About the CPA

Administered by the Council of Heads of College, the Creative and Performing Arts (CPA) grants support on-campus dramatic, musical, dance, video or film productions, literary publications, and visual arts exhibitions. These projects are supported by the Sudler Fund, the Welch Art Fund, and the Bates Fund.  

The Council of Heads of College’s Committee on Arts and Awards meets at the beginning of each term to review student proposals and determine grants. The Committee conveys its decisions to each residential college, which in turn informs its students.  

Any undergraduate student may apply for CPA grants in their residential college. All applicants should review the full information provided in the CPA Guidelines and consult with their Head of College prior to submission. Not consulting with the Head of College may affect grant candidacy. 

Applications may be made two times each year. A student cannot be an applicant for more than one project per term. Students may apply in September for projects produced in the fall semester, or that will be produced in the spring semester prior to Spring Recess. Students may apply in January for projects produced anytime during the spring semester. A student may only serve as applicant for one project produced each term. A student may apply in the fall for both a fall project and an early spring project. If a student receives a fall grant for an early spring project, that student may not apply in January for the late spring. 

NOTE: Because of the requirement to purchase rights so far in advance, students producing major musicals may apply in the fall CPA cycle for any performance dates that academic year, including after spring break. Venue bookings after spring break will be determined in the early spring. Producers should consult their Undergraduate Production (UP) adviser with questions. These early grants would count as the applicant’s spring CPA, and the applicant would not be eligible to apply for another spring project. 

In addition to consulting their Head of College, students may also consult with other advisers. By submitting an application, the applicant attests that the proposed project consists of original work and that duplicate proposals are not being submitted to other residential colleges. 

All CPA applications will undergo full review and may require modification to fall within Yale regulations and guidelines. Projects that require construction will be subject to additional reviews and consultations. Applicants may be required to complete training at the Center for Engineering, Innovation, and Design (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.