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The Template System

Touring Assistance for Presenters

Richmond Ballet dancer

Purpose
To increase opportunities for Virginians to experience high-quality performing arts events.

Description
This grant program supports touring by Virginia performing artists and ensembles within the state. The touring activities are restricted to those listed in the Commission’s annual Performing Arts Tour Directory.

Any not-for-profit organizationmeeting the Basic Eligibility criteria can apply to receive a touring assistance grant to support these activities. Grants are made to the presenter, not to the touring artist(s). Touring artists apply to be listed in the Tour Directory with a set dollar amount reserved to support their touring as outlined below.

Eligible Applicants
Virginia not-for-profit organizations, units of local government, or educational institutions that meet the BasicEligibility criteria.

Eligible Activities

Deadline
Presenters should send applications for touring support, including copies of signed contracts with touring artists/ensembles, to the Commission at least four weeks prior to the event, and before December 1.

Amount of Assistance

The Commission will fund up to 50 percent of the fee for any touring program listed in the Virginia Commission for the Arts Tour Directory, subject to the overall limit for each touring artist/ensemble. Grant amounts are a minimum of $100.

Application Review and Payment Procedure for Presenters

  1. In the fall the Virginia Commission for the Arts distributes its Tour Directory, listing basic information about the artists and ensembles eligible for tour support and descriptions of the touring program for the following July 1 - June 30 fiscal year.
  2. Touring artists/ensembles and presenters begin scheduling and signing contracts. All negotiations regarding type and schedule of activities, fees, technical needs and promotional efforts are the responsibility of each touring artist/ensemble and its presenters, and the resulting arrangements should be included in the contract. The Commission’s share, however, will not exceed 50 percent of the contracted fee. Fees and all local costs are the responsibility of the presenters. A presenter’s total costs will depend on the touring artist’s/ensemble’s fee, facility costs, promotion costs, and other local factors. Each contract must contain language referring to the requested amount of presenter touring assistance.
  3. Presenters send applications for touring support, including copies of signed contracts with touring artists/ensembles, to the Virginia Commission for the Arts at least four weeks before an event and before December 1. The Commission does not accept application materials via facsimile transmission or other electronic means (e.g. e-mail).
  4. The Commission awards touring support grants to presenters of a particular artist/ensemble on a first-come, first-served basis from that artist’s/ensemble’s allocation. Presenters should not consider touring grants automatic but should wait for confirmation. Grant award letters are generally mailed two weeks after receipt of each contract by the Commission.
  5. For grant awards of over $150 the Commission will send 85 percent of the grant to the presenter before the scheduled touring program. The Commission will pay the final 15 percent of the grant after receiving the final report. For grants of $100 to $149 payment will be made after the Commission has received the final report.
  6. Presenters submit final reports to the Virginia Commission for the Arts within 30 days after each event.
  7. If any presenter receiving subsidy for one of these touring artists/ensembles has actual income in excess of expenses, the presenter must use these additional funds for other arts activities, and the Commission must approve the use of any of these excess funds up to the amount of the grant.