Performing Arts Special Activities Fund

Performing Arts Special Activities Fund proposals are accepted each academic year early in the fall semester.  The deadline to submit applications for the 2018-19 academic year has passed.  Information about the 2019-20 PASAF grants will be posted here in August, 2019.

What is the Performing Arts Special Activities Fund (PASAF)?

The PASAF supports projects and activities that provide quality performing arts that enhance the creative and cultural environment of our University community and have significant impact on life and learning at UNC.

Projects are supported in all areas of the performing arts.  Priority is given to new and innovative projects.  Projects that involve multiple units (departments, centers, curricula, programs, etc.) and that are inter-disciplinary are encouraged.  We also encourage faculty and staff from all areas of the University to submit applications for projects that include a component of the performing arts in any area of teaching, research, or service.

Although the PASAF has no official maximum grant, awards are seldom made for amounts over $5,000.  The PASAF may award partial grants.  Previous PASAF funding does not guarantee support in any succeeding year.  Funds must be expended in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Who may apply?

Students, faculty and staff from recognized academic or administrative units may apply for funding.  If a unit proposes multiple projects, the unit head must prioritize the proposed projects.

Funding criteria:

• Artistic and programmatic quality
• Extent to which the proposed project represents an innovative approach or strives to test new programmatic content or formats
• Relationship of proposed activities to departmental priorities, area of study, or research
• Nature and extent of programmatic interpretation, education, or orientation efforts for the benefit of the proposed audience
• Extent of impact, including the number of people served and efforts to broaden and/or diversify your audience
• Extent to which the project involves multiple University departments or constituencies and serves multiple campus audiences
• Scarcity or availability of comparable services within the given area, i.e., extent to which the project fills a gap
• Managerial and fiscal competence, including the capability of the applicant to carry out the proposed activities

Projects eligible for funding:

The PASAF committee aims to support projects that demonstrate the highest level of artistic integrity.  The list below provides examples of the types of projects that are eligible for funding.  These are examples only, and funding is not limited to those listed.

• Visiting performing artist and artist-in-residence activities
• Public presentations and performances
• Commissions, premieres, and subsequent performances of new works
• Professional artistic development and training programs for performing artists, such as mentorship and career development activities
• Workshops, conferences, publications, professional development, technical assistance, networks, or on-line resources associated with performances
• Projects that bring together diverse campus and local communities or that reach new audiences

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Major expenditures for the establishment of new student organizations
• Expenditures that should reasonably be covered by department overhead
• Reserve funds
• Debt reductions
• Activities restricted to an organization’s membership (funded activities must be open to the university and the broader community and promoted as such)
• Hospitality or entertainment costs for receptions, performances, or fundraising benefits
• Payments to faculty, staff, or students
• Static exhibitions

Application information (please note the 2018-19 PASAF submission deadline has passed):

Successful applicants will be asked to provide a brief report on outreach and impact following project implementation.  To apply for support from the Performing Arts Special Activities Fund, submit a written application of no more than 4 pages that includes the following:

• Goals and objectives of the project
• Project description
• Audience to be served, including number and demographic characteristics
• Overall impact to the arts at UNC-Chapel Hill
• Itemized budget, including personnel and non-personnel expenses, total project costs, costs for which PASAF support is requested, and other sources of support
• Department/Unit head’s signature of approval.  (Multiple requests from a single unit must be prioritized by the unit head.)

Submit applications to the following address by 5 PM September 16, 2019:

Carol Tresolini
Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives
c/o Franco Raye
Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
104 South Building, CB #3000
Chapel Hill, NC  27599-3000

You may also submit applications via email to jfraye@email.unc.edu.