Dance/USA Philadelphia Theater Rental Subsidy Program 2010
Dance/USA Philadelphia will accept applications at
1427 Spruce St. #1F, Philadelphia, PA 19102
on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 12pm, October 12, 2009.
The Need
Producing dance companies and presenting organizations have limited access to many wonderful theaters in Philadelphia because rental rates are often prohibitive for them. Many venues that are well-suited for concert dance are underused by the dance community. This has a negative effect on audience development, on production values and on visibility for the art form in general. It is important that dance programmers have more affordable access to as many quality theaters as possible to accommodate Philadelphia’s vibrant and growing dance community and engage local audiences.
The Goals
• Provide affordable access to quality venues for dance producers and presenters• Increase capacity of dance companies/artists to produce successful home seasons
• Build audience for dance by leveraging marketing support from the participating venues
• Encourage consortia of artists/companies to collaborate on shared seasons and mixed bill
programs
• Reduce the financial risk related to self-producing
• Raise production values
• Increase rental income for area venues
Participating Theaters in the 2010 Theater Rental Subsidy Program (as of 9/9/2009):
Jeanne Ruddy Performance Garage
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts: Innovation Studio, Perelman Theater
Painted Bride Art Center
Suzanne Roberts Theater
Wilma Theater
ELIGIBILITY
Who can apply?
1. Dance companies and presenting organizations with 501(c)3 non-profit status based in the five-county Philadelphia region that have presented or produced a season in Philadelphia since January 2007.
2. Partnerships of multiple companies/artists sharing a program or season (may include individual artists and unincorporated performance groups based in the five-county Philadelphia region) with a designated lead organization that has 501(c)3 status based in the five county Philadelphia region acting on behalf of a collection of companies. The application must be submitted by a 501(c).
3. Non-profit organization member of the consortium who is also the signer on the rental contract. Lead organizations presenting mixed bills will be, on a case-by-case basis, required to participate in the Technical Support Program (see below).
4. New producing dance companies and presenting organizations with 501(c)3 non-profit status based in the five-county Philadelphia region that have not presented or produced a season in Philadelphia since January 2007. These companies will be required to participate in the Technical Support Program (See below).
Additional Eligibility Requirements
1. Past contracts and obligations related to this or any other program of Dance/USA Philadelphia must be in good standing in order to access this program.
2. Activity must fall between January 1, 2010 and May 30, 2011.
3. Companies/organizations are limited to one single-organization proposal a year. Participation through consortia proposals is unlimited.
4. Single performances are not eligible.
5. Renters funded by Dance/USA Philadelphia Theater Rental Subsidy Program are required to credit the program and include the Dance/USA Philadelphia Logo in their programs and promotional materials according to our specifications. Credit language & logo will be provided.
6. Rental fees must be paid in full within 30 days of the close of the productions.
7. Applicants are cautioned against seeking funding for the same expense from multiple funding sources at the same time.
8. Attendance figures and, whenever possible, customer data must be captured by the box office operation and provided to the renter.
GUIDELINES
Subsidy will be provided, on a non-competitive, first-come first-served basis, according to these guidelines:
• 75% Subsidy: basic subsidy provided to all eligible applicants with a cap of $7,500.
• 90% Subsidy: provided to support mixed bills & shared seasons with a cap of $9,000.
• Venues will provide THREE or more marketing services in support of the subsidized production. Discussion of these services must be part of the contract negotiation.
Examples of marketing services include:
It is the responsibility of the dance company/presenter to provide publicity materials and ticket information to the venue according to their marketing timeline.o Announce the production on the venue’s website with a link to the renter’s website
o Include the production in the venue’s season brochure
o Insert a promotional flyer, provided by the renter, in programs during the weeks prior to the subsidized dance production
o Exhibit a poster in the marquee
o Announce the production in the venue’s e-newsletter
o Provide one-time access to the venue’s mailing list
o Donate ad space in playbill or other publication
HOW TO APPLY
1. Contact Director Lois Welk to discuss your intention to apply. (In some cases Technical Support services will be scheduled.)
2. Contact a venue from our list of partners, identify dates and negotiate a rental contract. Discuss marketing support as outlined in the application form and outline specific terms of agreement between venue and artist in regard to implementing the marketing support plan.
3. Download and complete the application form. Two signatures are required from the venue: the staff person responsible for rentals and a marketing staff person. Add your contact info and signatures. Make a copy for yourself and a copy for the venue and attach the original to a hard copy of the negotiated contract. The rental contract does not need to be countersigned at this point. If it is, the request will be processed immediately. If it is not, we will accept it as a “registered request” and hold the money for five business days pending the receipt of a countersigned contract. If a countersigned contract is not presented within five business days the money will revert back to the Theater Rental Subsidy Fund for the next applicant in line.
4. Deliver the contract with the attached signed one-page application. On Monday Oct 12, 2009 at Noon, we will start accepting applications at our office at 1427 Spruce Street. We recommend hand-delivery. Arrive early and be prepared to wait in line. Funds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. All eligible organizations that submit complete applications will be processed and funded in the order they are received, until the funds for that year are depleted.
5. After Oct 12, 2009, applicants are advised to contact Dance/USA Philadelphia staff for a fund balance update prior to negotiating contracts.
Technical Support
New this year, Dance/USA Philadelphia will provide Technical Support to applicants who can benefit from one-on-one coaching related to contract negotiation, budgeting, union relationships, and production management. Applicants who fall into one of the following categories will be required to take advantage of the Technical Support provided through the Theater Rental Subsidy Program:1. New Producers/Presenters -- have not presented or produced a home season in Philadelphia since 2006.
2. New to Renting a Union House -- any applicant who has no experience working with a union crew.
3. Mixed Bills/Shared Season -- on a case by case basis, producers of mixed bills & shared programs.
If you fall into any of the categories identified above, contact Lois Welk, Director, at loiswelk@danceusaphiladelphia.org or 215-922-5970 for more information.