Opportunities for Women in Music
Grants, Residencies, Performance Outlets, and Professional Development Opportunities for Women in Music and Women in Jazz
The hardest part of applying for a grant or applying for a residency is finding it in the first place. I wanted to supply a resource for women in music and women in jazz to find opportunities that could help them advance their careers.
This page will be updated regularly as new programs and grants are discovered and application deadlines are released.
Do you know of an opportunity for women in music or women in jazz that is not mentioned in this article? Post it in the comments!
1. Dee Dee Bridgewater's The Woodshed Network
Application Deadline: TBA
Application Fee: Free
Who can apply?: All persons who self-identify with womanhood (trans, cis, non-binary)
The Woodshed Network is a two week long residency program that provides professional development opportunities for women in jazz. Their mission is to "shift the culture and environment towards one that equitably embraces, celebrates and supports women who have and continue to contribute so much to this unique art form."
2. Jazz Education Network's Sisters In Jazz Combo
Application Deadline: October 15
Application Fee: $20 app fee and a JEN membership
Who can apply?: Full-time university students identifying as young women or non-binary jazz artists ages 18-29
The Sisters In Jazz Combo is an auditioned group of collegiate women who, when selected, have the opportunity to perform at the annual JEN conference and will be mentored and directed by an established woman musician in the jazz industry. The Sister's in Jazz Combo was created to "support JEN’s overall commitment to represent and cultivate diversity and inclusion in jazz."
3. Chamber Music America Performance Plus Grant
Application Deadline: TBA
Application Fee: Free
Who can apply?: U.S. women-led jazz ensembles
Chamber Music America’s Performance Plus provides grants to U.S. based gender minority and women-led jazz ensembles to engage an experienced jazz artist-educator for six evaluative listening sessions with the goal of enhancing the ensemble’s performance. The listening sessions will culminate in a recording session resulting in a high-quality demo for use by the grantee ensemble.
4. Women in Jazz Organization's Mentee Program
Application Deadline: TBA
Application Fee:
Who Can Apply?: Full-time university students identifying as young women or non-binary jazz.
The Women in Jazz Organization's (WIJO) Mentee Program provides mentorship for up-and-coming collegiate women in jazz. If selected, participants will receive private lessons and guidance from an established woman in the jazz industry and will also have access to the many programs and services that Women in Jazz Organization has to offer. WIJO's mission is, "to help level the playing field in Jazz, so that women and non-binary people have equal opportunity to participate in and contribute to Jazz, leading to an improved and more rich, diverse and successful art form."
5. The Leeway Foundation's Art and Change Grant
Application Deadline: Closed
Application Fee: Free
Who Can Apply?: Women, trans*, and/or gender nonconforming artists and cultural producers living in The Greater Philadelphia Area.
The Art and Change Grant (ACG) provides grants of up to $2,500 to fund art for social change projects which includes disciplines such as visual arts, music, literary arts, media arts, and performing arts. Projects must be supported by or in collaboration with a Change Partner (a person, organization, or business that is a part of the project in some way). For more detailed application guidelines or to see if your project meets the eligibility requirements click here.
Application Deadline: TBA
Application Fee: $20
Who Can Apply?: Female music groups or female fronted bands
Founded in 2012, The Ladybug Festival continues to be the largest celebration of women in music in the country, with a 100% female-fronted lineup, proudly empowering and giving platforms to women in all areas of music event production. The festival takes place in Milford and Wilmington Delaware every summer.
Photo by Moon Loop Photography
