Shakespeare in American Communities:
Shakespeare for a New Generation
2008-2009 Request for Proposals

Shakespeare in American Communities: Shakespeare for a New Generation gives high-school and middle-school students in underserved schools and communities throughout the United States exposure to high quality, professional productions of Shakespeare’s plays. Approximately 30 theater companies will receive matching grants to help support performances and educational activities in their communities, states, or regions for students from at least 10 schools.

Arts Midwest invites proposals from non-profit professional theater companies to perform works by Shakespeare for students between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009. Companies will be selected by a professional panel. The selected companies will receive financial support, as well as national recognition, as part of this initiative.

Shakespeare in American Communities is a national theater initiative bringing performances, educational activities, and educational toolkits to audiences across the country, including communities in every state. This is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

AWARD AMOUNTS

The standard grant award is $25,000. Awards must be matched on a 1-to-1 basis.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for Shakespeare for a New Generation, theater companies must:

• Be a non-profit 501(c)(3) professional U.S.-based theater company.
• Have at least three years of experience working with schools or school districts to provide performances of Shakespeare or classically-based repertoire for high-school and/or middle-school students.

NOTE: There can be no overlapping project costs between expenses supported by Shakespeare in American Communities and expenses supported directly by the National Endowment for the Arts through their granting programs.

PROJECT GUIDELINES

In order to fulfill the goals of Shakespeare for a New Generation, theater companies must:

• Reach students from at least 10 schools, with an emphasis on performing for students who would not otherwise be served through the company’s existing school or education programs.
• Include schools that are underserved or located in underserved communities. Underserved schools and communities are those with students who lack access to the performing arts due to geography, economic conditions, ethnic background, or disability. This may include schools in rural areas, inner cities, or on Native American reservations.
• Present a Shakespeare play in text-based performance. Shakespeare for a New Generation is intended to support high-quality productions that give students exposure to Shakespeare in live performance. While productions may be somewhat abridged, they should offer students the opportunity to hear Shakespeare’s text and to experience, to the extent possible, a full performance of the play. Productions loosely based on Shakespeare do not meet the intent of the initiative and do not qualify for support. Performances may be held either in the school, in the theater company’s own facility, or in another suitable facility, but must be presented in partnership with schools or school districts.
• Conduct related educational activities with students and teachers in conjunction with the performance. Related educational activities may include, but are not limited to, workshops, discussions, seminars, or other residency activities.
• Demonstrate the capacity to deliver performances of the highest caliber that will deepen a student audience’s appreciation of Shakespeare and interest in theater arts.
• Credit fully the National Endowment for the Arts and other sponsors in all materials. This includes promoting the use of the NEA’s Shakespeare in American Communities educational toolkits, available at no charge to any school that requests them.
• Comply fully with all reporting requirements.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Theater companies will be selected based on:

• Quality of planned activities as they relate to the project guidelines for Shakespeare for a New Generation.
• Artistic excellence of the company and the artists involved in the production as evidenced in materials submitted. Note: NEA site reports will be reviewed by the panel as available. (NEA cannot assign site reporters specifically for Shakespeare for a New Generation.)
• Ability to carry out the proposed activities, including the appropriateness of the budget and capacity of the personnel as evidenced by materials submitted.
• Experience and success performing Shakespeare or classically-based repertoire for high school- or middle school-aged audiences.
• Intent to further deepen or broaden existing activities, thereby resulting in greater impact on students (such as reaching new schools, providing additional activities to current students, enhancing artistic staff’s training, etc.).
• History of or potential to reach underserved students.

Note: Geographic diversity will be taken into consideration in the selection of companies.

SELECTION TIMELINE

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Prepare documents #1 – #5 as listed below to upload to eGRANT. Note: Documents #6 and #7 are specially formatted budget forms that you must download from eGRANT.
• Access the eGRANT application.
• Register a login and password for eGRANT if you have not already done so in the previous year. Contact Christy at 612.341.0755, ext.19, if you do not remember your login and password.
• Complete the eGRANT, upload the required documents, and submit your data. You may log in and out of eGRANT, but remember to “Save Your Work” before logging out.
• Mail the additional materials to Arts Midwest. Both the eGRANT and the additional materials are due in Arts Midwest office on or before 4:00 p.m. CST on January 24, 2008.

Documents to Upload to eGRANT
All documents must be 11-point type, single-spaced, 1” margins, include theater company’s name at the top of each page, and page numbers at the bottom. Pages beyond the requested length will not be distributed to the panel for review.

