Performing Arts
What We Support
The Arts Program at the Doris Duke Foundation (DDF) supports the performing arts by providing grants to two complementary and interdependent elements of the field: performing artists and arts organizations.
Performing Artists
The Arts Program supports projects and artists in dance, jazz and theater through national, competitive initiatives. Funding helps support creation, residencies, touring and grantee meetings. With the exception of the Theater Commissioning and Production Initiative and the Doris Duke Artist Awards, intermediary organizations distribute all DDF funding through regranting programs, such as the DDF-funded United States Artists Fellowships. The Doris Duke Artist Awards, which is administered by DDF, provides unrestricted support to exemplary individual artists in contemporary dance, jazz, theater and related multi-disciplinary fields to empower them to take creative risks and pay for important needs not typically funded by project-related grants.
Arts Organizations
To contribute to building a strong national performing arts field, DDF provides core support to select national arts organizations whose work is critical for the health of the contemporary dance, jazz and/or theater fields. Through its Leadership Grants for Performing Arts Organizations, DDF also supports the self-defined, long-term goals of organizations that have demonstrated excellence in and sustained commitment to the fields of dance, jazz and theater. Finally, through competitive initiatives administered both by DDF and intermediary organizations, the foundation offers grants to organizations pursuing bold, fresh approaches to build audiences and demand for the arts.
Areas Not Funded
In general, the Arts Program does not fund visual arts, museums or galleries; film or media projects; literary arts; symphonies, opera companies, classical chamber music or musical forms beyond jazz; classical ballet companies; avocational arts activities; arts programs for rehabilitative or therapeutic purposes; arts education programs; training and conservatory programs; capital projects; research or publications.
