- GENERAL INFORMATION
- FINANCIAL GUIDELINES
- THE PROPOSAL PROCESS
- BUDGETARY GUIDELINES
- ADMISSION FEES
- GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF PROJECTS
A. PLAYS AND MUSICALS
B. PUBLICATIONS
C. CONCERTS
D. VIDEO AND FILM
E. DANCE
F. VISUAL ARTS
G. COLLECTIVE ARTS PROJECT
H. COMEDY/SPOKEN WORD
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
The Committee on the Creative and Performing Arts of the Council of Heads of College administers the Creative and Performing Arts Awards (CPA) and welcomes proposals from students for creative arts projects in the colleges. The CPA Awards are supported by the Louis Sudler Fund, which was established in 1986 to provide support for the creative and performing arts in Yale’s residential colleges, by the Welch Art Fund, and by the Bates Fund.
CPA Awards may be used to support on-campus dramatic, musical, dance, video or film productions, literary publications, visual art projects and exhibitions. Funded productions and exhibitions must take place on campus, no later than the Saturday of reading period in each semester. Funded films must be screened for the Yale community. CPA applicants must be enrolled at the time of application and for the duration of the project.
The Committee on the Creative and Performing Arts meets two times each year to review student proposals and determine awards. The Committee conveys its decisions in writing to each Head of College who in turn informs their students. The Committee particularly draws applicants’ attention to Item 2-5, below, for a general list of expenses the CPA Awards do not support.
Please be aware that all CPA applications will undergo full review and might need to be modified to fall within Yale regulations and guidelines. Projects that require construction will need to undergo additional reviews and consultations. Proposers may be required to undergo training as outlined by university departments such as the CEID, School of Art shop, Architecture shop, etc. Failure to adhere to Yale regulations, timelines, and consultations with required parties may result in withdrawal of grant funding and project termination at any point in the project. Please note that visual art and collaborative art projects requiring the construction of structures that will support people, be over people, or that are over 4 feet in height are prohibited.
2. FINANCIAL GUIDELINES
- The Applicant/Treasurer must coordinate all finances for a CPA Award.
- Only the Applicant/Treasurer is allowed to submit reimbursement requests.
- If a vendor who does not have an established contractual agreement with the University is used, University purchasing guidelines must be observed. For information about the guidelines please contact the Senior Administrative Assistant in your college.
- Reimbursement requests must be submitted to the Head of College’s Office by the end of Reading Period for the term in which a project was produced in order to meet processing deadlines. For this academic year these dates are Friday, December 15, 2023 and Friday, May 3, 2024. Exceptions may be granted by the Head of College. See Guidelines for the Treasurer for the limits on the number of reimbursement submissions.
- CPA Awards may NOT be expended on the following items. Additionally, the Committee reserves the right to disallow spending on other items not explicitly listed below:
a. Purchase of equipment
b. Computer software, website or podcast hosting fees (free options available)
c. Support of visits by outside artists
d. Food other than as stage props
e. Rental of off-campus sites (Exception for “Video and Film” filming locations)
f. Travel or transportation costs. (Costs for transportation of rented props or instruments may be approved.)
g. Production of commercial recordings
h. Payments for project expenses proposed after they have taken place
i. Payments for professional/appearance fees, wages, honoraria or awards
j. Rental of digital production equipment that is available on campus free of charge
k. Gifts
l. Course fees (students should apply to SafetyNet for financial assistance with curricular
expenses)
3. THE PROPOSAL PROCESS
- The primary proposer (e.g., producer, director, editor, lead actor) MUST also serve as Treasurer and
MUST be a member of the college that sponsors the proposal. CPA applicants must be enrolled at the time of application and for the duration of the project.
- A student may only serve as primary proposer for ONE project produced each term.
- Each project (including group projects) may apply for only ONE CPA award.
- Students must complete all required sections of the online application form.
4. BUDGETARY GUIDELINES
A detailed budget should be submitted with the proposal including cost estimates for project
expenditures. Cost estimates should be validated (derived from Web site order forms, phone calls to
vendors, catalog listings). Reimbursements for project expenditures will be reconciled with the detailed
budget.
