NeON Arts Grants
NeON Arts is a project of the Neighborhood Opportunity Network that offers young people in New York City the chance to explore the arts through workshops in a variety of artistic disciplines, including dance, digital media, music, poetry, theater, and visual arts. NeON Arts seeks artists and arts organizations to lead online workshops for New York City–based participants that help young people develop creative, social, and emotional skills, and build positive peer relationships. All artists and arts organizations receive funding and support from NeON Arts, and are selected by local NeON stakeholder groups. For more information about the NeONs, visit the NYC DOP.
Note: Although workshops in the past have been held onsite at NeON locations, the Spring round will take place entirely online for the safety of all involved.
Contact Us
For more information, email NeON Arts: NeONArts@carnegiehall.org.
Spring Timeline
- Applications Available: February 1, 2021
- Application Deadline: February 26, 2021
- Online Pitch Presentations: Late March 2021
- Online Workshops Duration: May 2021–August 2021
Application Process and Requirements
Grant Eligibility Checklist
- You are available to collaborate with NeON Arts staff and stakeholders to plan, implement, and execute an arts workshop online.
- Your past work in the arts has been conducted in at least one of the five boroughs of New York City.
- You have previous experience working with youth.
- You are able to plan and produce a final event that allows participants to share their work and accomplishments.
Pitch Presentations
You will be notified via email if you are invited to attend a pitch presentation, which will be held online. Pitch presentations allow artists and arts organizations to talk with NeON stakeholders about their application and workshop ideas. Stakeholders will ask questions after each video presentation. Your presentation should last for five to seven minutes and include:- your arts mission
- a workshop proposal
- a description of benefits for young people
- a summary tying everything together
Grants Selection
Artists and arts organizations are selected to receive grants by local NeON stakeholder groups comprising DOP staff members, individuals on probation, key members of the community, and local businesses. There are three grant rounds: Fall/Winter, Spring, and Summer Internship Intensive. For Fall/Winter and Spring, the grant amount awarded will be up to $15,000 per NeON. For the Summer Internship Intensive, the grant amount awarded will be up to $8,000 per NeON. If you are selected to receive a grant for more than one workshop, you will be awarded a separate grant for each workshop for which you are selected. If your grant application is not selected, you will have the opportunity to apply again when future rounds are announced. If you would like to receive feedback on your grant application, please email neonarts@carnegiehall.org.
Additional Information
- You do not have to be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization or have a fiscal sponsor to apply.
- Partnerships can be valuable to the success of NeON Arts projects. While it is not required, applicants are encouraged to explore partnerships with organizations both within and outside of the arts.
NeON Arts is a program of the NYC Department of Probation in partnership with Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute.
Lead support is provided through NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s Innovative Criminal Justice Programs Initiative with sponsorship by Council Members Keith Powers, Vanessa Gibson, and Jimmy Van Bramer.
Major support is provided by The Kresge Foundation.
Additional support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of New York through Council Members Alicka Ampry-Samuel, Vanessa Gibson, Robert Holden, and Deborah Rose, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Young Men's Initiative.