The Los Angeles County Performing Arts Recovery Grant (Initiative) is a new grant initiative designed to support the continuing recovery of Los Angeles County’s (County) dynamic performing arts sector through flexible funding support that centers the artistic and creative process. It will deliver one-time funding to artists, independent producers, and small and mid-sized performing arts organizations that have a demonstrated history of developing, producing, and/or presenting work in the performing arts disciplines, such as dance, music, theater, folk, and traditional arts, with a history of public-serving performances, festivals, events, and engagement activities. A total of $1.2M is available.
Grants of up to $30,000 will be awarded through a competitive grant application process to support the creation, documentation, and/or presentation of new or existing artistic work. Competitive applicants will have a strong background in the performing arts, a supportive regional audience, and play a meaningful role in the local arts ecosystem. Competitive applicants will also reflect the cultural and geographic diversity of the County and propose projects that support the mission and vision of the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, including the advancement of cultural equity and inclusion in the region, and align with the goals of the Initiative.
The LA County Performing Arts Recovery Grant is an initiative of Arts and Culture. The Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), a nonprofit intermediary focused on the economic security of individuals in the arts, is administering the Initiative on behalf of Arts and Culture.
The Initiative supports Los Angeles County‐based individual artists, independent producers, and small and mid-size performing arts organizations—including nonprofits, for-profits, fiscally sponsored organizations (Models A or C), and producing collectives—that are a part of the cultural performing arts community that performs regularly throughout the region. Also eligible are those that participated in or would have been eligible to participate in the Ford Theatres’ Artist Partnership Program (APP), Big World Fun (BWF), and Jam Sessions (JS) programs.
Depending on the applicant category (i.e., individuals or organizations), additional criteria must be met to be eligible for funding consideration.
Individual artists and independent producers must also:
Organizations must also:
We value the work of the following artists, arts workers, and organizations; however, they are outside this initiative’s scope and ineligible for consideration:
Applicants may apply only once and to only one category. In other words, you may not apply both as an Individual and as the primary contact of an Organization, even if you meet the eligibility criteria in both categories. This is so we can support as many unique applicants as possible in a competitive application process. In addition, we will not accept applications that request support for the same project, regardless of category.
The performing arts are known to be collaborative art forms, with creation, documentation, and presentation of work often requiring collaboration among artists, choreographers, directors, producers, and presenters, as well as musicians, composers, dramaturgs, photographers, videographers, lyricists, book writers, and designers of all kinds. As such, applicants are welcome to include partners and collaboration in their proposed project activities.
Producing collectives will need to select a single representative (i.e., a lead applicant) to apply, and if funding is approved, this individual will be responsible for fulfilling the grant requirements. Similarly, for applicants who propose project activities that support a partnership or collaboration with one or more individuals or organizations, a single representative of the partnership/collaboration will serve as the lead applicant.
Panelists will assess and score applications using the criteria below.
Review Criteria |
Maximum Point Value |
1. Resonance: Applicant’s work demonstrates a strong background in artistic and/or cultural work in the performing arts. |
25 |
2. Relevance: Applicant has an existing and supportive core audience and is an integral part of the County’s performing arts ecosystem. |
25 |
3. Reflective: Project aligns with the goals of the LA County Performing Arts Recovery Grant initiative, and will advance cultural equity and inclusion. |
25 |
4. Impact: Funding will support the applicant in creating, documenting, and/or presenting new or existing artistic work, and there is the likelihood that funding will realize the project's goals. |
25 |
The 2023 application period is now closed.
Notifications will be shared on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 5 p.m. PT.
Application Preview
Application Preview
Sample Project Budget Template
Workshop Recording #1 (April 18 Presentation)
Workshop Recording #2 (April 20 Presentation)
Application Available |
April 12 at 9 a.m. |
Application Workshops - Presentation |
April 18, 12 – 1 p.m. April 20, 12 – 1 p.m. Workshops will present the same content. Recordings of of both are available, along with the webinar's PowerPoint presentation, above. |
Application Workshop - Drop-in Q/A |
April 26, 2023 Please note, this is not a formal presentation, nor will it be recorded. The Drop-in Q/A is an opportunity to have your questions addressed by CCI staff in real-time. So that everyone's time can be used efficiently, we ask that you review the grant guidelines, application preview, and Frequently Asked Questions in advance! |
Application Deadline |
May 10 at 12 p.m. (Noon) |
Panel Review |
Week of June 19 |
Award Notifications Sent |
June 28 by 5 p.m. |
Period of Support |
July 2023 – July 2024 |
CCI staff are here to help! For questions related to the grant guidelines or application, email us at grants@cciarts.org or give us a call at 415.288.0530 during our office hours on Monday and Wednesday from 10 am to 2 pm. For Deaf applicants and those with hearing loss, contact CCI using the California Relay Service—our staff are trained in making and receiving these calls.
If you need technical assistance (e.g., password or upload issues), request support at: https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/. Submittable’s business hours are 9 am – 5 pm MT. They aim to respond within 24 business hours.