The Cedar Cultural Center, a nonprofit performing arts organization and all-ages music venue located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is looking for the next round of artists to take part in the 2023-24 Cedar Commissions!
If this application process presents barriers to you based on language, location, or disability, The Cedar will accommodate special application requests to the best of our ability.
The Cedar Commissions is aprogram that commissions six early career/emerging Minnesotan composers and musicians each year to create and perform new music. To date, The Cedar has commissioned over 60 artists of diverse styles and backgrounds. The Cedar Commissions is made possible by a grant from the Jerome Foundation.
What do Cedar Commissions Artists do?
Cedar Commissions artists must create 30+ minutes of new music for The Cedar’s stage between August 2023 when recipients are announced and February 2024. We define new music as music that has not been previously written, composed, recorded, or performed. Artists debut their new work at a live public concert at The Cedar in February 2024. Artists are required to attend six cohort meetings, held roughly each month at The Cedar from September to January. Finally, artists must attend a wrap-up meeting in March 2024 and complete an evaluation.
In the event that social gathering restrictions are in place during the grant period, we will work with artists to make adaptations to the meeting formats, collaboration methods, and performance platform as needed.
What do Cedar Commissions Artists receive?
Cedar Commissions artists are each paid $5,000 in September 2023. They also have access to an additional $500 production stipend to be used for additional tech and performance expenses. Whatever remains of the $500 stipend is paid out to artists after their final performance in February. Additionally, artists receive artistic mentorship, administrative and marketing support from Cedar staff, a full tech rehearsal, high-quality professional photos, an unmixed multitrack recording, and video documentation of their final performances.
Who is eligible for a Cedar Commission?
Applicants from ALL musical genres and styles are eligible
The Cedar is committed to supporting a diverse cohort of artists that reflects its stewardship of global music, relationships, and community. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) and LGBTQ+ artists are encouraged to apply.
You must be an early career / emerging artist to be eligible
Jerome defines “emerging artists” as artists who have a focused direction and goals, even while still developing their artistic “voice;” have yet to be substantially celebrated within their field, the media, funding circles or the public at large; and are vocational (as opposed to avocational, academic, amateur or educational) artists.Read more on this definition at jeromefdn.org/defining-early-career-emerging-artists.
You must apply as a lead artist, not as a group, to be eligible.
The Cedar Commissions is intended for individual artist leads, not groups or bands. You are certainly encouraged to work collaboratively with other musicians as part of your project, but your application needs to have one name on it with one artist’s project vision in mind.
Only one application per lead artist is allowed.
Collaborators (musicians or bandmates) can be listed as part of more than one project.
Applicants must live in the state of Minnesota to be eligible.
Who is ineligible for a Cedar Commission?
Applicants living outside the state of Minnesota, and full-time, degree-seeking students are not eligible for The Cedar Commissions. Previous Cedar Commission recipients are ineligible for two years following their commission year.
How do I apply for The Cedar Commissions?
Submit the following by Thursday, June 29th, 2023 at 11:59 PM CDT via our Google Form (you must have [or create] a google email to submit).
1) Up to two pages or up to three minutes of video describing your project
Please answer the following questions:
What is your project idea?
Please clearly outline your idea for The Cedar Commissions. The strongest project ideas have a clear focus, are rooted in your previous artistic work, but clearly “push” or “stretch” you as an artist.
Explain how receiving a Commission will help you explore innovative new territory, ideas, or collaborations that wouldn’t be possible without this support.
Explain why this work is artistically relevant, both personally and in a larger community, cultural, or societal context. Why you? Why this project? Why now? And why does it fit at The Cedar?
Note: Your project idea must primarily focus on the creation, writing, or composition of new music (which includes experimental and improvisational music), not on the recording, audio production, or purchase of equipment. These activities may be included in your budget, but should NOT be the primary focus of your project or budget. This grant is not meant to be primarily focused on skill development.
How feasible is your project?
