The NEA supports projects that contribute to a healthy and thriving arts ecosystem that is responsive to the dynamic, diverse, and evolving nature of the film and media arts field. This includes support for artists and audiences to engage with a spectrum of media arts genres and practices, such as traditional or expanded forms of storytelling, visual expression; and performance using film, cinema, audio, broadcast, new media, creative code, and related formats at the intersection of arts and technology.

Projects

In addition to the general areas of interest described in the Grants for Arts Projects program description, film and media arts project proposals should further one or more of the following:

• Provide opportunities for artists to create, research, or share artistic practices and works; or provide opportunities for artists (at all stages of their career) to access significant artistic or professional development programs essential for career advancement.
• Provide opportunities for public audiences to experience film and media art works and/or engage directly with artists, art works, or artistic processes, across all forms and genres.
• Integrate media arts activities with strategies that promote the well-being and resilience of communities.
• Build capacity and strengthen the film and media arts field through knowledge-sharing and resources.

Note: We do not prioritize funding for the creation and distribution of general broadcasts, podcasts, video games, or journalistic content that are not in pursuit of artistic and creative goals related to the film and media arts field, nor any non-arts content or educational modules unrelated to advancing the film and media arts field.

Competitive media arts projects will address one or more of the following:

• Increase paid, contract-based, or commission-based opportunities for independent film and media artists, creative coders, arts collectives, and freelance arts workers, including those with specialized expertise at the intersection of arts and technology.
• Advance or sustain the creative work or careers of people whose opportunities to engage within the field of media arts are limited by factors such as geography, race or ethnicity, economics, or disability.
• Respond to the opportunities, challenges, and needs of the media arts field, as well as align with the focus of recent Media Arts Impact Initiatives. For example, see documents published by the NEA: State of the Field: A Report from the Documentary Sustainability Summit and Tech As Art: Supporting Artists Who Use Technology as a Creative Medium.
• Builds the capacity and expertise of arts organizations, arts workers, artists, and audiences to engage with digital or emergent technology.

The NEA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and fostering mutual respect for the diverse beliefs and values of all individuals and groups. Projects may focus on reaching a particular group or demographic; however, they may not be exclusionary under Federal civil rights laws and policies prohibiting discrimination. This extends to hiring practices, artist selection processes, and audience engagement. For additional information, refer to this archived webinar: Things to Know Before You Apply: Federal Civil Rights and Your Grants Application.

Applicants may request cost share/matching grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.

If your project is developed and managed by local government, see the Local Arts Agencies description to help you in your discipline selection.

If your organization typically submits to an artistic discipline other than Media Arts, but will be submitting a project adapted for film, online streaming, or broadcast due to COVID-19, we encourage you to apply to your primary artistic discipline. For example, if your organization typically submits to the Dance discipline and wants to complete a dance-related film or project for online streaming or broadcast due to COVID-19, you should continue to submit your application to the Dance discipline. If you have questions about this, contact staff.

For information on how to apply, see “How to Apply” on the left.

Additional Applications in Media Arts

Generally, an organization is limited to one application per year in the Grants for Arts Projects category. However, an organization of any artistic discipline may submit one additional application in the Grants for Arts Projects category through the Media Arts discipline for the July deadline.

If your organization is submitting an additional application to the Media Arts discipline’s July deadline, the project must be an initiative that builds the capacity and expertise of arts organizations and/or artists to serve a broad public through digital or emergent technology and/or support tech-centered creative practices. Examples of such projects include activities that:

• Develop opportunities for artists, audiences, and learners to create, access, or explore art projects that incorporate new media, creative code, and/or cross-disciplinary collaborations at the intersection of arts and technology.
• Implement field-building initiatives that develop networks across artistic disciplines and relevant industries that invest in tech-centered creative practices and artist-driven explorations of digital or emergent technology.
• Deepen the capacity of arts organizations to deliver tech-centered, digital, and hybrid arts and cultural programs to audiences and learners.
• Support digital infrastructure for the cultural sector at the local, regional, or national level through cross-sector collaboration and programmatic partnerships, training or knowledge-sharing, evidence-based practices, and/or the development of resources.
• Integrate the arts with technology to bridge digital divides, increase digital literacy, and/or broaden engagement with computer science technology within local communities or across different segments of the arts sector.

The NEA recognizes the use of digital and emergent technology in creative media as a dynamic but consistently under-resourced field of artistic practice. Over the next few years, the NEA will invest in greater capacity for arts organizations and artists to offer digital opportunities for arts participation—inclusive of hybrid programming—to reach a broad public, as detailed in its FY2022-2026 Strategic Plan.

We have prepared a guide for applicants to help determine if your organization is eligible to submit an additional application.

Deadlines

Grants for Arts Projects applications will be accepted at two deadlines. All project types are accepted at both deadlines. Apply at the deadline that most closely fits the schedule of activities or timeline of your proposed project.

Organizations must apply directly on their own behalf; applications through a fiscal sponsor/agent are not allowed.

First Grants for Arts Projects Deadline:

Part 1 - Submit to Grants.gov	February 9, 2023 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
Prepare application material so that it’s ready to upload when the Applicant Portal opens
Part 2 - Submit to Applicant Portal	February 14-21, 2023 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
Earliest Announcement of Grant Award or Rejection	November 2023
Earliest Start Date for Proposed Project	January 1, 2024

Second Grants for Arts Projects Deadline:

Part 1 - Submit to Grants.gov	July 6, 2023 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
Prepare application material so that it’s ready to upload when the Applicant Portal opens
Part 2 - Submit to Applicant Portal	July 11-18, 2023 at 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
Earliest Announcement of Grant Award or Rejection	April 2024
Earliest Start Date for Proposed Project	June 1, 2024