Shakespeare in American Communities: Apprenticeships Program (US)

Goals

• The goals of this program are to:
  • Support theater companies in hiring emerging theater professionals and administrators to gain on-the-job experience in the industry.
  • Support theater companies that are providing cross-sector theater related activities in their communities.

Funding Information

• The grant award is $20,000 – 30,000, which requires a cash cost-share from the applicant equal to or greater than the grant request.

Ineligible Costs

• Unallowable costs include, but are not limited to:
  • Refreshments, concessions, food, and alcohol.
  • Fellowships or cash prizes.
  • Payment for facilities, purchase of capital equipment, or non-project related administrative expenses.
  • Overlapping project costs between federal awards, whether received directly from a federal agency or indirectly, such as through a state agency or other entity.
  • Entertainment costs, such as opening parties, receptions, or fundraisers designed to raise funds for your own organization and on behalf of another person, organization, or cause.
  • Programs restricted to any organization’s membership; programs must be promoted and available to the general public.

Eligibility Criteria

• Shakespeare in American Communities welcomes applications from 501c3 non-profit theater companies located in the U.S. or the Native Nations that share this geography and:
  • Have a minimum of two years’ experience providing community-based, cross-sector theater related activities. Examples include, but are not limited to, theater programs that work with or perform for people experiencing housing insecurity, people in hospital settings or senior centers, and more. Apprentices would support and learn from these partnerships. This programming does not have to be Shakespeare related.
  • Do not have overdue reports or funding moratoria with Arts Midwest.
  • Have an UEI [Unique Entity ID] number by late April 2025 in order to receive grant funds.

Application Requirements

• Applicant organization details (EIN, UEI number, mission statement, annual operating budget, organization location information, primary contact information, publicity name).
• Short summary of apprenticeship role (250 words)
• Short summary of planned community-based activities (250 words)
• Project start and end dates
• Grant request amount

Selection Criteria

• Artistic excellence and merit of programming: The panel will review the plans for community-based programming, the abilities of the professional team of artists and staff, and planned partners.
• Quality of apprenticeship program: The panel will consider the applicant’s experience offering similar positions and the timeline and workload for the position.
• Planning for success: The panel will evaluate the plan for the apprenticeship, including how the applicant and the apprentice will benefit from this experience; goals that are clearly stated and align with the intent of Shakespeare in American Communities: Apprenticeships; and plans for pivoting the funds should the need arise.
• Resource management: The panel will consider the applicant’s ability to manage and implement a federal award. This could include organizational expertise; proven fiscal responsibility; etc.

For more information, visit Arts Midwest.