Deadline: 20-Oct-22
The Sphinx Venture Fund (SVF) is now open for applications to fund highly impactful programs affecting extensive and measurable positive change.
Through competitive grants, SVF will catalyze initiatives designed to solve a challenge or an issue related to DE&I in the sphere of the performing arts, with an emphasis on classical music.
Potential projects will be identified by a National Recommendation Council (NRC) as well as through direct submissions. After consultation with the NRC and the Strategic Advisor, all final determinations of the SVF are made by Sphinx President and Artistic Director, Afa S. Dworkin.
Focus Areas
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Chamber Music
- Chamber Music Presenters Consortium: group of chamber music presenters committed to presenting a compelling number of chamber ensembles of Black/Latinx heritage each season
- Chamber Music Commissioning Alliances whereby organizations partner with Black and Latinx artists/artist collectives to commission and present/perform their new works
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Repertoire/Canon
- A Performance Consortium: orchestral partners committed to performing a compelling number of full-length works by Black/Latinx composers on their subscription seasons, thereby influencing the canon
- A publishing initiative expressly focused on publishing works by historic or current Black/Latinx composers, with an eye on critical editions that will document this essential literature for the field
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New Media/Recordings
- A recording label/initiative, which will become the clearinghouse for recording, documenting, and disseminating high-quality recordings of repertoire by Black/Latinx composers performed by Black/Latinx artists
- Full-length feature film on a Black/Latinx instrumentalist or transformative historical figures
- A social media or digital marketing campaign resulting in massive public opinion shift/industry change in the realm of awareness and engagement of Black and Latinx artists
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Competitions
- Solo wind and brass Competition for young Black and Latinx musicians
- Chamber Music Competition for Black and Latinx ensembles
- Conducting Competition for Black and Latinx conductors
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Artist Management
- An artist management initiative within an existing entity or a new program that will focus on empowering, promoting, and booking rosters of Black and Latinx artists on main stages across the country
Funding Information
- A small number of proposals will be selected each year with an average grant size of $50,000 – $100,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible ventures will be significant in impact and executed in collaboration with or on behalf of an existing 501(c)(3) organization.
Ineligible
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Applicants should not:
- Present Ventures that replicate existing programs in the field unless it demonstrates a new approach to solve a problem
- Apply for funding for conventional education/community engagement programming (Education/community engagement is a core component of Sphinx’s work, however these projects do not fall into the core focus area of the Sphinx Venture Fund)
- Request ongoing operational support
- Make requests for individual career grants
For more information, visit Sphinx Organization.
For more information, visit https://www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinx-venture-fund