Funding & Resources from the Performing Arts Readiness Project

Helping Performing Arts Organizations Prepare for the Unexpected

The Performing Arts Readiness (PAR) project, which seeks to improve emergency preparedness among performing arts organizations, has a number of valuable resources available — and we want to make sure our members are aware of them.

Their free webinar series covers topics such as crisis communications, dealing with hostile activity at your venue, and training on using the dPlan|ArtsReady Tool — an online tool designed specifically for arts and cultural organizations to help them develop a readiness plan: what your organization will do should the unexpected occur. Check out their website for a full list of upcoming and recorded sessions.

PAR also offers Institutional Emergency Preparedness Grants of up to $7,500 to support the development of of institutional emergency preparedness or continuity of operations plans, plus Network Grants of up to $25,000 to develop and expand emergency networks. You can learn more about these grants here.

The PAR project was formed in the recognition that performing arts organizations are especially vulnerable to disasters and emergencies which can halt performances, sometimes indefinitely, and can put an organization out of business overnight. The national PAR team works to raise awareness, increase resources, and provide training that addresses the unique needs of the performing arts industry, development of basic tools to assist with planning and advocacy, and provision of grant opportunities to support network development and institutional preparedness.