Theatre Discovery Grant Program

The Access/VSA Theatre Discovery Program is administered by the Office of Accessibility and VSA, a Jean Kennedy Smith Arts and Disability Program at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The program is designed to expand equitable access to high-quality arts education for students with disabilities across the United States. Through this initiative, the Kennedy Center contracts with qualified arts, education, and cultural organizations to implement theatre-based educational programming that supports artistic, academic, and social-emotional development. The primary purpose of the Theatre Discovery Program is to provide structured, standards-aligned theatre and drama experiences for students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, including those up to age 22 receiving services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Programs must deliver at least five instructional hours per student and serve a minimum of 75 students with disabilities. Instruction may include activities such as role play, improvisation, storytelling, acting, script writing, production design, and directing. Programs must be grounded in sound pedagogical practices and aligned with national or state arts education standards. Funding is provided through fixed-price contracts of up to 20000 dollars per award. The funding supports direct program delivery costs, including teaching personnel, consumable materials, accessibility accommodations, and travel related to program execution. However, there are strict limitations on allowable costs. Expenses such as food, performances, exhibitions, equipment purchases, space rental, and culminating events are not permitted. Contractors are also required to allocate part of their budget to attend a mandatory professional learning conference. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit organizations with at least three years of experience delivering arts education programs and demonstrated experience working with students with disabilities. Applicants must also include at least one team member with formal special education credentials and demonstrate the capacity to recruit and serve eligible students. For-profit entities, individuals, and non-U.S. organizations are not eligible. Programs must be accessible and inclusive, with the ability to provide accommodations and comply with all relevant laws and regulations. The application process requires submission of a detailed proposal through an online portal. Applicants must provide organizational information, program design, learning objectives, instructional strategies, assessment methods, personnel qualifications, and a detailed budget. Proposals must clearly articulate how the program aligns with Access/VSA core components and how it will achieve measurable outcomes. Evaluation criteria include organizational capacity, program quality, alignment with goals, budget appropriateness, and qualifications of personnel. The submission deadline for proposals is June 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. An optional informational webinar is scheduled for May 14, 2026. Selected applicants will be notified by September 11, 2026. The contract period runs from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, with all programming required to conclude by August 31, 2027 and final reports due by September 8, 2027. The program is part of a recurring annual funding cycle, supporting ongoing national access to arts education for students with disabilities.

Ensure strong alignment with Access VSA core components clearly define measurable outcomes demonstrate experience with students with disabilities and provide a detailed realistic budget