Funding Sources-Residencies
This week let’s dive into funding sources-residencies at elementary schools, Jr. and Sr. high schools and colleges.
Again we go back to the Arts Council as a funding source. There are grants for artists who perform in schools and in particular, who have put together longer programs that keep them in the schools for multiple days. If you have visited your state or provincial arts council’s website, you might have noticed that one of the educational grants was specifically for residencies. These grants have different deadlines than the touring roster grants and are headed up by different staff members.
Residencies offer an artist a chance to put together an extended program with multiple offerings. Usually the program might culminate with a large assembly program for the entire school at the end of the residency. It often allows the artist to work with multiple grades and different age groups throughout the residency time frame.
Residencies have an added benefit of letting the artist remain in one town for a length of time and the grant is often sizable. Funding sources-residencies are a great way to really get involved in one community. Since you are working in a venue that most often does not advertise, other venues that are open to the public can be fit into your week in the evenings. House concerts might even work during this time frame as well as club gigs or performing arts centers. A residency offers the perfect opportunity for multiple gigs in one town.
Review the arts council website and see if you can put together a longer program to help you become eligible for one of these residency grants. It’s a great way to touch many people with your work, stay in one place for a while and get some good fees.
Do the research, work on a program and make sure you apply in time for their deadline. This could give you a head start on landing a few key anchor dates to book some tours around during the year the residency take place.
Next week I’ll discuss Sponsorships as a funding source.
Have you ever tapped into the grants available for a residency? Where have you presented your residency programs in the past?
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