Jazz Road Tours

Jazz artists, take your music to places it’s never been.

Jazz Road Tours offer grants of up to $15,000 to develop tours into communities across the country.

Jazz Road Tours supports small, three- to six-site tours at an array of venue types, often in rural communities and other areas traditionally underserved by the genre.

This artist-centric grant program—designed to support approximately 50 tours each year—is made possible with funds from the Doris Duke Foundation with additional support from the Mellon Foundation.

Award Amount

Grant amounts generally range from $5,000 to $15,000.

Note: Grant funds are taxable. Grantees must comply with all applicable city, state, and federal laws when reporting grant income.

Eligibility

Only individual artists (as an individual, an artist-led nonprofit organization, or an artist-led corporation) may apply to this program. An eligible artist is:

• A professional jazz artist, working solo or working with a composer-led or collective jazz ensemble which consists of 2-10 musicians;
• Age 18 or over and not currently a full-time student;
• Based in the U.S. or its territories, and is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (non-residents may participate in a tour, but not be paid with Jazz Road Tours funds)

Important Dates & Deadlines

For Tours Taking Place:
October 1, 2023 – April 1, 2024

• Applications open: May 1, 2023
  Deadline: June 15, 2023
  Applicants Notified: August 15, 2023

For Tours Taking Place:
January 1, 2024 – June 30, 2024

• Applications open: July 17, 2023
  Deadline: September 1, 2023
  Applicants Notified: November 15, 2023

For Tours Taking Place:
April 1, 2024 – October 1, 2024

• Applications open: October 17, 2023
  Deadline: December 1, 2023
  Applicants Notified: February 15, 2024

For Tours Taking Place:
July 1, 2024 – January 1, 2025

• Applications open: January 17, 2024
  Deadline: March 1, 2024
  Applicants Notified: May 15, 2024

For guidelines and to apply, please visit: https://www.southarts.org/artist-grants-fellowships/jazz-road/jazz-road-tours