Up to $10,000 for theatre, dance, and performance art production.
The Café Royal Performance Grant supports individual artists working in theatre, dance, and performance art in New York City. The Summer 2026 cycle offers funding of up to $10,000.00 for production costs and accepts only 40 applications in the performance category. The grant is designed for artists moving toward a public performance, with funds supporting eligible production expenses such as performers, collaborators, rehearsal space, venue rental, design elements, and technical staff. The Café Royal Performance Grant applications close August 3, 2026 at 9:00 am ET, or earlier if 40 applications are received.
OF THE FIELD.
Café Royal Performance Grant Snapshot
What: The Café Royal Performance Grant for theatre, dance, and performance art
Who: Performer(s) of theatre, dance and performance art
Where: New York City’s five boroughs, or a location in close proximity to New York City that has been discussed and approved by Café Royal Cultural Foundation
Award / Support: Up to $10,000.00
Application Opens: June 2nd, 2026 at 9:00 am EDT
Deadline: August 3rd, 2026 at 9:00 am ET, or earlier if 40 applications are received
Official Link: https://caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/performance-page
Get The Strategy Coach Notes: https://www.patreon.com/pformart/posts/strategy-coach-162841563
Get The Application Strategy
This opportunity favors artists with a clear production plan, a realistic budget, and a project that is ready to move toward public presentation. Strategy Coach Notes help applicants understand how to frame the project, connect the budget to the production needs, select work samples, and avoid eligibility problems. The application requires clarity around the performance, the people involved, the use of funds, and the timeline. Join the network to access Strategy Coach Notes for this opportunity and build a stronger proposal before the 40-application cap closes the cycle.
About the Café Royal Performance Grant
Café Royal Cultural Foundation NYC awards Performance Grants to individuals focused on the production of theatre, dance, and performance art. The foundation describes the program as support for performance-based work that needs an audience. The call includes theatre, dance, and performance art, all of which can be accompanied by music. This cycle is limited to 40 applications, so artists should prepare materials before submitting and check the application portal early.
The grant supports production costs. Grants awarded in this category do not fund costs associated with the creating or composition of new work. If the proposed performance is a play, it must be a full production. Readings will not qualify. Applicants may submit up to 5 video links of works or performances for review. If work samples for the proposed project are unavailable, applicants should describe the core ideas, narrative concept, design elements, and creative plans in detail.
What Is Offered
Up to $10,000.00
- Support for actors
- Support for assistant director fees
- Support for choreographer fees
- Support for costumes and costume designer fees
- Support for composer fees
- Support for creative team expenses
- Support for dancers and guest performers
- Support for lighting, sound, scenic, props, and set costs
- Support for rehearsal space, studio, theatre rental, and venue rental
- Support for production staff, stage manager, stage hands, and technical staff
Who Should Apply
This grant is for performer(s) of theatre, dance and performance art. Performer(s) applying must be a current United States Citizen or Resident Alien and a current resident of New York City. Applicants must have lived in New York City for a minimum of one year prior to applying and plan to remain a resident through the completion of the project. Applicants cannot apply for a group or an organization. The foundation makes grants to individual recipients, and the individual grantee is responsible for payments requested in the budget.
Café Royal Performance Grant Timeline
Application Opens: June 2nd, 2026 at 9:00 am EDT
Deadline: August 3rd, 2026 at 9:00 am ET, or as soon as 40 applications are received
Performance Start Date: No sooner than November 01, 2026
Performance Completion Window: No later than September 22, 2027
Why The Café Royal Performance Grant Matters
This grant offers direct production support for individual NYC-based performance artists at a significant funding level. The call is useful for artists who already have a project, a production structure, and a clear plan for how funds will be used. The limited application pool makes timing important. Applicants should prepare video links, a short project description, a short artistic biography, a budget that does not exceed $10,000.00, and a list of costs before the application cap is reached.
Apply
https://caferoyalculturalfoundation.org/performance-page
OF THE FIELD.
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