THE SEATTLE SYMPHONY OPENS APPLICATIONS FOR THE FOURTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY STAGES FUND (CSF)

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN NOW THROUGH JUNE 3, 2024

Seattle, WA — Marking its fourth year, the Seattle Symphony’s Community Stages Fund (CSF) is accepting applications now through June 3, 2024, welcoming organizations, groups and artists within the Puget Sound region to apply for use of Benaroya Hall’s stages. Up to four organizations will be chosen to participate, with performances scheduled throughout the upcoming 2024/2025 season.

The overarching goal of the CSF initiative is to invest in greater support for underrepresented artists and give back to those who have helped shape and grow the region’s unique musical and cultural landscape. The CSF gives grantees fully sponsored or highly subsidized use of the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center and/or the Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby, along with in-house digital streaming equipment, marketing and production crew support.

This fund is part of the Seattle Symphony’s investment in greater prominence for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab or Native American), LGBTQ+ and female artists and their works on the Benaroya Hall stages and the Seattle Symphony+ digital platform, as it aligns with the Symphony’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) work. The Seattle Symphony continues to prioritize grantee selections based on each organization’s demonstrated level of need as well as service to racially diverse communities. Selected grantees for the previous year are not eligible to be selected for this current year.

In 2024, four Community Stages Fund grants were awarded to local artists and groups. The recipients include the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Degenerate Art Ensemble with Shin Yu Pai, The Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra and Speak With Purpose.

Applications for the 2024/2025 Community Stages Fund grants are now open and interested organizations can find all application information and submission details online. All applicants will be notified of their status and any next steps by June 28, 2024. For any questions about the application process, please contact community.stages@seattlesymphony.org.

COMMUNITY STAGES FUND

The Community Stages Fund (CSF) is an initiative focused on serving organizations, groups and artists within our region that do not have access to spaces to produce and present their art and connect with their community. The CSF welcomes nonprofit organizations, groups and artists to the Benaroya Hall stages for fully sponsored or highly subsidized use of the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby and Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center along with in-house digital streaming equipment and production crew. This program aims to amplify the voices of the Puget Sound area and give back to the community members who have helped shape and grow our region’s unique musical and cultural landscape.

SEATTLE SYMPHONY

The Seattle Symphony unleashes the power of music, brings people together and lifts the human spirit. Recognized as one of the “most vital American orchestras” (NPR), the Seattle Symphony is internationally acclaimed for its inventive programming, community-minded initiatives and superb recordings on the Seattle Symphony Media label. With a strong commitment to new music and a legacy of over 150 recordings, the orchestra has won five Grammy Awards, 27 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and was named Gramophone’s 2018 Orchestra of the Year. The Symphony performs in Benaroya Hall in the heart of downtown Seattle from September through July, reaching over 750,000 people annually through live performances and radio broadcasts, and through the Seattle Symphony+ streaming service, the orchestra’s concerts reach audiences at home and around the world.

BENAROYA HALL

Benaroya Hall, the home of the Seattle Symphony, is located in downtown Seattle and surrounded by numerous restaurants, retail stores and parking facilities. Opened in 1998, Benaroya Hall is the most-visited performing arts venue in Seattle. It has received numerous awards, including a 2001 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Honor Award for outstanding architecture. Benaroya Hall has three versatile performance venues, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall and Octave 9: Raisbeck Music Center, all renowned for their pristine acoustics, luxurious design and prime location. For additional information, including rental information, event listings and public tour schedules, please visit benaroyahall.org.

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The Seattle Symphony’s Community Stages Fund is generously supported by the Tagney Jones Family Fund at Seattle Foundation.

The Seattle Symphony’s Family, School & Community programs are supported by 4Culture, the Arakawa Foundation, Marco Argenti, ArtsFund, Delta Air Lines, the Merriman-Ross Family, the National Endowment for the Arts, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.