We at KCMD believe that culture is an important driver of change. We share this conviction with many cultural actors in Ukraine, who have repeatedly proven that cultural initiatives can indeed be a powerful transformative force in society. For more than eight years, we have been a part of these changes in the field of new music. However, no art form exists in a vacuum. Music, theater, dance, and other performing arts are closely intertwined, and each discipline has the potential to enrich, expand, and deepen the others.

KCMD aims to develop an ecosystem of Ukrainian culture where interdisciplinarity flourishes, new approaches are encouraged and cultural heritage is constantly reactualized. That is why, with the support of the Performing Arts Fund NL and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands, we have created a program that promotes the development of the entire performing arts sector in Ukraine, strengthening each discipline and the synergy between them.

The program provides grants for implementing projects and professional development of actors and collectives in the performing arts in Ukraine.

The following types of activities may be financed within the framework of the program:

• Project implementation and accompanying expenses, namely: organization of a stage production, concert, mini-festival, play, performance, educational event, etc.

• Creation of new musical, theatrical, dance, performance work, new educational and curatorial programs, exhibitions, choreographic productions, conducting research, etc.

• Professional needs, namely: purchase of materials, technical equipment; rental of rehearsal spaces, studios; payment of labor, for example, for creating or updating a personal or a company website, commissioning music for an event, work of stage or costume designers; purchase of props necessary for implementing the project, etc.

You can apply for one of two types of support:

• Small projects: the amount of support is fixed and amounts to 1,000 EUR* in the Ukrainian hryvnia equivalent**:

Support for individuals continuing their existing, long-term practices (e.g. years-long research, creating a complex musical piece, writing a play, etc.) or creating new works. The applicant must state what project stage will be funded by the Per Forma grant program. These individual projects may not have immediate public outcomes.

• Large projects: the amount of support is flexible — from 1,000 to 7,000 EUR* in the Ukrainian hryvnia equivalent** (the exact amount is determined based on the estimate submitted by the applicant):

New projects with a clear public presentation as the final goal (e.g. a concert with commissioned works, staging a theater play, etc).

* — Amounts are inclusive of taxes.

** — According to the exchange rate on the day the grant funds are credited to the account of the grant recipient.

The total prize fund of the program is 300,000 EUR.

Ukrainian actors and collectives working in the following fields:

• music;

• dance;

• theater, including improv and puppet theater;

• spoken word;

• performance art;

• circus art;

• pantomime;

• stand-up comedy;

• other performing arts.

You can apply individually to support your personal project or submit a group application to implement a collective project. Contracts will be signed with natural persons, private, state organizations, or NGOs, depending on the needs and capabilities of the applicants.

Please note that the applicant’s legal status will affect the amount of taxation of the grant payment under Ukrainian legislation. In the application form, you will find a tax calculation template helping you better understand how much of the grant you can expect to receive after taxes according to your legal status.

Projects must be implemented in Ukraine.

Program winners must implement projects between July and November 2024 and file their reports on time. Narrative and financial reports from grantees are due no later than three weeks after the end of the project, but all must be submitted by 1 December 2024.

All funds from the received grant must be used for the planned activities specified in the application. Applicants can additionally finance their projects from other sources and scale the projects accordingly.

To apply for the Per Forma program, please fill in an online application and submit all necessary documents by 19 May 2024, 23:59 Kyiv time.

We advise you to do this as soon as possible, as there is a processing limit of 2,000 applications. As soon as this number is reached, we will stop accepting applications and will announce it on this page and our social media.

The selection results will be announced in July 2024. All applicants will be informed about the selection results by e-mail. Contact address for questions and suggestions: performa@kcmd.eu.

Applicants must meet the following formal criteria:

• age of majority (18 y.o. or older);

• citizenship/residency of Ukraine or documented experience of active professional activity in Ukraine during recent years;

• intention to implement the project on the territory of Ukraine declared in the application form;

• availability of all documents required in the application form.

Applications will be evaluated according to the following qualitative criteria:

• previous experience in implementing projects in the sector;

• project concept (integrity, level of detail, relevance);

• budget (feasibility, comprehensiveness — all key expenditure items are covered);

• plan (feasibility, comprehensiveness, level of detail);

• vision of the short-term and long-term impacts on the applicant’s career and the cultural sector (the applicant’s vision of where they are going professionally and how the proposed project affects them personally and their professional community);

• innovative approaches.