Opportunities

There are 10 total members on the Arts Complex Creates selection committee.  

The selection committee will be split in half, providing each funding opportunity (New Works Incubator & Producing Partners) with five evaluators.

New Works Incubator Criteria:

• A thorough and clear program description with links to samples of past work products (videos, recordings and photographs)
• Knowledge of and connection to the intended audience
• Strength of collaborations & partnerships
• Program is aligned with one or more of the Denver Creates commitments
• Project clearly describes a benefit to the residents of the City and County of Denver
• Project challenges performance norms, pushes creative boundaries and adds a unique voice to the genre
• Project encourages participation, innovation and collaboration
• Opportunities for community engagement are clearly articulated
• Project does not overlap with the offerings already presented at the Arts Complex by our Resident Partners.  The project provides something different and distinct for Arts Complex audiences.
• Project represents and engages diverse communities
• Clear statement of how this funding and residency will impact/be important to your body of work.
• Applicant provides proof of 3-4 years of previous experience developing new and original works.
• A clear & detailed budget is provided
• A comprehensive marketing plan is provided

Producing Partner Criteria:

• A thorough and clear program description with links to samples of past work products (videos, recordings and photographs)
• Clear goals for production at the Arts Complex
• Knowledge of and connection to the intended audience
• Strength of collaborations & partnerships
• Program is aligned with one or more of the Denver Creates commitments
• Project clearly describes a benefit to the residents of the City and County of Denver
• Project does not overlap with the offerings already presented at the Arts Complex by our Resident Partners.  The project provides something different and distinct for Arts Complex audiences.
• Project represents and engages diverse communities
• Applicant provides proof of 3-4 years of previous experience producing artistically excellent events
• A clear & detailed budget is provided
• A comprehensive marketing plan is provided

Waived Expenses:

• Venue rental fees
  • Month of residency for a New Works Incubator in the Champa Rehearsal Studio (valued at $3,000)  
  • Performance spaces (valued at $1,600 - $5,000/day, depending on the space)
• Sound, lights & power (valued at $3,300/day)
• Items in venue inventory (based on availability, list upon request)
• Basic marketing support (list available upon request) 

To Be Included in a Budget:

• Production/artist staff stipends (project-specific staffing, not associated with the venue)
• Production-related expenses. Such as costumes, scenery, props, additional lighting and sound rentals.
• Additional marketing
• Travel & housing (if performers/collaborators are not local)
• DAV staffing (ushers, security, stagehands, box office)
  • Please provide your own best guess.  Actual staffing will be determined in partnership with awarded programs and will be based on venue & show specific needs.
  • These are the expenses that will be paid out of the venue credit half of your award funds.

• Stagehand Labor Rates and Work Rules 
• Front-of-House Labor Rates for the Arts Complex

Projects may utilize Sculpture Park, The Galleria, Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, Boettcher Concert Hall, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Studio Loft and Chambers Grant Salon.  

Learn more about each space here.

Ancillary spaces on the above list may be considered if they make sense for the project (such as an art installation as an immersive experience in a hallway or a musical performance in a loading dock). We encourage you to be creative in how you envision your project in our spaces.

Denver’s Facilities Development Admission (FDA) tax is not paid by productions, but by the audiences who attend them.  This tax is added to each ticket sale and paid for by the ticket purchaser.  More information about the FDA tax can be found here.

The Arts Complex staffs a bar with beverages & concession items for every ticketed event in our venues. The Arts Complex holds a liquor license for almost all its indoor & outdoor spaces. Alcohol must be sold & served by our Sodexo bar staff. Alcohol revenue remains with the Arts Complex.

In Sculpture Park only, a special event liquor permit may be obtained for your event. More information about Special event liquor permits can be found here. Alternatively, you can extend the Arts Complex liquor license to Sculpture Park for your event.

Sodexo holds an exclusive contract at the Arts Complex for food & beverage (F&B) sales. They have an extensive menu to choose from when curating your F&B experience, and they are happy to work with you to personalize it for your audiences. If you would like to bring in a specific cuisine not offered through the Sodexo menu, we offer buyout options.

You may apply for both, but you will be selected for only one Arts & Venues funding opportunity per project and per calendar year.

If you have already received funding for a particular project through another Arts & Venues funding opportunity (i.e., Denver Creates Fund), that project will not be eligible for additional Arts Complex Creates funding in the same calendar year.

Different projects may receive support through different funding opportunities, and one organization may receive Arts & Venues funding for more than one project. Arts & Venues will not fund the same project through more than one funding opportunity. Please apply for the funding opportunity that best aligns with your project.

Your schedule will be determined based on venue availability and through collaborative conversations with Arts Complex staff. 

No. Once your dates are confirmed/contracted, those spaces and times are yours.

It does not. In fact, we encourage projects that challenge traditional performance norms and push creative boundaries. Please take advantage of these opportunities, especially the New Works Incubator, to experiment with new ideas and forms.

No. We cannot, however, offer free space outside of the Arts Complex. We do require that most of your community engagement opportunities (New Works Incubator) take place at the Arts Complex. All ticketed performances tied to the funded project must take place at the Arts Complex.

Please contact Peter.Dearth@denvergov.org to arrange a site visit. These will be scheduled based on venue availability.

For the New Works Incubator, we would like for you to define and engage with whichever audience makes the most sense to achieve your project’s goals.

For the New Works Incubator, please propose at least two or three community engagement opportunities for your project.

For the New Works Incubator, your project does not need to be completed in one month. You will be provided with one month of on-site residency to experiment, develop and rehearse your new project. You may, however, start your project off-site earlier. Following your month of residency, you are provided with additional time for a final presentation or limited performance run.

For the New Works Incubator: DAV defines local as a group or individual doing work primarily in the Denver metro area (especially those operating in one of the seven Scientific and Cultural Facilities District counties: Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Denver, Arapahoe, Jefferson and Douglas.

For Producing Partners: To qualify for this funding opportunity, an applicant must demonstrate that they present a majority of their work in Colorado. Guest artists may be invited to the program.

Example: a Colorado-based dance company might invite Argentinian dancers to collaborate on a tango performance.

You and your guests do not need to stay in Denver during your project.

Two or three projects will be chosen for this funding opportunity.

Three to five projects will be chosen for this funding opportunity.