The NEA nurtures the non-profit musical theater field, as one of America’s unique art forms, by funding the work of established musical theater organizations, as well as musical theater projects by companies known primarily for non-musical work, musical theater development labs, and other organizations whose work involves the creation, production, or enjoyment of musical theater. Through project-based funding to non-profit organizations, the NEA supports the many components of the musical theater ecosystem including playwrights, composers, directors, actors, musicians, designers, technicians, choreographers, arts administrators, and the audiences whose lives and communities are enriched by musical theater.

While the non-profit and commercial musical theater fields are symbiotically connected, the NEA prioritizes its resources to support projects that would not otherwise be viable in the commercial marketplace, with an emphasis on providing more than just entertainment value to their communities. Moving beyond the silo of the arts sector, the NEA encourages collaborations between theaters and other sectors such as education, healthcare, technology, and social services. This can involve joint projects, shared resources, and cross-sector initiatives that demonstrate the value and relevance of theater beyond traditional artistic boundaries.

The NEA aims to strengthen the musical theater ecosystem through grants for the production or presentation of traditional repertoire, new musicals, development laboratories, showcases, artist residencies, work for young audiences, experimental work, and community-based work. Projects funded by the NEA should help to fully realize an organization's mission and may provide support for organizations and artists in the creation and refinement of work, the public presentation of musicals from all cultures and periods, and opportunities for professional development. Supported projects will reflect the breadth of the musical theater ecosystem and its artistic, historical, and cultural significance.

Applicants may request cost share/matching grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. 

For information on how to submit an application, see “How to Apply” on the left.

Project Types 

Applications must be for projects only. A project may consist of one or more specific events or activities, and should not cover an entire season of programming. We do not fund seasonal or general operating support.

Project types include, but are not limited to:

• Musical theater projects that encourage the participation of artists, production staff, and administrators from a wide variety of aesthetic viewpoints, racial and ethnic backgrounds, cultures, disability perspectives, and/or geographic areas;
• Commissioning, development, and production of new musicals;
• Production of existing contemporary musicals or works from the musical theater canon that are re-imagined or speak to today's audiences in new and original ways;
• Development, production, or presentation of musical theater work for young audiences;
• Development programs and labs for new musicals, which may include the hosting of artist residencies, showcase productions of new work, development workshops, and festivals of new works or works in progress (the NEA does not fund festivals for which no curatorial judgment has been applied, or development programs in which participants must pay a fee to participate);
• Local, regional, and national touring of musicals;
• Documentation, preservation, conservation, archiving, and dissemination of the nation’s musical theater heritage, including capturing live performance;
• Community-based projects that involve the creation and/or production of musical theater with community members;
• Services to the musical theater field that assist organizations or artists in administrative, developmental, technical, and related areas;
• Professional training for theater artists, including classes, guest artist residencies, workshops, and mentorship of musical theater artists;
• Projects that advance and/or sustain the creative work of and/or careers for people with disabilities through employment, industry training, technical assistance, and organization capacity-building;
• Musical theater exposure and enrichment projects, including projects for youth, adults, and intergenerational groups;
• Professional development activities for theater administrators, such as adaptive capacity-building, resilience training, and workforce development;
• Digital capacity-building efforts of organizations to create virtual programming, increase audience accessibility, and/or collaborate with other organizations using digital technology;
• Collaborations between musical theater and other sectors such as education, healthcare, technology, and social services;
• Projects incorporating musical theater to advance the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

Competitive proposals will address elements as stated in the application review criteria, and:

• Clearly define the proposed project and, where applicable, name the artists involved in the creation of the work;
• Engage with organizational partners to strengthen and extend the reach of the theater project in the community;
• Actively reduce socioeconomic and other barriers to access for artists, audiences, and community members of all backgrounds;
• Extend the reach of the arts to groups/communities with rich and dynamic cultural identities that have been historically underserved;
• Encourage the participation of artists, production staff, and administrators from a wide variety of aesthetic viewpoints, racial and ethnic backgrounds, cultures, disability perspectives, and/or geographic areas;
• For projects that involve new musical development programs or festivals, clearly define the selection process and criteria used, including measures to ensure participants from a wide range of backgrounds;
• Advance the musical theater field and serve as a model to inspire the highest standards of excellence, innovation, and future sustainability.

In some cases, a project that involves music may be better suited for review in another discipline. Review the Artistic Disciplines page for more information, including guidance on educational projects.

For questions, including help choosing the right discipline, contact NEA staff:
Organizations A - L: Ouida Maedel, maedelo@arts.gov or 202-682-5509
Organizations M - Z: Ian-Julian Williams, williamsi@arts.gov or 202-682-5020

Compliance Reminders:

The NEA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and fostering mutual respect for the diverse beliefs and values of all individuals and groups. Please note the following:

• Civil Rights Laws and Policies: As a reminder, in the federal-funding context, a focus on a particular group or demographic may be permissible, but exclusion is not. This extends to hiring practices, artist selection processes, and audience engagement. Your application should make it clear that project activities are not exclusionary. Please review the Assurance of Compliance, as well as NEA Civil Rights guidance on our website, including this archived webinar: Things to Know Before You Apply: Federal Civil Rights and Your Grants Application.
• Accessibility: Federal regulations require that all NEA-funded projects be accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities may be audiences, visitors, artists, performers, teaching artists, students, staff, and volunteers. Funded activities should be held in a physically accessible venue, and program access and effective communication should be provided for participants and audience members with disabilities. If your project is recommended for funding, you will be asked to provide detailed information describing how you will make your project physically and programmatically accessible to people with disabilities.
• National Historic Preservation Act and/or the National Environmental Policy Act Review: Recommended projects may be subject to the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and/or the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance review. See more information about NHPA/NEPA review under Award Administration.

Deadlines

Grants for Arts Projects applications will be accepted at two deadlines. All project types (described above) are accepted at both deadlines. Apply at the deadline that most closely fits the schedule of activities or timeline of your proposed project. Generally, an organization is limited to one application per year in the Grants for Arts Projects category.

First Grants for Arts Projects Deadline:

Second Grants for Arts Projects Deadline: