The Purpose of the Arts Discretionary Fund
The purpose of the Arts Discretionary Fund is to support the development of exceptional and imaginative projects that are timely, relevant, and contribute to Yale College students’ artistic knowledge and technical accomplishment. These projects may be of an individual or group nature. They may be curricular enhancements or extracurricular. Preference is given to practice-based projects that benefit the artistic, intellectual, and personal development of undergraduates. We understand that the creation of art often involves experimentation and risk. We value this unruliness and aim to support projects that channel such creative energy into powerful learning experiences, works-in-progress, and polished works of art.
Who Does the Fund Support?
Any Yale College student or faculty member is eligible to request support. Applicants need not be majors or faculty members in an arts discipline, but must be deeply engaged and demonstrate a rigorous commitment to their art, and value both expertise and inventiveness.
Undergraduate art projects must have already applied for standard available funding (e.g. Creative and Performing Arts, Undergraduate Organizations Funding Committee), if eligible, before seeking funding from the ADF. The ADF is not available to replace CPA or OUC funding for students who have missed the application deadline. The ADF may not be used to pay Yale undergraduates to participate in art making.
What Does the Fund Support?
Support is offered in areas including Film/Video, Creative Writing, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and New Genres. Preference will be given to projects that synthesize creative expression and historical and theoretical understanding. Successful projects include new initiatives and activities that enhance existing programs.
Examples of ADF supported projects:
- Annual Festival Programming
- Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective
- Yale Student Film Festival
- Guest artist workshop series and classes
- A Different Drum
- Yaledancers
- Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective
- Taps at Yale
- Expenses to produce work above and beyond CPA-funded costs
- Opera Theatre of Yale College
- Subsidized extra-curricular lessons for students
- Yale Undergraduate Jazz Collective
- Shen Curriculum for Musical Theater
- Accessibility accommodations
- Support for ASL interpreter for Spring Fling performances
Application Procedure
Applicants should submit a 1-2 page proposal that includes:
- Name and title (if applicable) of proposer
- Amount requested
- Brief program or project description and how it will benefit Yale College undergraduates
- Timeline
- Itemized projected budget including other sources of support
The committee may ask to review previous work samples as part of the application process.
Final Report
At the conclusion of the project, the applicant must submit a brief report on the outcomes made possible by the award. This report should include: 1) description of outcomes; 2) actual budget; 3) if an event, number of participants and attendees; 4) assessment of strengths and weaknesses of the program.
For more information or to submit a proposal, please contact:
Kate Krier, Associate Dean for the Arts kate.krier@yale.edu