Special Presenter Initiatives
Introduction
Fee support is available for engagements of performing artists based anywhere worldwide. Engagements include performances as well as community activities that offer meaningful exchanges between touring artists and a presenter’s community.
Presenters based in partner states/jurisdictions listed above can receive up to 50% subsidy for the presentation of an artist/company plus support for other eligible project expenses.
Grant support range: Engagement support of up to 50% of artists fees. Minimum of $750. Maximum of $2,000 in DC, DE, and WV. Maximum of $5,000 in PR and USVI. Additionally, presenters may request eligible expenses of up to $2,000 to support direct project expenses.
The Special Presenter Initiatives are offered in partnership with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH), the Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA), The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP), the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts (VICA), and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History (WVDCH).
Eligibility and Schedule
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Special Presenter Initiatives grant award, presenters must:
- be based in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and the Native nations that share this geography;
- be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or be a unit of state or local government or Federally recognized Indian tribal government;
- demonstrate organizational administrative capacity to complete all required project components;
- be in good standing with Mid Atlantic Arts at the time of application, with no overdue or outstanding required reports and/or grant documents;
- not be a State/Jurisdictional Arts Agency, considering the adjudication role Agencies play in the selection process for this program
Note: For the FY26 cycle, the number of applications you can submit varies based on your location:
- Presenters based in Delaware, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands may submit applications for a maximum of two Special Presenter Initiatives projects per annual application cycle
- Presenters based in Washington, DC and West Virginia may submit applications for a maximum of one Special Presenter Initiatives project per annual application cycle
Review full program guidelines for more details on program structure and eligibility.
Schedule
- Tuesday, November 5, 2024: SPI application goes live
- Thursday, November 21, 2024, 11:00am-12:00pm Eastern: SPI Presenter Information Webinar | View Here
- CLOSED – Thursday, March 13, 2025: SPI Application Deadline
- July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026: Project period for SPI-funded projects
Guidelines and Application
The deadline for Special Presenter Initiatives applications was Thursday, March 13, 2025. The guidelines below are for information purposes only.
Guidelines, Application Narrative Overview, and Webinar
- Download the Special Presenter Initiatives Guidelines as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
- Download the Special Presenter Initiatives Guidelines as an accessible Word document (click link to download)
- Download the Special Presenter Initiatives Application Narrative Preview as a PDF (link opens in a new window)
- Download the Special Presenter Initiatives Application Narrative as an accessible Word document (click link to download)
- View the 2025-2026 SPI Webinar
- Special Presenter Initiatives Webinar Slide Deck
Display caption
Image: Zedashe. Credit: Courtesy of the artist.
Current Grantees
Panelists
For this program, Mid Atlantic Arts works with a panel of independent reviewers to recommend applications for funding. To be considered as a panelist for this and other programs, complete our Panelist Interest Form. You only need to complete the form once to be considered for multiple programs. Click here to access the Panelist Interest Form.
Manage Your Grant
Learn more about managing your Special Presenter Initiatives grant.
