The Boston Area Guild of Puppetry gives out small grants to help our members create new works, or alternatively, to sustain and improve existing works. While we realize small grants are not enough to underwrite large productions, we believe that new work is vital to puppetry and to individual artists, and that renovating or improving works already in performance is important.
CRITERIA:
Grants will fund projects in which puppets are an important component, using Bil Baird’s definition of a puppet as “an inanimate figure that is made to move by human effort (not mechanized) before an audience” (Baird, The Art of the Puppet). However, if your new work stretches the boundaries of this puppetry definition, you are welcome to submit a proposal. Your audience may view the performance in-person, virtually or through film or video.
Grants may fund the creative process of making a puppet performance piece, which may include creating puppets, sets and backdrops; a stage if it is specific to the work; writing a script; rehearsing and choreographing the show. Puppeteers may use grant money to pay themselves or others for these processes, or to buy materials or equipment that contributes to the creation of the production.
While we encourage the creation of new works, BAGOP grants may also fund the process of sustaining or improving an existing work. This may take the form of creating or upgrading sets and puppets; training new actors and rehearsing or choreographing the show. Puppeteers may use funds to pay themselves or others for these processes, or to buy materials or equipment that contributes to the creation of the production.
Applicants must be BAGOP members who are paid up and who have been members for at least one year. The work must be performed or presented to an audience within two years of receipt of grant funds.
HOW TO APPLY:
The application period starts in January, and the deadline is March 30th. Applications will be reviewed by the New Works Grant Committee, Judith O’Hare and Kurt Staven, and recipients will be notified by the end of April.