WAA’s Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) Program Launches the Native Artist Opportunity Fund

WAA’s Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) program launched the Native Artist Opportunity Fund today — a financial assistance award program to aid US-based Indigenous performing artists with short-term needs related to the promotion, development and sharing of their work or practice.

The program, which is open to Indigenous performing artists residing in the US and territories, is designed to be flexible and responsive to artists’ needs; artists may apply for funds for a wide range of eligible uses, with grants capped at $750. The program has a rolling deadline, with a monthly review process. AIP expects to award twenty grants under the program annually.

The Opportunity Fund is one of two opportunities announced by AIP this month; AIP’s cornerstone program, Native Launchpad, is also currently accepting applications, with a deadline of Wednesday, April 27.

AIP was established by WAA in 2018 with generous lead support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and additional funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The program aims to provide educational and career development resources for US-based Indigenous artists and presenters that will build audiences for Indigenous performing arts.