1. Two-page proposal narrative referencing all of the following areas.

Description of Proposed Activities:

1. Production information, including the selected Shakespeare play, director, and approximate running time. Please provide a brief artistic point of view or intent that illuminates your company’s approach to the play selection. If your company does not have a significant history of performing Shakespeare, describe other work that demonstrates your ability to create a high-quality performance experience for students. If the play is to be significantly abridged, please discuss how the work qualifies as a text-based production. Describe the team of actors to perform the play. Is the play a main stage production, a student matinee, a performance at a school, etc?
2. Educational activities, including total number and length of workshops and how the content relates to the selected Shakespeare play(s). Please indicate who will be leading the educational activities and who (including how many) will be participating.
3. Any additional information that pertains specifically to the proposed project, particularly if it is reflected in the corresponding project budget. Please include information about any additional project partners.

Impact of Funding:

1. Describe how support from Shakespeare for a New Generation will enable your company to deepen or broaden existing activities, thereby resulting in greater impact on students (such as reaching new schools, providing additional activities to current students, enhancing artistic staff’s training, etc.).
2. How will your company reach underserved student audiences as a result of this funding?

Current School and Student Programming:

1. Provide a complete description of your company’s current program(s) that specifically serve schools and students.
2. Provide a complete description of the schools and student audiences you typically reach with the activities outlined above.

2. One-page theater company description, including significant achievements (institutional advances/initiatives, major awards, grants, etc.); history of your successful presentation and production of theater; and qualifications, background, and experience of your artistic staff that demonstrates your company's capacity to conduct Shakespeare for a New Generation activities.

• Create in Word or PDF using 11-point type, single-spaced, 1” margins.

3. One page (total) of relevant biographies, such as your education director, artistic director, production director, and/or creative artist(s)

• Create in Word or PDF using 11-point type, single-spaced, 1” margins.

4. Past school programming spreadsheet, one page each for 2007-2008, 2006-2007, and 2005-2006, formatted as follows.

Note: If the amount of your school programming exceeds the one-page per season limit, please provide a representative sample of programs that reflects your total activity and, on the same sheet, contextualize that summary as a percentage of your total school programming.

Create an Excel spreadsheet or PDF using 11-point type, to fit on an 8 ½” x 11” page, and do not exceed one page per season.

5. Two-page projected school programming spreadsheet for 2008-2009 as projected at this time. Create an Excel spreadsheet or PDF using the same format as above, in 11-point type, and to fit on an 8 ½” x 11” page.

6. One-page organization budget for the current year. You must download and use the budget form provided through eGRANT.

• Collate additional materials in the order requested.
• Do not use staples or place your materials in binders or folders.

1. Signed Certification Page provided through eGRANT.
2. Copy of your theater company’s federal tax exempt ruling under IRS Section 501(c)(3).
3. One-page signed statement from your artistic director discussing your company’s mission and goals in relation to your proposed participation in this initiative.
4. One-page signed statement from your education or program director discussing your history of educational programming and why this initiative would benefit your educational activities.
5. Two complete one-page letters of support from school officials. One letter should reference past participation in Shakespeare (or other classic theater) educational activities provided by your theater company, including artistic quality, program management, and ability to effectively work with student audiences. One should be a letter of commitment for your proposed Shakespeare for a New Generation project.
6. Three identical copies of one of your company’s educational study guides, which will be carefully reviewed by the panelists. Please note: failure to submit requested samples will indicate to the panelists that the company does not produce educational study guides.
7. Three identical sets of production photos, sample house programs, and/or season brochures (when folded, no larger than 8.5” x 11”).
8. Two identical copies of a video work sample (optional, but highly recommended): DVD or VHS video cassette. Applicants should submit work samples that are relevant to their project and represent the level of artistic excellence of the performers or teaching artists involved and/or the artistic merit of your company. WORK SAMPLES WILL NOT BE RETURNED.
   • Provide up to 15 minutes worth of video sample. The panel will review two-to-three minutes of your sample. The work sample does not need to portray the Shakespeare play which you intend to perform and may be either of a performance or educational activities.
   • Please cue the video to a point that you feel best demonstrates your company’s artistic quality. The panel will review the work sample from the point cued.
   • Label your work sample with your company’s name, title of work, playwright, director, and key performers.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Both the eGRANT and the additional materials are due in Arts Midwest office on or before 4:00 p.m. CST on January 24, 2008. This is not a postmark deadline. We do not accept e-mailed or faxed materials. Please mail the Certification Page with additional materials to: 

Shakespeare in American Communities
Arts Midwest             
2908 Hennepin Avenue, Suite 200                         
Minneapolis, MN  55408             
612.341.0755

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions, please contact Christy Dickinson, program director and accessibility coordinator, at Arts Midwest at 612.341.0755, ext. 19 or shakespeare@artsmidwest.org.