NYSCA - A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund Grant

The NYSCA - A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund, administered by the Bronx Council on the Arts, offers crucial operating support grants of $2,000-$5,000 to small professional theatres in New York State. Aimed at enhancing cultural equity, this program targets theatres with budgets under $500,000, enabling them to overcome barriers to funding. By prioritizing organizations that have historically faced challenges, the fund promotes diversity and strengthens the artistic community across the state.

A Statewide Theatre Regrant Program
The Creative Opportunity Fund provides general operating support grants of $2,000-$5,000 to small professional theatres with budgets under $500,000 working throughout New York State. Applicants to the Creative Opportunity Fund are NOT required to be members of A.R.T./New York. The Creative Opportunity Fund is a regrant of a New York State Council on the Arts program. A.R.T./New York regrants NYSCA funds, and all applicants and grantees will interact with A.R.T./New York as their grantmaker.
The grant aims to distribute flexible funding to support theatres throughout the state with capacity building and stabilization and to increase funding opportunities for theatres that have been left out of mainstream funding opportunities because of barriers associated with racial, economic, disability, and sexual identity and/or geographic location.

Eligibility

Be a theatre company based in New York State with a New York State address that has presented or produced public programming for at least two years
Applicants should be theatre companies and/or collectives, though they can have a wide range of organizational structures including - but not limited to - 501(c)3, fiscally sponsored, or unincorporated artist collectives.NYSCA has informed us that any application submitted on behalf of a for-profit Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Domestic Business Corporation, regardless of whether or not they are fiscally sponsored by a registered 501c3 nonprofit, will not be eligible to be considered for funding.Have live or virtual performances open to the general public (free or ticketed) in New York State in 2026
Have annual expenses totaling $500,000 or less for its most recently completed fiscal year
Not have applied directly to NYSCA’s theatre programming for 2026 funding, regardless of whether or not the application was funded
Currently and previously pay artists, or commit to allocating at least 50% of any funding awarded through the Creative Opportunity Fund to providing compensation to artists.