Included here are BAC's current, live applications. Please contact Submittable directly if you have any issues with the online form. For application questions, please contact the BAC department indicated in the guidelines of the application.
Welcome! If you are new to Brooklyn Arts Council, we are so glad you found us. If you are returning, we are doing things a little differently this year. We are building a roster of versatile teaching artists to match with schools, older adult centers, and various community programs. Please review our application guidelines before applying. You can also review our FAQ here.
How it works:
You'll complete this single application which will help us get to know you as a teaching artist. You'll be asked about your interest in working with youth populations (K-12 students), older adults, and intergenerational audiences. Based on what you select, you'll be asked further questions pertaining to that audience and program opportunity where applicable to be considered for in-school residencies (CASA, Catalyst and Department of Education), and Older Adult Center Residencies (SU-CASA).
You do NOT need to select multiple opportunities in order to be considered, however it will strengthen your application.
Submit this form to share information about your project with Brooklyn Arts Council's Grants and Communications teams.
We can use this to schedule posts about your project through our social media accounts.
If you would like us to share in advance about a specific performance, exhibition, or presentation date, please submit 3 weeks in advance so there is time to schedule accordingly.
Please fill out this short form if you are interested in serving as a Grant Panelist for our 2026 Cycle.
We also encourage you to send this form to other folks you feel would make great Panelists - we want to reach a wide range of arts & culture experts throughout Brooklyn. This is a great learning opportunity for artists who have been/would like to be Grantees...we'll try to find a panelist slot in a fund you are not applying to so you can benefit from this professional development opportunity!
Deadline: October 21st, 2025
Early submissions are encouraged, but Nominations after that date will still be accepted and reviewed in the case there is still a need.
Panel nominees should be reliable individuals with a commitment to the arts, knowledge of Brooklyn communities, and expertise in an artistic discipline, arts administration, or community arts programming. BAC strives to appoint panels that are diverse in terms of ethnicity, gender, age, culture, geographic representation, and artistic focus. Because of the need to form well-balanced panels, we may not be able to consider all the qualified people who are nominated.
Panelist duties include:
- Reviewing a Panelist Training Video & Handbook; submitting paperwork for payment
- Scoring of 15-60 applications (scores due one week before Panel Day) - Participation in group review during day-long panel meeting with 2-6 other panelists (most likely on Zoom) - Availability during December 25'-February '26
Panelists receive:
- Honorarium ranging from $75-$250, dependent on # of applications reviewed
- Public recognition of panel service and an invitation to the annual Brooklyn Arts Awards
2026 Creative Equations Fund: Performing Arts
DEADLINE: Nov 07, 2025
*All applications must be submitted online.
Supported by The Howard Gilman Foundation
GRANT AMOUNT: $10K for each Grantee; For Brooklyn-based performing artists and small performing arts organizations dedicating their creativity to social justice and Cultural Heritage Dance Practitioners or Researchers.
WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS GRANT? To build the capacity of social practice artists and small arts organizations and to amplify models of cultural interventions for justice, as well as to support Dance Diversity by focusing on Cultural Heritage Dance practitioners. Empower Artists. Disrupt Exclusion. Amplify Diversity. Center Cultural Equity.
WHO CAN APPLY?
(1) Performing Artists and Performing Arts Organizations
Performing artists and performing arts organizations with annual operating budgets of up to $250,000. Note: can also include arts-focused work of 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, collectives, community service groups, senior centers, youth organizations, etc.
- Applicants must be residents of Brooklyn (Kings County) or base their practice/work in Brooklyn and provide proof of Kings County residence or operations.
- Applicants seeking funding for General Operating Support must show at least three years of work history in the social justice issues space of their choosing.
- Applicants can be:
- Individuals. Applying under a fiscal sponsor is optional and will not affect a proposal’s competitiveness. Sponsors must have IRS 501(c)3 nonprofit status and be incorporated within the five boroughs of NYC.
