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Thursday, March 19, 2026

The Ely Fund Neighborhood Performing Arts Series

The Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism in collaboration with the Providence Parks Department and the Partnership for Providence Parks support events that celebrate the art and cultural heritage of Providence’s diverse neighborhoods.

THE 2026 APPLICATION IS NOW LIVE

TIMELINE

  • Feb 23: Application opens
  • Tue March 3 5:30pm: Community Infosession at the Gateway  Center
  • Wed March 4: Community Infosession 12pm Online WATCH THE RECORDING HERE
  • March 23: Applications Close
  • Week of April 13: Panel deliberation
  • By April 24: Award notifications out
  • May TBD: In-person Ely Artist Social at the Gateway Center
  • Between July 1-Sept 30: Ely events across Parks!

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Over the past 20 years, the Ely Fund Neighborhood Performing Arts Series has lived into the dream of Providence’s first Parks Commissioner, Edward Francis Ely by enlivening our parks as sites of congregation, play, and community life through grants for artists, organizers, and neighborhood groups to produce outdoor, free summer performances in city-run Providence Parks.

Grant Description and Guidelines

Events must be between July 1 and Sept 30. All organizations that receive funding must submit a Final Report to the Department of Art, Culture and Tourism within 30 days of the close of their project or before November 30th, whichever comes first. To access the final report form, click here.

Guidelines

  • Must be in a less-used Neighborhood City-Run Park (not just a park in Providence). Check out a list of our 120 Parks here Because the goal of the Ely Fund is to enliven our neighborhoods, the Ely series cannot be used to perform in Roger Williams, WaterPlace, Dexter Training Ground or the Rink.
  • Must be ADA Accessible
  • Must be free-of-charge for attendees

Our goal with the Ely Fund is to grant as much of the endowment directly to artists and organizers while supporting nimble, lightweight and responsive performances. Therefore, Ely Performances:

  • Cannot use power from Parks
  • Cannot request production support from ACT
  • Can bring their own self-contained power and production
  • Don’t need trash removal from Parks — and so the events should attract less than 100 people
  • Can happen any day of the week at any time (given the park’s availability)
  • Once accepted, must work with ACT and Parks staff to complete a park permit
  • Will have their park fees waived and not need to provide COI
  • Must support their event with an engagement plan
  • Should be a series (but does not have to be)
Promotion
  • The Parks Department will promote all Ely events, but the best advertising will come from artist promotions to their networks. Funding recipients MUST credit the City of Providence, the Mayor, the Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, the Partnership for Providence Parks and the Providence Parks Department
  • Schedule of events need to be finalized and communicated to ACT team by May 29th
Please Note the Following:
  • For purposes of this application the performing arts are defined as: Theater, Music, Dance, Spoken Word, and Film.
  • Please review the Final Report (at the end of the Application) to be aware of information that will be necessary to track throughout your project.

REVIEW PROCESS 

  • Applications are checked by ACT staff for accuracy and completeness and then prepared for review by an advisory panel.
  • Applications are sent to panelists and are read and reviewed.
  • The review panel comprised of ACT, Parks, and P3 staff members meets. The panel curates the season by selecting events that will result in the most diverse offerings, considering things like: the number of series vs one-offs, music vs storytelling, intended audiences, and budget request. The panel meets for 2+ hours and discusses each application, with the goal of selecting as many events as possible.
  • Funding recommendations go to the Board of Parks for their review and approval.
  • Notification of grant awards will be made within one month of the application deadline.
  • All awardees will be required to attend a 1:1 meeting with the Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism’s Special Projects Manager, Charlotte Abotsi, Gateway Visitor Center Manager Victor Lopes, and Seasonal Projects Supervisor Rachel Colaice.