The Democracy Cycle: Commissioning Programme for Performing Arts Works 2025

The Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) and Civis Foundation (a Galvan Initiatives affiliate) are calling for applications for the second round of the 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. In each open call, The Democracy Cycle will commission at least eight projects.

The proposal must be a new performance project meant to be developed and performed live, and planned to be completed in 2026, 2027, or 2028. Works may be interdisciplinary and can include collaborators in other artistic forms. At the time of application, a work may be in an early, mid, or later stage of development so long as it is not planned to premiere before 1 May 2026.

To be eligible, lead applicants must be generative artists who are currently creating new work in theatre, dance, music, opera, and multi-disciplinary performance and they must have created two or more completed and presented works. Artists may either be U.S. citizens or citizens of other countries.

The Cycle will provide 60,000 USD in support to each awarded project, consisting of a 30,000 USD commission as well as an additional 30,000 USD towards each commissioned project’s development process (research, readings, workshops etc.).