MAP Online Chat Transcript

mapfund : Hello everyone! Feel free to start asking questions anytime.
becoming : Hi! Can an artist who is being sponsored by an org. for MAP funds also apply for Creative Capital funds in the same year? And if yes, can the artist apply in another discipline?
mapfund: Yes and yes.
becoming: OK! In your estimation is it better to apply for (and hopefully become) a CC artist and then work toward MAP funds with an org?
mapfund: Both are very competitive programs, but you don't need to be a CC artist to receive a MAP grant. Each funding program is entirely separate and our grant cycles are not related in any way.
mvp2002: I am wondering about a couple of things having to do with the Budget page of the application. 1. How does the committee look at "in-kind" donations? I ask this because so many of the artists I work with don't pay themselves and so that in-kind line item can sometimes be a large portion of the entire budget.
2. What is a reasonable percentage ratio of request amount - to - budget total line?
mapfund: You're not alone among MAP applicants in having a large portion of your budget covered through In-Kind services. The panel understands that, unfortunately, this is how the field is structure. So, I would not worry about it.
Our grant tends to average 20% of total budget. I say, ask for somewhere between 25 and 50, but expect, if you are funded, to receive about 20.
becoming: You also mention at the site that you prefer applicants to apply early in the process. But I see projects that state they began talking a year before.
mapfund: MAP funds projects at any point throughout development and up to the premiere. So it’s entirely possible to apply at any point during the development phase...or just for the premiere production of the work.
becoming : Are MAP funds applications available every year?
mapfund: Yes.
mvp2002: Another question is about the Project Description. One of the groups I am working with is still very much in the kernel stage of their project, but it is scheduled to premier in early spring 2009. They do not use pre-written scripts, instead they enter into the development process / rehearsal room all together with some text fragments, scenes, and their technical equipment. How important is it to be very clear and specific in the project description - as far as narrative, content or design is concerned?
mapfund: It's really important to be clear about the INTENTION of the work, its themes, its reason for being, and why it is urgent now...the artists might also mention where they imagine the process might take them, with the understanding (which our panelists would certainly have) that a work evolves as it is made.
CityThetre: Has MAP ever funded both the conceptual/development stage and the premiere stage?
mapfund : Yes. But it's rare.
Victor: I have a choreography sample that's on a professionally produced commercial DVD that includes a documentary and several dances. Can I submit this DVD as the sample if I indicate which tracks are the excerpts I want you to review?
mapfund: Yes. Just be sure the selected tracks are clearly marked and that they are not themselves promotional in nature.
dpearl: Does the fund only give to new projects or can a project that has premiered, but not toured be funded for touring?
mapfund: MAP only funds new, un-premiered work. MAP does not fund touring.
Victor: Do the excerpts have to run exactly 5 or 10 minutes, or do we have some leeway (i.e., if it truncates the piece in an awkward place)?
mapfund: No, they don't have to be exactly that length. But you are allotted 10 minutes total for each artist, so a much longer sample won't be watched all the way through.
becoming: You speak about innovative work that is necessary now. And when I look at the work examples I see that now factor. But what about work that uses the work of others, alludes, refers, deconstructs?
mapfund: There's a lot of fine new work that references past works. That in and of itself would not make a project ineligible, of course. Innovation might well include deconstruction, as you say.
City: Is this grantmaking calendar pretty standard from year to year? We may not have a project ready to submit this month, but may be able to work with our artistic staff to assemble a project for next year.
mapfund : Yes.
Victor: If I have work samples for a composer and samples for an ensemble that are all on audio CD, will they have to be submitted on separate audio CDs?
mapfund: No. But we do need two copies of the CD that contains the samples.
Victor: If we submit a work-in-progress sample, what is the length limit? Do you want more than one excerpt?
Mapfund: With work-in-progress samples, it's not so important to have more than one excerpt. Though it's fine, if you want to do that. 10-minutes for work in progress. But I always suggest you send the whole work, and indicate a 10-minute excerpt. That way the panel can choose to look at more if they want
becoming: If a lead artist is multidisciplinary should one give work samples from all her work or just what is important to this new project?
Mapfund: You’ll want to send work that is most relevant to the project.
becoming: For the work in progress, would writing, partial script, conceptual ideas be good to submit along with previous work sample?
