NYC arts orgs to access relief funds, outdoor performance opportunities

The 12th annual international Dance Parade held in New York in 2018.

The 12th annual international Dance Parade held in New York in 2018. Steve Edreff / Shutterstock

Live-performance venues, organizations and workers will be able to access federal relief funds through a new city program called Curtains Up NYC.

Using dollars from the federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program – also known as Save Our Stages – performing arts organizations, nonprofit museums with auditoriums and others will be able to access grants of up to $10 million. The available grants are equal to 45% of an applicant’s gross earned revenue.

Applications aren’t yet open for the program, but the city will provide webinars three times a week starting on Feb. 10 to guide groups through the application process.

The city has also released guidelines for artists and certain arts and cultural groups to hold outdoor performances on certain city streets. Applications for Open Culture permits to hold such ticketed performances will open on March 1 and run through Oct. 31. 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is hardly the only New York official with arts revival on the mind. Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced a statewide series of pop-up performances yesterday with the goal of boosting the arts sector.