Shakespeare in American Communities
Shakespeare in American Communities provides grants of up to $30,000 that connect young people across the country to Shakespeare’s plays. Grants support performances and workshops in schools and in the justice system, and apprenticeships for early-career theater professionals.
Deadline to Apply | January 30th, 2025
Shakespeare in American Communities is a theater program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. It offers three grant opportunities for eligible nonprofit theater organizations:
- Schools Program: Supports Shakespeare-related performances and educational activities for middle and high school students. Matching grants range from $15,000 to $25,000.
- Juvenile Justice Program: Brings Shakespeare-related theater experiences to juvenile justice facilities. Non-matching grants range from $15,000 to $25,000.
- NEW: Apprenticeship Program: Provides paid apprenticeships for early-career theater professionals in administrative and technical roles. The programming that apprentices support does NOT have to be Shakespeare related. Matching grants range from $20,000-$30,000.
Since its inception, Shakespeare in American Communities has reached thousands of communities in all 50 states. In that time, more than 140 participating theaters have provided 16,000 performances and 60,000 educational activities.
Starting this year, applicants must choose one grant opportunity—Schools, Juvenile Justice, or Apprenticeships. Applicants can explore which grant opportunity might be the best fit for them using our eligibility quiz.
