2022-23 Theater Project Grants

Manbites Dog Theater Company — through its Theater Fund — will award grants to theater artists and organizations for the 2022-23 fiscal year to encourage and support theater projects in the Triangle region (Durham, Wake, Orange, and Chatham Counties). (En español.)

How to Apply

Online Application

Projects must take place, at least partly, between between September 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. Grant requests may range from $500 to $3,500, and must be matched 3-to-1 in the project budget (in other words, the grant request cannot exceed 25% of the project budget).

Applications begin Monday June 27, 2022. Deadline to apply is Wednesday July 27, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. Grant awards will be announced at the end of August.

All are welcome to apply. For organizations, preference will be given to those with an annual operating budget under $200,000.

Manbites Dog Areas of Special Interest

(See application Section III, question 5.) We especially want to support projects that do one or more of the following:

  • experiment with form
  • engage with our current world
  • promote new work
  • pay artists
  • pioneer alternative performance spaces
  • explore issues of social justice
  • challenge audiences
  • champion diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility.

Questions?

If you have questions not answered below, you can email us at manbitesdogtheater@gmail.com. Please include the phrase “grant questions” in the subject line. We also will be scheduling a public online Q&A for potential grant applicants in late June or early July — details to be announced.

NOTE: Our office will be closed from May 14 to June 13 with limited availability of staff.

Calendar

  • Mid-May to mid-June: Our office will be closed; limited availability of staff assistance. 
  • Monday June 27, 2022: Online applications open on our website.
  • Late June/Early July: Public online Q&A. Details TBA.
  • Wednesday July 27 by 5:00: Deadline to submit applications.
  • Mid-August: Panel evaluation of grants.
  • Late August/Early September: Announcement of grant awards. Contracts mailed out.
  • September: Grant checks mailed (after return of signed contracts).
  • June 2023: Grant project reports due. Details TBA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who may apply?
Applicants can be individual theater artists or theater organizations, and must be based in the Triangle region (Durham, Wake, Orange, or Chatham Counties).

Does an applicant have to be a 501(c)3 organization?
No, individual artists and companies without 501(c)3 status may also apply. (Note that non-501(c)3 recipients and individual artists are subject to taxes on grant income.)

Will you accept more than one grant application from the same applicant for multiple projects?
No. Grant requests are limited to one per applicant/organization/project.

Are previous Manbites Dog grant recipients eligible to apply?
Yes.

What projects are eligible for grants?
Grant applications should be for support of a single project. It must be a theater or theater-related event, open to the public, and held in the Triangle, at least in part between September 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023. It should feature predominately local theater artists. Possible projects include stage productions, staged readings, theater festivals, theater workshops/symposia, and more. Not sure if your project qualifies? Ask us. 

Are school projects eligible?
We are not currently funding projects produced by public or private schools or colleges or theater organizations affiliated with them. (This does not exclude outside groups using a school performance space as a venue.)

How much may I apply for?
For this cycle, you may apply for a minimum of $500 and a maximum of $3,500. Grants must be matched 3-to-1. Your grant request may not exceed 25% of your total project budget. The rest must come from other sources. Examples: if the total project budget is $5,000, the maximum grant request is $1,250. If the total project budget is $14,000 (or more) the maximum grant request is $3,500.

Who evaluates the applications?
A panel of artists, arts professionals, and arts allies will evaluate the applications in mid-August and recommend grant awards to the Manbites Dog Theater Board of Directors, who will give final approval.

When can I apply?
You can apply online beginning Monday June 27, 2022. The application form will be available on the Manbites Dog website at that time.

How do I apply?
You may apply with our online application form. (You also have the option to apply by downloading and printing a .pdf of the application, filling it out, and submitting a hard copy to us. Contact us by email for more information on how to submit a physical copy of the grant application.)

When is the deadline to apply?
2022-23 project grant applications must be received (or postmarked if submitting a physical copy) by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday July 27, 2022.

When are grants awards announced?
We expect to announce grant awards and send out contracts by early September.

When are grant payments sent out?
Within one month of return of signed contracts.

What are the reporting requirements?
Grant recipients will be required to fill out and submit a grant report documenting their project in June of 2023. Grant report details and submission due date TBA.

What if I have difficulties completing the project?
We understand that the ongoing potential for disruptions due to COVID variant surges or other unexpected circumstances may require changes to your project to protect the health and safety of your artists and audiences. We will be flexible if you need to make adjustments to your original proposal, such as extending of the completion deadline, revising or changing the project, switching from live to online performance, or canceling it if necessary. If such a situation comes up, email us right away at manbitesdogtheater@gmail.com with the phrase “grant questions” in the subject line.

What if I still have questions?
If you have questions not answered here, you can email us at manbitesdogtheater@gmail.com. Please include the phrase “grant questions” in the subject line. We also will be scheduling a public online Q&A for potential grant applicants in late June/early July — details to be announced. (Please note the blackout period from May 14 to June 13, when there will be limited availability of staff assistance.)