A guide to building a strong CPA budget can be found here.
The Senior Administrative Assistant of the sponsoring college will coordinate the finances of a CPA
Award project with the project Applicant/Treasurer. Instructions for the budget portion of the proposal follow:
- Include only the items for which CPA funding is being requested,
- Disclose other sources and amounts of funding (e.g., departmental subsidy or UOFC funding),
- There is a $50 maximum on miscellaneous expenses,
- There is a $200 maximum on publicity costs: web pages, email, tickets, programs, invitations,
table-tents, posters, and advertising for auditions or submissions; and - Requests for additional funding will not be considered after the proposal is approved.
5. ADMISSION FEES
Admission may not be charged for CPA award projects.
6. GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF PROJECTS
A. PLAYS and MUSICALS
The proposer should recruit as many of the staff and cast as possible from the sponsoring college. If the project is to be staged outside the sponsoring college, the proposer must show how members of the college will be involved.
The maximum grant for a play or musical is $1,200. Up to $1,000 additional funding may be
allotted in order to secure legal rights to perform a play or musical. These additional funding
requests should be included in the budget when you apply.
B. PUBLICATIONS (Books & Magazines)
Each college may sponsor one designated arts and/or literary magazine that can receive up to $1,200 per year on an ongoing basis. Colleges may also provide start-up funding for additional magazines or publications in the form of a one-time grant of up to $500. The value of the publication for showcasing literature or the arts must be clear. Yearbooks or facebooks are not eligible. Old publications recycled under new names or publications that do not enhance the arts are not eligible. The number of copies allowed for any publication may not exceed 300. A print budget, with all publication costs and number of copies detailed must be included as part of the application.
Free resources for hosting web publications and podcasts are listed here: https://collegearts.yale.edu/resources/publication_resources
Handmade and self-published books that showcase literature or the arts are also eligible for one-time support of up to $500. Preference will be given to collaborative projects and books that feature the work of two or more contributors. The number of copies allowed for any book may not exceed 300.
C. CONCERTS
The standard expenses for concerts are payment for rights, the purchase of parts, and publicity. The Yale Music Library should be consulted before purchasing parts.
The maximum grant for a concert is $500. Up to $1,000 additional funding may be allotted in order to secure legal rights to perform a concert. These additional funding requests should be included in the budget when you apply.
D. VIDEO and FILM
The proposer should recruit as many of the staff and cast as possible from the sponsoring college. In addition, proposers must have a clear plan to show the finished video or film to an audience from their college.
The maximum grant for a non-thesis video or film is $500. The maximum grant for a senior thesis video or film is $1,200. A maximum of $200 total may be budgeted for film festivals entry fees, provided the festival is in the greater New Haven area.
E. DANCE
Dance performances should be held in the proposer’s college whenever possible. If the college does not have suitable facilities, the proposer should show how a performance held at another campus location would involve members of the college.
The maximum grant for a dance recital is $1,000.
F. VISUAL ARTS
The proposal should explain how the production and exhibition of art work would enhance the artistic life of the college and how members of the college will be involved. Funded exhibitions should be mounted in the proposer’s college or in a relevant cultural center. Please note that visual art projects requiring the construction of structures that will support people, be over people, or that are over 4 feet in height are prohibited.
In general, visual art projects should be designed to be creted in residential college art spaces. Studio and shop spaces at the Schools of Art and Architecture are only available to students enrolled in designated courses in those majors. Please consult with faculty in those programs for more information.
The maximum grant for a visual arts project is $500.
G. COLLECTIVE ARTS PROJECT
Collective art projects that do not fall under other categories may receive support if they involve multiple undergraduates. The proposal should explain how the production and exhibition of a project would enhance the artistic life of the college and how members of the college will be involved. Funded exhibitions should be mounted in the proposer’s college or in a relevant cultural center. Please note that collaborative art projects requiring the construction of structures that will support people, be over people, or that are over 4 feet in height are prohibited.
The maximum grant for a collective arts project is $500.
H. COMEDY/SPOKEN WORD
The standard expenses for comedy and spoken word events are publicity, including programs, props, and costumes.
The maximum grant for comedy/spoken word is $500.