Artist Grants

Funding Priorities & Restrictions

2024 Granting Cycle Calendar

January 2, 2024

Funds become available

2025 Granting Cycle

March 4, 2024	Letter of intent online submission deadline
June 3, 2024	Notification of application status
September 9, 2024	Full proposal online submission deadline
December 9, 2024	Final notification
January 2, 2025	Funds become available

The Jim Henson Foundation awards grants each year for the creation of innovative new works of contemporary puppet theater. Our definition of a puppet is an object that is given the appearance of life through direct or indirect manipulation by the human hand. The Foundation’s Board of Directors judges applications based on the excellence of the puppetry including puppet design, manipulation and theatrical execution. 

There are three Artist Grants available: Workshop Grants ($3,000), Production Grants ($7,000), and Family Grants ($4,000). All Artist Grants are to be used towards puppetry. This includes the building and performing of the puppets and the integration of the puppets in the piece.

Production Grants of $7,000 are awarded for the production of new works ready to premeire in the coming year. Workshop Grants of $3,000 are for the development and workshopping of these pieces. Workshop Grants and Production Grants can be combined over a two year period for the greatest benefit to the piece; keep in mind, however, that a Production Grant does not need to be preceded by a Workshop grant and a Workshop Grant in no way ensures a future Production Grant. Less than half of Workshop Grant recipients receive Production Grants.

Family Grants of $4,000 fund the development of new and innovative work specifically for children, families, and teenagers ready to premiere in the coming year. Please keep in mind that Family Grants will be evaluated by the same high artistic standards as works for adults.

Since The Jim Henson Foundation began awarding grants in 1982, there has been astonishing growth in both the quantity and quality of puppet theater in this country. This has made it increasingly difficult to narrow the applicant pool, so we have instituted a policy that we hope will more evenly distribute our funds among the many artists worthy of support. Artists who received a grant in the previous year are not eligible to submit a proposal in the current year. Artists who received a Workshop Grant in the previous year are eligible to apply in the current year, but only for a Production Grant to further develop the previously funded piece.

Grants are made only for the development of new full-length works of excellent live puppet theater. The Foundation does not award funds for the presentation or remounting of existing work. Grants cannot be applied retroactively; substantial portions of a proposed project must take place after the funds are awarded.

The Foundation does not fund:

• publications
• parades
• pageants
• exhibitions
• spectacle
• festivals
• film or television projects
• projects for school credit
• workshops
• education or outreach activities
• purely digital performance
• muppet-style puppetry
• traditional puppetry
• puppetry performed by students
• travel for research
• work that is predominantly mask
• a piece that is not conceived as a full-length work
• a script reading that does not yet include puppetry
• works in which the majority of the building, rehearsal or performance takes place outside of the United States

We would like to emphasize that live puppet performance needs to be integral to the proposed project. While we will consider productions that utilize other media and genres, a major portion of the piece must feature puppetry that is well-executed in both design and performance.  The mission of the Foundation is to fund excellence in PUPPET theater.  Funding decisions are based on the quality of the puppetry.

Please note that the Foundation will prioritize work that can continue beyond a premiere.  We look for shows that will live on through multiple performances with the potential to tour both nationally and internationally.

Awards can be made only to IRS tax-exempt organizations. We welcome applications from individual artists, but those without 501(c)(3) non-profit status must apply through a fiscal sponsor with this non-profit status.  Applications for international collaborations are accepted, but the primary artist must be a US citizen. The project needs to be presented in the United States and ideally developed and workshopped in the United States as well.  Projects that will only take place outside of the United States are not eligible for funding. Learn more about the application process on our Grant Application FAQ page.

Letters of Intent

If you would like to be considered for a grant, the first step is to submit a letter of intent on or before March 4, 2024.

The letter of intent is a PDF comprised of two pages, a 1 page letter and a 1 page visual.  The Letter must include:

• Your complete contact information, including mailing address, phone number, email and website address
• The category of grant you intend to apply for – Production, Workshop or Family.
• A clear description of the planned project, including the dramatic arc of the piece, the types of puppets that will be used, the lead puppeteer, the lead puppet designer and builder, and your timeline for the work including any upcoming workshops, residencies, or performances. 

The letter must be accompanied by a one-page visual.

• This can be photographs of the puppet(s), a working sketch or illustration of the puppet(s), or a combination of images that show the puppetry in the proposed project.
• Do not include images of other artists you are inspired by who are not attached to the project. If these kinds of inspirational images are included, your application will be disqualified.
• Puppetry is a visual medium, the one-page visual you submit is essential to the letter of intent phase of the process.
• All images must be original work and have the artist/source identified.