- Small-budget Performing Arts Organizations. 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization (federal designation), Incorporated non-profit organization (registered with the State as a non-profit), Unincorporated arts group or collective (the group must designate one lead artist or administrator to be an individual applicant and serve as primary contact), Organizations with operating budgets less than $250,000
(2) Cultural Heritage Dancers, Choreographers, and Dance Researchers.
- Applicants must be residents of Brooklyn (Kings County) or base their practice/work in Brooklyn and provide proof of Kings County residence or operations
- Individuals
- 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization (federal designation)
- Incorporated non-profit organization (state designation)
- Unincorporated arts group or collective (choose one lead artist or administrator to serve as primary contact)
- Organizations with operating budgets over $250,000 are ineligible
- Applying under a fiscal sponsor is optional and will not affect a proposal’s competitiveness. Sponsors must have IRS 501(c)3 nonprofit status and be incorporated within the five boroughs of NYC
PROPOSALS WILL BE CONSIDERED USING THE FOLLOWING:
- Artistic Merit: Communal Meaning; Commitment; Coherence; Technical Skill; Non-Duplication; New Questions/New Idea(s)/Distinct Perspective(s); Quality; and Clarity
- Process: Disruption/Innovation; Resourceful; Sustainable; Connective; Engagement; Community Support; Ability to Complete
- Impact: Stickiness; Equity; Justice; Sustainable; Capacity; Access; Amplification; Community Support; Service; Issue-Based Metric
Visit our Grants FAQ page and brooklynartscouncil.org for complete Guidelines, sign up for our BAC newsletter while you're there, and follow us on Social Media to stay informed about Info Sessions!
Technical Issues with the online application form or questions about logging onto Submittable must be directed to https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/.
Other questions can be directed to the Grants Department at grants@brooklynartscouncil.org.
2026 Charlene Victor & Ella J. Weiss Cultural Entrepreneur Fund
DEADLINE: Nov 7, 2025 *All applications must be submitted online.
Supported by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA).
Request: $2,500
ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES
Who can apply?
- Residents of Brooklyn (Kings County)
- Brooklyn-based women individual artists and arts administrators
- Current grantees that have not submitted a final report because their other BAC project(s) are in progress
- Women with disabilities and/or veterans
Who CAN’T apply?
- Applicants who received BAC funding in a previous year, but failed to submit a Final Report, are ineligible
- no 501c 3 nonprofit organizations, community service groups, senior centers, educational organizations, etc.
What is the grant term?
- All funded professional development activities must take place between January 1 and December 31, 2026. Final report must be completed by January 15, 2027.
CHARLENE VICTOR & ELLA J. WEISS CULTURAL ENTREPRENEUR FUND DOES NOT SUPPORT:
- Requests to organize and lead professional development for other people - the award is only for the applicant's professional development
- General operating expenses
- Expenses related to the operation of privately-owned facilities, such as homes and studios
- Scholarships or fellowships to universities, colleges and schools, endowments, or religious endeavors
- Property or mortgage payments, capital expenses such as building construction, renovation, addition of signage on a building, venue, or studio improvements to make it ADA compliant, etc.
- Major expenditures for the establishment of a new organization
- Administrative costs unrelated to the proposed professional development activities
- Major equipment purchases unrelated to the proposed professional development activities
- Expenses related to one-time productions and artistic projects
- Please note: Budget requests above the $2,500 award amount will be considered ineligible.
REVIEW CRITERIA
Priority will be given to women individual artists and arts administrators whose primary mission is to provide arts and cultural programs at the community level, that are responsive to their constituency, with a history of service to Brooklyn.
The review panel will designate awards according to the following equally important criteria:
- Clarity of the professional development activities and budget
- Demonstrated community interest and passionate advocacy for the cultural life of the borough; proven track record in their community
- Realistic planning; clearly defined ability to execute the professional development activities; ability to set and accomplish specific, attainable goals and to define success for the proposed activities
You can watch an information session for Community Arts Grants below:
Visit our Grants FAQ page and brooklynartscouncil.org for complete Guidelines, sign up for our BAC Newsletter while you're there, and follow us on Social Media to stay up-to-date on Info Sessions, etc!
