Non-state theaters; application for funding

Under certain conditions, the Free State of Bavaria grants subsidies for the institutional support of professional and nationally significant theaters and other institutions in the field of performing arts.

The Free State of Bavaria grants subsidies for the institutional support of professional and nationally significant theaters and other institutions in the field of performing arts with their headquarters and performance area in Bavaria, which perform dramatic, musical or choreographic stage works predominantly with artists employed by them.

As part of the promotion of non-state theaters and other institutions in the field of performing arts, grants are awarded to professional, independently operated theaters and theater groups for ongoing operating costs, insofar as these cannot be covered by their own income or further grants from third parties.

Funding is not available: Investments, individual theater productions, cabaret, circus, amateur theaters and groups, institutions that are mainly performed by third parties, institutions based and operating in Munich and institutions whose main purpose is not theatrical.

Facilities can generally be accepted for funding under the following conditions:

• independent professional operation,
• at least 100 self-produced theater performances and at least four new productions per year with year-round operation; in the case of private sponsorship, 100 self-produced theater performances and two new productions per year are sufficient; in the case of children's and youth theaters that also offer educational theater events, 100 self-produced performances and one new production per year are sufficient;
• at least 30 self-produced theater performances and at least two new productions per year at theater festivals,
• own professional ensemble (i.e. that in addition to the permanent permanent staff, artistic members are predominantly employed on the basis of at least production-related play contracts with corresponding social security obligations; the size of the permanent ensemble should be taken into account when calculating the grant),
• special, supra-regional significance,
• at least five years of successful operation,
• appropriate municipal support for theater operations.

The sponsors of non-state theaters with their own permanent venue must submit a written grant application to the State Ministry of Science and the Arts by April 1 of the current financial year at the latest, together with all the documents required for the assessment (application forms, business plan or budget, information on the performance schedule, etc.).

Sponsors of other institutions in the field of the performing arts shall submit a written application for a grant to the district government responsible for their place of residence or performance by January 20 of the current financial year at the latest, together with all the documents required for the assessment (application forms, business plan or budget, details of the performance schedule, etc.).

The governments examine the applications and submit a funding proposal to the State Ministry of Science and the Arts by April 1 of the current financial year.

The State Ministry of Science and the Arts decides on the distribution of the expenditure funds for funding to the individual institutions or district governments.

The approval authority for non-state theaters and festivals within the meaning of the funding program is the State Ministry of Science and the Arts; the approval authorities for other institutions in the field of performing arts are the district governments.

• Application deadline for non-state theaters and theater festivals: April 1 of the current financial year at the State Ministry of Science and the Arts
• Application deadline for other institutions in the field of performing arts: January 20 of the current financial year at the locally responsible district government

up to five months from the general application or submission date to the State Ministry of Science and the Arts

• the budget or business plan or the budget for expenditure and financing for the current financial year
• Game plan details

  (explained playbill, season booklet, programs, etc.; in particular, information on new productions; if applying for the first time, also for previous years)

• List of permanent artistic and other staff, with details of the employment relationship and model contracts attached

  (explained establishment plan, model contracts)

• if applying for the first time: information on supra-regional importance

  (visitor numbers, catchment area, press review)