Frank Young Fund for New Musicals

About The Frank Young Fund For New Musicals

Through the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals (formerly known as the National Fund for New Musicals), the National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT) supports collaborations between member theatres and musical theatre writers. Through a competitive submission process, NAMT’s Frank Young Fund provides grants to support new musicals at all stages of development, at theatres of all sizes, with the goal of bringing quality new musicals to audiences across the country.

The goals of the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals are to:

• advance the art form by furthering the development and production of new musicals of great imagination and artistry
• nurture writing teams
• bring together NAMT members to build collaborative relationships with one another and with outside partners
• promote multiple models of new musical development and production
• expand opportunities for writers and other creative artists to work with producers
• encourage new musical theatre work diverse in ethnicity, subject matter and style
• encourage the sharing of expertise, resources and physical productions
• encourage additional productions and the extended life of new musicals

Granting Categories

The Frank Young Fund for New Musicals provides grants to NAMT’s U.S. not-for-profit theatre members in three categories, which together reflect a musical’s trajectory from early development to full production.

• Writers Residency Grant – To support the collaboration between producers and writers at a NAMT member theatre, at any phase of a musical’s development, with preference given to projects at the earliest stages of development that cannot be funded by other Frank Young Fund grants.
• Project Development Grant – To enable producers and writers to develop and refine works which are further along in their trajectory.  The intended outcome is a workshop or reading of the piece, a finished script, or a demo CD.  Awards are up to $5,000 and the recipient must match the grant 2 to 1.
• Production Grant – To support a full production of a new musical with the potential to enrich the repertory.  The intended outcome is a full production at one theatre or multiple productions among many theatres.  Awards range from $5,000-$10,000 and the recipient must match the grant 3 to 1.

Distribution of Awards

For current cycle dates and deadlines, please review each grant page below.  Generally, Writers Residency Grants have two granting windows each year, with applications open in November and May.   Project Development and Production Grant applications open once a year, with an Intent to Apply due in December and an application in January. 

Writers Residency Grants are awarded by NAMT’s New Works Committee twice a year.  Project Development and Production Grant applications are reviewed once a year by a panel selected by NAMT and comprised of NAMT members and other musical theatre professionals. 

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