Do NOT submit a cover letter or any other additional materials. Letters of intent are accepted only via online submission. 

LETTER OF INTENT PDF SUBMISSION LINK:  https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/HensonFoundation 

You will receive an email of receipt from our office within 3 business days of submission.  If you do not receive an email, please contact us.

Approximately half of the applicants submitting letters of intent will be asked to submit full proposals. Letters of intent will be reviewed at the Spring board meeting, and applicants will be notified of the board’s decision by June 3, 2024.

Application Instructions

If you are invited to submit a full proposal, your application must be received on or before September 9, 2024. Late applications are not accepted.  Applications will be reviewed at the Fall board meeting, and applicants will be notified of the board’s decision by December 9, 2024. Applications are accepted by online submission only.  

Please read the application instructions carefully. All materials including photographs and other visuals must be submitted as a multi-page PDF.  Materials that exceed page limits will not be reviewed. Applications must include the following information: 

• online grant application cover sheet
  An online grant application link will be emailed to you from the Foundation Manager.  Please use this link to submit the cover sheet information for your application. Click here to review what you will need to fill out on the online cover sheet.
   

Multi-page PDF should include:

• a one-page project description 
  Describe the technique you will use and the concept of the piece, including content, dramatic arc, execution, and use of puppetry.  Outline your timeline for the work including any upcoming workshops, residencies or work-in-progress performances.  If you are applying for a production or family grant, please include when and where your anticipated premiere will be.
   
• a one-page project budget, including both income and expenses 
  Submit a budget for the entire project – not just a budget for how Foundation funds would be spent.  The funds from the grant need to be used for the puppetry in the piece. The online grant application
   
• a one-page artist bio 
  If more than one artist is included in the application, all bios should be combined on one page.
   
• a one-page company or organization description (only if needed) 
  Include only if substantially different from the artist bio.
   
• Photographs, sketches or other visuals relevant to the proposed project
  Each grant application is required to submit no more than one page of color images.  Applicants are advised to caption the visual with a brief description. Visuals must be of the puppetry in the proposed project. Do not submit work samples of past work.  All images must be original work and have the artist/source identified. Do not include images of other artists you are inspired by who are not attached to the project. If these kinds of inspirational images are included, your application will be disqualified.
  
  
• If you ARE a non-profit organization: A Copy of IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter 
  Be sure to include a copy of your organization’s IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter in your multi-page PDF.
  
  
• If you ARE NOT a non-profit organization: Fiscal Sponsor Letter & IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter 
  If you are not a non-profit organization, you must use a fiscal sponsor and include a letter from the organization stating that they agree to serve as your fiscal sponsor for the project, along with proof of their 501(c)(3) status. More information about this can be found on the Grant Application FAQ page.
  
  
• Production & Family Grant, 2025 Presenting Commitment
  If you are applying for a production grant or a family grant you will need to have proof of a commitment with a presenter for 2025 included in your application.  If you are unable to get a commitment by the September 9 application deadline, you can have some additional time.  The final deadline for this is November 1.  Send this follow up proof as a PDF.
  
  
• Intellectual Property
  If you are using previously published work that is not in the public domain, you need to have obtained the rights to this work and include proof of this in your application.
   

Video Sample Submission

• Video Footage
  Video Footage is a requirement for all applicants. If you are applying for a Production or Family Grant the video needs to be of the project for which you are applying. Workshop Grant applicants may submit video of a past performance, however at least half of your video needs to be of the proposed project.  The video must feature the puppetry in the piece.
  
  • All video submissions should be high quality .mov, .m4v, or .mp4 files.
  • File should be no larger than 2GB
  • File should be 3-4 minutes, but no longer than 4 minutes.
  • The video needs to showcase excellence of the puppetry in the piece.

Instructions for how to submit your application

A link to this year’s online grant application will be emailed to you from our Foundation Manager.

The multi-page PDF and video footage need to be uploaded to:  https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/HensonFoundation
When submitting your application materials via the Hightail.com link above:

• under “Message” write the name of the project for which you are submitting, the name of the artist or company that is submitting the grant application, which category you have been invited to submit under (Production, Workshop or Family), and any other notes that may be necessary.

An email will be sent to you acknowledging the receipt of your full application within one week of its receipt.

Questions?

If you have a question about our guidelines, you may be able to find the answer on our list of Frequently Asked Questions. You can also reach us at 212.439.7504 or info@hensonfoundation.org. It is best to contact us with any questions well in advance of the application deadlines.