Technical Issues with the online application form or questions about logging onto Submittable must be directed to https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/.
Other questions can be directed to the Grants Department at grants@brooklynartscouncil.org.
2026 Local Arts Support
DEADLINE Nov 7, 2025 *All applications must be submitted online.
Request: $2,000-$5,000
Funding is made possible through the generous support of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).
Applicant eligibility*: Brooklyn-based nonprofit organizations or NYC-based artists working in partnership with Brooklyn-based nonprofit organizations are invited to apply. Applicants and organizational partners may not have applied directly to NYSCA for FY2026 funding. **A NYSCA-grantee cannot serve as a fiscal sponsor for LAS**
Funding priorities
Competitive projects will:
- demonstrate the ability to identify the BK community it strives to engage
- include a clear, realistic timeline that demonstrates the ability to complete the project to scope within the calendar year 2026
- detail engagement of experienced and appropriate personnel, including appropriateness of nonprofit partner
- share plans to promote the project
*BAC strongly supports the payment of artist fees that are field and project appropriate.
Review Criteria
Taking into account the specific goal of this program, panels recommend funding according to the following equally important criteria:
- Artistic merit of the proposed project
- Quality and clarity of application narrative and budget
- Demonstrated community support for and interest in the project
- Audience benefit to be derived from the project
- Non-duplication of similar project in type of programming, geographic area, and/or community served
- Clearly defined ability to successfully complete the project
You can watch an information session for Community Arts Grants below:
Visit our Grants FAQ page and brooklynartscouncil.org for complete Guidelines, sign up for our BAC Newsletter while you're there, and follow us on Social Media to stay up-to-date on Info Sessions, etc!
Technical Issues with the online application form or questions about logging onto Submittable must be directed to https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/.
Other questions can be directed to the Grants Department at grants@brooklynartscouncil.org.
2026 Brooklyn Arts Fund
DEADLINE: Nov 07, 2025 *All applications must be submitted online.
Request: $2,000-$5,000
Funding is made possible through the generous support of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) Greater New York Arts Development Fund.
Applicant eligibility:
Brooklyn-based individual artists, collectives, non-profits and 501c3 organizations
Organizations are ineligible if they have applied for funding from the NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs for FY26 or have budgets over $100K for 2 of the last 3 fiscal years.
Brooklyn Arts Council cannot be the sole funder for proposed projects.
Please make sure to show that you can cover at least 10% of your project's expenses with funds or support from other sources (either cash or in-kind).
Funding priorities
Competitive projects will:
- Demonstrate the ability to identify the BK community it strives to engage
- Include a clear, realistic timeline that demonstrates the ability to complete the project to scope within the calendar year 2026
- Detail engagement of experienced and appropriate personnel, including appropriateness of nonprofit partner
- Share plans to promote the project
*BAC strongly supports the payment of artist fees that are field and project appropriate.
Review Criteria
Taking into account the specific goal of this program, panels recommend funding according to the following equally important criteria:
- Artistic merit of the proposed project
- Quality and clarity of application narrative and budget
- Demonstrated community support for and interest in the project
- Audience benefit to be derived from the project
- Non-duplication of similar project in type of programming, geographic area, and/or community served
- Clearly defined ability to successfully complete the project
You can watch an information session for Community Arts Grants below:
Visit our Grants FAQ page and brooklynartscouncil.org for complete Guidelines, sign up for our BAC Newsletter while you're there, and follow us on Social Media to stay up-to-date on Info Sessions, etc!
Technical Issues with the online application form or questions about logging onto Submittable must be directed to https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/.
Other questions can be directed to the Grants Department at grants@brooklynartscouncil.org.