Overview

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. Payments are made via electronic or paper check, depending on the grantee’s preference.  

Timeline

Application Opens: December 2, 2025 at 10am ET

Application Closes: January 20, 2026 at 5pm ET

Office Hours: December 2, 2025 - January 16, 2026

Notifications: March 2026

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Creative Opportunity Fund, applicants must:

• 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.

Info Sessions + Office Hours

A.R.T./New York will provide a pre-recorded info session and one virtual info session for the NYSCA - A.R.T./New York Creative Opportunity Fund. The info sessions are led by A.R.T./New York staff and will review the grant, eligibility criteria, and application process. Attendees are encouraged to review the grant website and application prior to attending the info session. 

Click HERE to watch our pre-recorded info session.

Click HERE to sign up for our virtual info session on Thursday January 8, 2026, 4:30PM - 6:00PM

We highly recommend new applicants attend an info session before submitting their application. However, it is not required to attend one before you can apply.

Automatic captioning is available on all virtual info sessions. ASL interpretation, live captioning, and other accessibility services are available upon request for all info sessions. Please contact our grants team at [email protected] at least 5 business days in advance.

Office Hours

A.R.T./New York staff will be offering technical assistance in the form of virtual "office hours.” All applicants will be able to schedule a 25 minute session, during which ​​A.R.T./New York staff will be happy to discuss your responses to the questions in the grant application, look over potential work samples you're considering, talk through questions on your budget and/or budget notes, and answer any other questions regarding the grant and your application you might have. 

Click HERE to sign up for Grants Office Hours.

Please be sure you have reviewed the grant application, eligibility requirements, and evaluation criteria prior to your meeting. You do not need to have completed responses to the application questionnaire before your meeting, but the more you have prepared the more substantial feedback they’ll be able to provide.

Evaluation Criteria

Reviewing evaluation criteria is a crucial step in the grant writing process. Please keep the following evaluation criteria in mind when completing your grant application:

Artistic Merit (25%)

Artistic merit is not a measure of whether an artistic product is “good” or “bad”, but a tool to measure whether companies have created work with intentionality, integrity, and rigor, whether the work contributed to the theatrical culture of New York, and whether the production is achieving artistic success by the definition of the company. A.R.T./New York supports an expansive definition of theatre as a discipline of the performing arts and rejects the idea that service to the Western European artistic canon is a core component of artistic merit.

Organization Identity (25%)

Who are you, what do you do, and why do you do it?

Clearly articulate your theatre’s mission, vision, goals, and core programming and state how your artistic programs align.  There are many different ways of writing about the organizational identity of a company. Please clearly define the driving values and programming behind your theatre’s work. 

Impact on and Service to the Community (25%)

Explain how your theatre distinguishes itself from other theatres in the city in creating work and programming that impacts artists, audiences, and others who you define as your community. Explain the impact your theatre has on the local theatrical field. Talk about any intentional steps around audience and community building.

Need and Impact of the Grant (25%)

Explain the impact receiving this grant would have on your theatre, artists, and community.  Make an effective case for the grants impact on your ability to stabilize and/or build capacity. Make a clear case for funding.