Creative Unrestricted
Creative Unrestricted supports Manhattan artists, collectives, and small arts nonprofits with unrestricted performing arts funding to sustain artistic practices and strengthen organizational capacity.
Funder: Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
Due Dates: November 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. EST (Application) | January 4, 2027 (Requested edits)
Funding Amounts: $20,000 per recipient over two years, paid in two $10,000 installments; 36 awards
Summary: Unrestricted performing arts support helps Manhattan artists, collectives, and small arts nonprofits sustain their practices and organizational capacity.
Key Information: Applicants may submit only one proposal across Manhattan Arts Grants for project funding or general operating support.
Description
Creative Unrestricted is administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) through its Manhattan Arts Grants. It supports Manhattan-based individual artists, artist collectives, and small- to mid-sized nonprofit arts organizations working in dance, music, theater, and multidisciplinary performance. The program welcomes all cultural traditions and creative practices within these performing arts disciplines.
Funding is intended for applicants with sustained bodies of work who fall between early-stage project grants and the relatively limited large-scale institutional funding opportunities in the performing arts. Rather than supporting only one project, awards strengthen the conditions needed for high-quality artistic work, including organizational capacity, administrative infrastructure, and the long-term sustainability of an artistic practice. Funding is provided in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation and an anonymous foundation.