mapfund : Yes, writing or partial script is fine.
Werther: Does the project have to be completed (i.e. premiered) before 8/31/10 - or would a project be eligible if it is being workshopped during the grant period but the premiere is scheduled after 8/31/10?
mapfund : No, the project does not have to be completed within the grant period. The premiere could occur after the grant period. However, if you were to receive a grant, the funds could only be applied to activities within the grant period.
werther: As regards a piece that would likely premiere after 8/31/10; does a premiere date have to be set (even tentatively) at the time of application, or can the application focus specifically on the development process of the new work?
mapfund: You do not need to have a set premiere date to apply. In the application, there is no option to indicate development only...though you don't have to have a date set. Just pick a month/year that's roughly when you expect to mount, and then let us know in the project description that you're in the development stage.
becoming: Can any of the money be used to improve the performance space? I am sure we are going to have to construct some flats and set pieces. These will probably remain in the space.
mapfund: Yes, funds can be used to create sets/props/etc. for your work, but not for the general upkeep of your performance space.
becoming: Ok. But what about heat and elec. use of the space. In other words - the expense of operating the space during workshop and development of the work as well as expenses of presentation etc.
mapfund: Any cost associated with rehearsal, including the ones you've listed, is fine to include in your project budget.
werther: Does applying for more than one project in any way decrease the chance of any given project from being funded (and is it uncommon for the MAP fund to fund more than one project within a single organization?)
mapfund: You can apply for more than one, as long as there are no overlapping artists. it does not decrease your chances, although obviously you're increasing the pool of applications in general, so you are in a sense competing with yourself. It is very uncommon for an organization to receive more than one grant in a given year. it has happened, but only once that I'm aware of.
mvp2002: If a company is applying as an ensemble, but some of the member artists show up another company's application - what then?
mapfund : They cannot be lead artists on more than one application. An artist can only be listed on one application per year.
rachel : Regarding the project timeline, how much detail should be included? Is a general activity for each month sufficient?
mapfund : General activity for each month is fine.
rachel: If most of the funding requested will be used during the latter stages of the project, should more detail be included there, or is the general overview really what's of interest?
mapfund : Please include information for the entire project and the entire project's budget.
Victor: I know you don't support touring, but if we are planning one or two run-out performances after the premiere of a new work, should we note that (even though we might not have all the details at the time of the application)?
mapfund: Sure, it's fine to note it.
mvp2002: how does MAP define "generative artist"?
mapfund: A generative or lead artist on a project is the choreographer, playwright, director, composer, and/or other artistic maker leading the creation of the new work.
zuchev: I am the lead artist of an opera project. I am writing both the words and the music. Here's the Q: I'm mostly a composer so I want to use music as my work samples. But the words are very important as to the MAP criteria. What to do?
mapfund : If you are both the composer and librettist, then you will definitely need both a music and a writing sample or a music sample that includes some of your writing. or you could send a music sample and a work in progress sample of the opera libretto. but the panelists will want to see some example of your previous writing.
zuchev: OK, one of the music examples includes text that wrote, but it's not an example from the proposed opera.
mapfund: That should be fine. Be sure to note that in the work sample description.
zuchev: Also, just to clarify about dates: the premier can be any time after Sept 1st?
mapfund: Yes, though the fund must be used by August 31, 2010
becoming: If you only want 10 minutes of excerpts from previous work on DVD, how does the written sample of the new work add up? How many pages? And do you want other written / published work or just a list of that on resume or at website?
mapfund: Please send or upload 10 pages of a written sample. Or you can send 5 pages of two different works. But no additional written/published work. You can tell us about other work in your Bio
zuchev: Can I squeak through with a sample that's 11 minutes long?
mapfund: You're welcome to send an 11 minute sample. Panelists/evaluators are only asked to consider the first 10 minutes, but can go on if they like.

Our next and last chat before our deadline will be January 23, 2008.
To read the transcript from the last chat on December 12th here.

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