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Application Guidelines
Eligibility Requirements
- Applications must come from organizations based in the United States that have current nonprofit federal tax status (501c3). Unincorporated artists or ensembles may apply to MAP through a fiscal sponsor.
- Organizations and artists must demonstrate at least 2 years professional experience.
- MAP supports only projects that contain a live performance.
- Eligible projects must not have premiered anywhere in the world before September 1, 2009.
- The touring or documentation of work that has already premiered is not eligible for funding.
- MAP does not fund projects whose main purpose is educational, for example art-in-the-schools or artistic training programs.
- Artists who are full-time students in degree granting programs at the time of application are not eligible.
- MAP does not fund organizations' general operating expenses.
- MAP does not fund festivals or contests.
- Current employees or board members of Creative Capital, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation or the Rockefeller Foundation, or immediate family members of such persons are not eligible.
- Artists who receive a MAP grant two years in a row are asked to sit out the next year before reapplying.
Allowable Activities
MAP supports most direct costs related to the conception, creation and premiere of a new work. These include but are not limited to commissioning fees and artists' salaries, research costs, rehearsal and workshop expenses, promotion, and audience outreach and production costs up to and including the premiere run of the work.Guidelines
How to Apply
Begin by creating an online account.Information and Materials to Submit
The MAP Application has two required sections:- An online Application Form, which requests historical and financial information about the applicant organization, as well as details about the nature of the proposed project and the Lead Artists involved. About Lead Artists.
- Work Samples for Lead Artists, which may include audio, video or written samples of previously completed work. Work Sample Information page.
Deadline
2 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), January 20th, 2009. (Transmittal times appear on applications.)Work Samples sent through the mail must be postmarked by January 20th, 2009.
Grant Activities Period
September 1, 2009 and August 31, 2011.Number of Awards
Up to 40 grants per annual cycle, ranging from $10,000 to $45,000. The average award amount is $25,000.Review Criteria
Proposals are evaluated on the basis of the following criteria, which are weighed equally:- The artistic strength of the proposed project.
- How well a project aligns with the MAP Fund's goal of supporting innovation and experimentation in all traditions and disciplines of live performance, especially work that brings insight to the issue of cultural difference, be that in class, gender, generation, ethnicity, form or tradition.
- The viability of the project, based on the applicant's professional capabilities as demonstrated in their work samples.
Panelists and Evaluators
The MAP Fund is adjudicated by artists and arts professionals, as well as by members of the Creative Capital staff. Panelists and evaluators are paid a small stipend.Panel recommendations are subject to approval by the Creative Capital board of directors.
Review Procedure
The MAP review has three steps and takes approximately four months from the deadline date (January 20th, 2009) to notification (Mid-May, 2009).- Each proposal is reviewed by a MAP staff member, to ensure eligibility, and evaluated by an arts professional from the applicant's geographic region, as well as by a member of the Creative Capital staff.
- An initial cut of about one-half of submissions is made based on the scores from field evaluators and staff.
- The panel reviews the remaining applications during a 3-day meeting in New York City. The panel makes recommendations to the Fund, which are then subject to approval by the Creative Capital Board of Directors.
Notification
Notification is made via email in mid-May 2009.Feedback
Feedback is sent via email upon request. A follow-up phone conversation with a MAP staff member is also available.FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can an artist without 501(c)3 status apply for a MAP grant?
Yes, through the support of a fiscal sponsor. Artists should check with their state or local arts councils or artist-service organizations in their area to learn about sponsorship opportunities. About fiscal sponsorship.
Can an organization apply for more than one project?
Yes, as long as the artistic personnel on the projects are entirely separate.
What's a Lead Artist?
A Lead Artist is the choreographer, playwright, composer, and/or other artistic maker who is leading the creation of the new work according to her or his artistic vision. Lead Artists are those who have envisioned the proposed work, and without whom the work could not exist.
Project support staff or "work for hire" designers or artisans are not considered Lead Artists.
Artistic directors or executive directors who are not actively, creatively generating the proposed work should not be designated Lead Artists.
All Lead Artists on a project are required to submit work samples, a personally written statement of intent and a bio.
A Lead Artist must be made aware that she or he is being submitted on a MAP application and must personally write a statement of intent regarding their interest in the project.
If an artist is submitted for more than one project, the artist will be asked to choose which project she or he wants to move forward.
The MAP staff is happy to advise on the issue of Lead Artist. Feel free to call us: 212.226.1677.
How many Lead Artists can an application have?Project support staff or "work for hire" designers or artisans are not considered Lead Artists.
Artistic directors or executive directors who are not actively, creatively generating the proposed work should not be designated Lead Artists.
All Lead Artists on a project are required to submit work samples, a personally written statement of intent and a bio.
A Lead Artist must be made aware that she or he is being submitted on a MAP application and must personally write a statement of intent regarding their interest in the project.
If an artist is submitted for more than one project, the artist will be asked to choose which project she or he wants to move forward.
The MAP staff is happy to advise on the issue of Lead Artist. Feel free to call us: 212.226.1677.
At least one but no more than three Lead Artists may be named on an application.
Can a Lead Artist be submitted on more than one MAP grant a year?
No
A Lead Artist must be made aware that she or he is being submitted on a MAP application and must personally write a statement of intent regarding their interest in the project.
If an artist is submitted for more than one project, the artist will be asked to choose which project she or he wants to move forward.
Do Lead Artists have to be American citizens?A Lead Artist must be made aware that she or he is being submitted on a MAP application and must personally write a statement of intent regarding their interest in the project.
If an artist is submitted for more than one project, the artist will be asked to choose which project she or he wants to move forward.
No. Applicant organizations must be based in the US, but artists may be from anywhere.
What if my project has more than three Lead Artists?
Choose three whose work best represents the proposed project. Call the MAP office for guidance: 212.226.1677.
Can an ensemble be considered a Lead Artist?
Yes. Ensemble companies may list the company as a single Lead Artist, and submit up to three work samples representing the group's work.
Can multiple ensembles apply for one project?
Yes. You may submit up to 3 ensembles as composite Lead Artists, and submit no more than 10-minutes of work sample material for each ensemble.
What does MAP mean by "ensemble"?
MAP defines ensemble as a group of three or more artists who have been co-creating works together for at least 2 years.
Does my project have to premiere inside the United States?
No. However, the MAP Fund aims to support and encourage the performance field in the United States, so it is exceptionally rare that a project that exists entirely outside the U.S. will be funded by MAP.
Can I apply for the same project two years in a row?
Yes.
Can I know who is on the panel?
Panelists and evaluators remain anonymous during the review process. With their permission, their names are announced on the MAP Fund website at the end of the year. Nominate an evaluator or panelist.
What's the best time to submit my application?
You must submit your application by 2pm ET on Tuesday, January 20. Please note that on the deadline date, our server is often extremely heavily used and can cause long delays and submission woes. To avoid this, we strongly recommend that you work on your application well in advance of the deadline and that you plan to submit it a day or two before the deadline. We open the application three months in advance of the deadline for this purpose and we encourage you to take advantage of the time.
Can I hand-deliver my work samples?
Hand-deliveries may be made to the MAP Fund Office from January 5th through January 20th, 2009, Monday through Friday 10am-5pm. Please call before coming: 212.226.1677.
What if I miss the submission deadline?
Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.
