Kurt Weill Foundation Grants Program
Eligible applicants can include individuals, not-for-profit organizations, professional opera companies, theater companies, dance companies, orchestras, ensembles, other concert groups, colleges, universities, amateur performing arts organizations, authors, not-for-profit publishers, researchers, and doctoral candidates, depending on the category selected. Professional performance grants are intended for organizations presenting works by Weill or Blitzstein. College/university and amateur performance grants are for educational institutions and amateur performing arts groups presenting eligible stage or concert works. Research and travel support is for researchers working on relevant topics, including visits to the Weill-Lenya Research Center or other primary-source locations. Publication assistance is for authors and qualifying publishers, while the dissertation fellowship is for doctoral candidates whose dissertation work is tied to Weill, Lenya, or Blitzstein.
Overview
The Kurt Weill Foundation Grants Program and Collaborative Initiatives supports individuals and not-for-profit organizations whose projects advance understanding, performance, research, publication, or public engagement related to Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya, or Marc Blitzstein. The program covers several distinct categories, including professional performance, college/university and amateur performance, media projects, scholarly symposia and conferences, publication assistance, research and travel, and the Kurt Weill Dissertation Fellowship. The Foundation publishes annual deadlines and category-specific application requirements; applicants should choose the category that matches the project, prepare the required support materials, and submit through the official application channel. Funding terms and review procedures vary by category, so the project narrative, budget, timing, and evidence of capacity should be tailored to the selected track rather than written as a generic arts request.
At a glance
Funding available
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Conduct research and development activities
- Reach a new target audience
- Maximum amount : 15,000 $
Eligible candidates
- All industries
- Canada
- Non-profit
- All revenue ranges
- All organization sizes
- Youth (<40)
- All industries
- All the groups
- All structures
- All dimensions
Next Steps
Activities funded
- Professional performances of musical works by Kurt Weill and/or Marc Blitzstein
- Scholarly or educational activities such as workshops, symposia, and conferences
- Radio, television, video, film, audio, or multimedia projects featuring Weill, Lenya, or Blitzstein
- Research activities and travel to the Weill-Lenya Research Center or other primary source material locations
- Dissertation research activities on Weill, Lenya, and/or Blitzstein-related topics
Documents Needed
- Completed application form
- Detailed project description
- Itemized budget
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Eligible applicants can include individuals, not-for-profit organizations, professional opera companies, theater companies, dance companies, orchestras, ensembles, other concert groups, colleges, universities, amateur performing arts organizations, authors, not-for-profit publishers, researchers, and doctoral candidates, depending on the category selected. Professional performance grants are intended for organizations presenting works by Weill or Blitzstein. College/university and amateur performance grants are for educational institutions and amateur performing arts groups presenting eligible stage or concert works. Research and travel support is for researchers working on relevant topics, including visits to the Weill-Lenya Research Center or other primary-source locations. Publication assistance is for authors and qualifying publishers, while the dissertation fellowship is for doctoral candidates whose dissertation work is tied to Weill, Lenya, or Blitzstein.
Who is not eligible
Applicants are not a good fit if the project has no meaningful connection to Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya, or Marc Blitzstein, or if the proposal does not match one of the Foundation's grant categories. Retroactive projects or performances are not accepted. The Foundation also identifies several project types that may be ineligible or disfavored, including compilation properties or concerts made up only of individual Weill or Blitzstein songs, musical adaptations where the music is merely incidental or background, new translations or adaptations of dramatic works, indirect costs, administrative expenses, and institutional overhead. A commercial or for-profit applicant should review the relevant category carefully because many categories are built around not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, researchers, authors, or individual scholars rather than general business activity.
Eligible expenses
- Honoraria and travel expenses
- Preparation and printing of supporting materials
- General production expenses
- Musical expenses connected to performances
- Editing, indexing, design, and reproduction fees
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Retroactive funding of projects or performances
- Compilation properties or concerts consisting of individual Weill or Blitzstein songs
- Musical adaptations where music serves only in an incidental or background capacity
- New translations or adaptations of dramatic works
- Indirect costs, administrative expenses, and institutional overhead
Eligible geographic areas
- Worldwide
Selection criteria
- Quality of the project and potential for excellence
- Relevance to the Foundation’s goals and current priorities
- Applicant’s prior record of achievement, commitment, and ability to carry out the project successfully
- Diversity of the personnel involved, on stage and off
- Potential reach and potential impact of the project
How to apply
- Start by reading the Foundation's Grants Program and Collaborative Initiatives page, then open the category page that matches the project. Confirm the deadline that applies to the project period: the main annual deadline is November 1, and an additional June 1 deadline is mainly for college/university performance requests, while certain major professional productions, festivals, or exhibitions may be discussed case by case. Prepare the application materials required for the selected category, which can include a project description, itemized budget, timeline, biographies or CVs, work samples, reviews, letters of recommendation, proof of not-for-profit status, and other supporting material. Submit the complete application through the official application form or Submittable portal before the deadline. Applicants are encouraged to contact Brady Sansone, Director of Programs and Business Affairs, when they need to discuss category fit or a major proposal before submission.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed by Foundation staff and then by an independent review or advisory panel.
- The panel makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees.
- Applicants may be asked for additional support materials or information.
- Applicants are notified of the Board’s decision approximately 6 to 8 weeks after the deadline.
- Funds are disbursed after project completion and after grant agreement stipulations are satisfied.
Additional information
- Applications are reviewed by an independent advisory panel.
- Applicants are encouraged to contact Brady Sansone before submission.
- Notification is typically sent within 6 to 8 weeks after the application deadline.