New Works Fund

To be eligible to apply for funding, an organization must be a grant recipient of any cycle of TACA's 2023-2025 Catalyst Grant Program.

Joint applications between two or more organizations are acceptable, though one organization must assume primary fiduciary and reporting responsibility for purposes of this grant. If the new work is a partnership/collaboration with an organization outside of North Texas, the local organization must serve as the primary fiduciary and reporting partner for the purposes of this grant.

To be considered for funding, the new work must meet the following requirements:

• The new work must primarily feature the literary arts (e.g., creative writing, poetry, spoken word, etc.), performing arts (e.g., dance, music, theater, etc.), visual arts (e.g., painting, sculpture, films, etc.), or a combination of multiple artistic disciplines.
• At the time of the application submission, the new works must exist within one of the following stages of development:
  • New Idea/ In Development
  • Nearing Complete/ Complete
  • Rework/Revise
• More information is available in the ‘New Work – Stage of Development’ section below.
• Works which have been previously produced or performed before a paying audience are eligible only if the creators of the work intend to significantly refine or revise the work for performance(s) for an audience in Dallas County, and such refinements and revisions must be clearly specified in the application.
• Regardless of the new work stage of development, there must be a public audience outcome (e.g., a play reading, workshop, masterclass, staged reading, performance, exhibition, etc.)
• The Public Audience Outcome should occur between November 1, 2025, and December 31, 2027.
• The creator(s) of the new work need not be a resident of Dallas County. However, the application must reflect that a substantial result of the development of the submitted new work will be a public audience outcome in Dallas County within two (2) years of the date that initial funds are distributed.
• Grant recipients of the New Works Fund have up to two (2) years from the date initial funds are disbursed to complete the new work project as described in the application.
• Funds cannot be retroactively applied to work that has already occurred, or for a new work that had its public debut before the New Works Fund cycle has finished.

Grant requests may be made by completing a digital application in the TACA Grants Portal. Applicants must request an award between $10,000 – $50,000. TACA prefers to fully fund grant requests by applicants. If full funding is not possible, a grant amount lower than the request will only be offered after discussion with the applicant.

APPLICATION REVIEW
All applications are reviewed by a multi-disciplinary jury of local and national artists and arts experts. Reviewers are selected based on their knowledge of genres and forms represented in the applicant pool and represent a diversity of experience and identity. Finalist applicants are determined by the reviewers through a detailed scoring process.

FINALIST INTERVIEWS
All finalist applicants are interviewed by local reviewers to provide additional information about the new work and enable funding recommendations. Reviewer recommendations are reviewed by the TACA staff and shared with the TACA Board of Directors, which has the final authority to approve the jury’s recommendations and award grants.

EVALUATIVE CRITERIA
Reviewers are responsible for evaluating applicants based on the evaluative criteria:

• Artistic Vision & Integrity (50 points)
  • Clear articulation of the project
  • Innovativeness and creativity of the proposed new work
  • Quality, track record, and/or fit of the new work creators
  • Relevance/fit of the proposed new work to the applicant organization’s mission and primary artistic discipline
  • (If applicable) Detailed plan for collaboration/partnership
• Impact (25 points)
  • Impact on the applicant organization(s)
  • Impact on the new work creators
  • Impact on the audience or community
• Feasibility (25 points)
  Assessment of the applicant organization’s ability to execute the new work project as described, including consideration of:
  • Compensation of new work creators
  • Project budget
  • New work stage of development
  • Likelihood of success
  • Success measurement

The application requests that an applicant identify the stage of development of the new work project as of the date of application submission. The stage you select is important because it determines the new work information and work sample expected with the application and how the reviewers will evaluate the application. Please refer to the chart below when you select the stage of development of your new work and the works samples that are expected with that stage:

• PLANNED IDEA
  • Definition: The new work has been outlined and you have a plan to implement the project.
  • Works Sample Expected: The work sample will include examples of past work by the applicant and/or new work creators most similar to the proposed planned idea.
• IN DEVELOPMENT
  • Definition: Work on this new work is underway, but much (50%-75%) of the artistic work remains.
  • Work Sample Expected: The work sample should convey the vision for the completed new work. Examples might include rough drafts of scripts/compositions or video from a rehearsal/reading.
• NEARING COMPLETION or COMPLETE
  • Definition: The creative work for the new work is close to completion (75% or more) or complete but support is needed for presenting the completed work to an audience.
  • Work Sample Expected: The work sample should demonstrate the current state of the project. Examples might include video from a rehearsal, current drafts of a script/composition or photos.
• REWORK/REVISE
  • Definition: The new work in its original form has already been presented but the New Works Fund grant would fund a different iteration of the work with significant artistic changes.
  • Work Sample Expected: The work sample will include the most recent iteration of the new work.

If your project otherwise meets the eligibility requirements but you feel it does not fit into one of these stages, please contact Yadira Gonzalez, Programs Associate, at yadira.gonzalez@taca-arts.org to discuss the work samples that may best fit your project.