Please include a rough timeline for completing your project, and explain how you plan to budget the Commission funds in order to successfully complete your project idea. Make sure to set aside an appropriate portion of the budget as payment for your time as well as your collaborators’.
Note: All works will be performed along with 1-2 others’ projects in an evening-length performance. New work must be no more than 45 minutes in length and stageable within The Cedar’s space.
How will this project further your career as an emerging artist?
Explain how receiving a Commission will support the next step of your career as an emerging artist.
Explain how your samples support your proposal or demonstrate your ability to carry out your project.
Please provide a clearly defined vision of your final performance.
Video submissions must be hosted on any 3rd party site (YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.). Please attach a transcript or rough outline of your video submission, as well.
2) One page or up to a minute and a half video describing your artistry
Please include the following information:
We want to know about your background as an artist. Please let us know about your previous performance experience, composition experience, and your most relevant artistic and musical experience (this may include any private lessons, formal education, mentorship or apprenticeships, self-teaching, performing with bands, etc.)
Feel free to format this info in the form of a resume, submit a page of written narrative, or share a video hosted on any 3rd party site (YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) with an accompanying transcript or outline.
3) Two audio or video work samples totaling no more than 5 minutes in length
Strong work samples should represent your musicality and capability as an artist. Samples do not need to be a prototype of your project proposal – note the music created for the commission must be brand new and should not have been released in any official recorded capacity or performed publicly. Please briefly identify your role in the work samples (for example: “I wrote ‘Track 1,’ produced it, and played piano and vocals”).
Samples must be hosted on a 3rd party site (YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
The total length of the 2 work samples combined must be 5 minutes or less. If your work sample is one part of a longer piece, please note start and end times of the sample in the body of your submission email.
4) One short blurb summarizing your project no more than 350 characters in length
Blurbs should communicate the core of your project, so that someone new to your work would have a roadmap of highlights. These will be used for organizing applicant projects, but they will not be reviewed with the rubric.
How are Cedar Commissions Artists chosen?
Artists are selected through a review process. A review panel made up of local musicians, former Cedar Commissions artists, community members, former Cedar Artist Collective members, and Cedar staff looks at every application and reviews them based on four criteria:
Project Idea
Do we have a clear understanding of what this project is, and what the artist is trying to do?
Is this idea strongly supported by the artist’s past work?
Is this idea exploring innovative new territory, ideas, or collaborations that wouldn’t be possible without receiving a Cedar Commission?
Do we have a clear understanding of why this work is artistically relevant at this moment in time, both personally and in a larger community, cultural, or societal context?
Does this project idea primarily focus on the creation, writing, or composition of new music (not audio production, recording, purchasing new equipment, skill development, etc.)?
Feasibility
Do we feel that the artist has outlined a realistic timeline and budget to complete this idea?
Will the new work be 30-45 minutes in length and stageable within The Cedar’s space?
Emerging Artist
Does the artist demonstrate how they are an emerging/early career artist based on this definition?
Does the artist demonstrate how this project will support the next step of their career?
Do we think this project will push or stretch the artist?
Does the artist provide a compelling vision of their final performance and articulate the impact they hope it will have on audiences?
Work Samples
Do the work samples give us a strong idea of the artist’s musicality and capabilities?
Do the work samples support the rest of the artists’ application?
When will the 2023-24 Cedar Commissions Artists be announced?
Applicants who receive a commission will be notified no later than Tuesday, August 8th, 2023.
Public announcement of Commissions artists will take place on Monday, August 14th, 2023.
Looking for support with your application?
Check out our recorded Application Workshop from May 23, 2023!
This session will walk you through the Cedar Commissions application, and give you an opportunity to hear questions attendees asked about the application process.
If this application process presents barriers to you based on language, location, or disability,
The Cedar will accommodate special application requests to the best of our ability.)
Internet Explorer Detected
We see that you're using Internet Explorer. Unfortunately, our site isn't going to look very good in IE. Click Get Chrome to check out Google Chrome and get a better internet experience.