Registration deadline: March 3
Application deadlines: April 1, July 1

The purpose of General Program Support (GPS) is to offer unrestricted support for specific ongoing presentations of professional performing arts. GPS is designed to support qualifying organizations with a consistent track record of artistic achievement, public service, and managerial competence. GPS support reflects NYSCA's recognition of the artistic and programmatic capabilities of qualified organizations. GPS is awarded on a multi-year basis.

General Program Support in this Program is intended to serve organizations that have a substantial number of live professional performing arts presentations but whose primary focus is not presentation.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply for GPS, an organization must meet each of the following conditions.

Have three consecutive years of previous support from the Presenting Program

Present a minimum of 10 performances by 10 different professional performing artists

Eligibility for Other NYSCA Funds

Organizations receiving General Program Support from the Presenting Program are not eligible for other support in the Program, with the exception of Services to the Field. Additional funds may be requested from other NYSCA Programs. Please be reminded of the Council's four-request limit.

Application Instructions

The on-line application form includes the following questions, and a project budget. Required support materials are listed below. Also complete the Events Schedule Form on the left navigation bar.

Organizations interested in General Program Support are strongly advised to consult with Program staff well in advance of the March registration deadline.

Application Narrative Questions

1. Program Overview
Describe the performing arts presentations planned for the coming year, highlighting new or expanded activities and their intended audiences. Provide a brief summary of each performance series highlighting artists, numbers of performances, and themes. Also, outline presentation plans for the following year of this multi-year application highlighting any new initiatives under consideration.

2. Programming Vision
Describe what the organization plans to accomplish programmatically through presentations and detail the program selection process. Tell us how the presenting activity relates to the organization's mission. Identify some other organizations that provide similar performing arts activity in the market area and how your presentations differ.

3. Changes/Developments
Describe any significant changes and challenges in the organization and its presenting activity since it was last reviewed. How are these challenges being addressed?

4. Audience Education
Describe the audience education activities and what they are intended to accomplish.

5. Marketing
Describe the marketing strategies, including appropriate demographic information and highlight changes and new initiatives. Indicate the proposed range of single ticket/subscription prices, and how they differ from the last Council review. Provide a rationale for the admission policy even if there is no charge for admission to the event.

6. Performance Venue
Briefly describe each performance venue, including stage dimensions and seating capacity.

7. Finances
Describe fundraising strategy, plans, projects, and activities for meeting current and future expenses. Describe ways in which the Board is involved with this work. If the presenting activity is one of several programmatic areas within a larger organization, how are development resources allocated?

8. Organizational Development
Describe the involvement and role of the Board and senior staff in organizational development and the on-going assessment of programs and services.

Support Materials

Support material must be postmarked or hand-delivered to the Program by the application deadline. If you want support materials returned, provide a self-addressed stamped envelope.

1. Copies of available contracts or letters of agreement or intent dated and signed by the presenter and the performing artists. Signatures by artist representatives must be clearly identified in print and by signature. These documents must include the dates and location of projected performances and agreed upon guaranteed minimum artist fees

2. 2 representative marketing pieces for current presentations   (8 copies each)

3. Representative sample of house programs (2 copies)

4. Artists' resumés – one to two paragraphs of background information on each artist

5. For co-presentations – a signed and dated agreement in which each partner shares in the costs of the artist's fee, marketing, and physical presentation, along with a budget detailing the financial responsibilities of each partner.