The Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) and Civis Foundation have partnered to launch The Democracy Cycle, a commissioning programme designed to support new works that illuminate the promise, practice, imperfection, and opportunity of democracy.
Over a five-year period, The Democracy Cycle will commission and develop 25 new performing arts works across the fields of theatre, dance, music, opera, and multi-disciplinary performance. The commissioned works, to be selected over the course of three annual Rounds of Open Calls (2024, 2025, and 2026) will explore themes relating to the nature, practice, and experience of democracy.
Eligible applicants must:
- Be generative artists who are currently creating new work in theatre, dance, music, opera, or multi-disciplinary performance,
- Have created, completed, and premiered at least 2 full-length prior works of live performance publicly,
- Propose a new live performance work which may be at any stage of development, but may not be planned to premiere before 1 May 2027,
- Propose a new live performance work which is planned to be completed in 2027 or 2028, and
- Be prepared to manage the income-tax implications of accepting a commission from a U.S.-based arts organisation (U.S. citizenship is not a requirement, this is a national and international open call).
Each selected artist will receive 60,000 USD in support, consisting of a commission of 30,000 USD to create the new work as well as an additional 30,000 USD in support of the work’s development process (research, readings, workshops etc.).
