Applicants should be a singular person / individual dancemaker. Project collaborators can certainly include your collective, crew, or company. 

We are thinking of “dance projects” as dance performances, battles, balls, performance installations, etc. The final project presentation or event must be open to a general viewing public. For the purposes of this grant, we do NOT consider dance classes, workshops, or education related recitals as “dance projects.” When considering your eligibility (two prior dance projects completed in the past), the same definition applies.

The $10K grant can be spent fully at the discretion of each grantee, with funds covering artist fees, prize money, venue expenses, marketing, project insurance, transportation, etc. The grant can also help cover support services throughout the project realization, such as childcare, audio description, ASL interpretation, administrative assistance, and specialized equipment.

As part of this program, Chicago Dancemakers Forum will cover the cost of videography for one presentation / event per grantee and the grantee will have shared ownership of the raw footage.

While grantees are encouraged to plan and track their grant spending (this is important when preparing your taxes and reconciling your budget), at no point are you required to submit receipts to Chicago Dancemaker Forum.

Yes, we ask that you compensate all collaborators in your project. Every collaborator should sign a contract that clearly defines the scope of the project, their particular involvement, how they will be credited, and how and when they will be compensated for their work. If you and your collaborators agree on compensation that is not monetary and/or includes volunteer labor, those terms should be clearly indicated in the project contract. Volunteer labor should be reflected as both an “in-kind” income and expense in your project budget.

Grantees will need to determine what they can afford based on their available project income from fundraising, grants, and/or revenue from the final presentation or event ticket sales. For reference, the current minimum wage in Chicago is $16.60/hour and Chicago Dancemakers Forum recommends a minimum of $25/hour.

Yes, you can and should pay yourself for your work. We do not put a limit on the amount you can pay yourself, but we ask you to consider pay equity and fair pay practices for yourself and your project collaborators (see above). 

You will receive the grant in two installments. The first installment of $8,000 will be distributed upon signing the grant agreement with Chicago Dancemakers Forum. The second installment of $2,000 will be distributed once you submit to Chicago Dancemakers Forum a signed agreement with a venue or location with specific dates for your presentation or event. That $2,000 does not have to be paid to the venue or location, but we want to ensure that you have secured your date and location for the final project.

Grant funds are taxable by law. If a grantee chooses to receive their grant funds through a fiscal sponsor, they will be responsible for filing taxes only on the money that is paid to them directly from the fiscal sponsor.

We request a budget as part of your application for three main purposes: (1) To understand how you plan to use the grant and to assess the feasibility of your project in terms of vision, scope, and available resources. (2) We want you to be able to apply for additional funding and opportunities for your dance projects. Since budgets are needed for most city, state, private foundation and residency applications, you will be more prepared to take advantage of those opportunities when you have a budget ready to go.(3) Chicago Dancemakers Forum is an advocate for freelance workers rights, pay equity in the arts, and financial transparency as a mechanism for protecting and enhancing civil rights. Budgets can be a form of activism. 

You do not need to use a specific format or template for your budget. For ease, Chicago Dancemakers Forum will provide a budget template for you to download and use in the application portal. Regardless of your budget format, please make sure to include both anticipated/confirmed income and expenses. Note: It is a good practice to create a surplus budget. Ideally, you want to have some money left over to start your next project. 

No. The virtual info session will be recorded and posted on the Dance Project Grants webpage for your reference. 

Yes, we request the application to be in English. If you would like assistance with translation, please reach out to joanna@chicagodancemakers.org. 

Selected dancemakers are asked to complete and publicly present a dance project between April 2026 and March 2027.

When you are selected you will be asked to (a) sign a contract with Chicago Dancemakers Forum (b) fill out a W-9 and provide payment information for the delivery of the grant money ( c) provide a photo of yourself and a short description of your project for our website and marketing (d) make sure you have an updated contract for all your project collaborators (e) sign an agreement and set a date with a venue or location for your public presentation and submit that agreement to Chicago Dancemakers Forum (f) coordinate with Chicago Dancemakers Forum around marketing, video documentation, and access services for your final presentation or event (g) take risks, experiment, and push the boundaries of your dancemaking (h) complete your dance project.

We prefer that the final presentation of your dance project or event is live and in-person, but digital or dance for camera projects that are publicly accessible will be considered. Ideally, venues or locations for your final events should be accessible and ADA compliant. Dancemakers will be responsible for handling the logistics of any permits or insurance needed for your event in consultation with the venue or location proprietors.

Competitive applications will have intriguing, unique, and clear project descriptions AND work samples. Competitive projects will utilize dance in ways that are bold, original, and stylistically & conceptually creative. We are looking to support dancemakers who are highly skilled in their form(s), knowledgeable in their communities and/or fields of interest, and ready to complete their projects within the contract year. 

For specific questions and/or to review your application before submitting, drop in to Chicago Dancemakers Forum’s Dance Project Grants office hours (January 22nd, 23rd, 26th, and 27th). 

This grant panelists will consist of Chicago Dancemakers Forum board members who are experienced dancemakers, dance scholars, and administrators. Final decisions will be made in consultation with Chicago Dancemakers Forum’s executive director.