoryNet.org for an application. Poetry Out Loud awards $50,000 annually to students who compete in a national slam poetry contest. More details can be found at PoetryOutLoud.org.
Considerations
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Many local and state arts councils give funding to performance art in schools. State education departments provide lists for more opportunities.
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