Native Performing Arts Program

First Peoples Fund’s Native Performing Arts Program is designed to support Native performing artists—emerging and established—in developing and enhancing their artistic skills and knowledge. The program strives to provide Native performing artists more equitable access to the resources they need to enhance their creations and careers. This includes funding, mentoring, financial capability, and business development training aligned with their cultural values.

Our focus on this work originates from and is informed by our past work with Native performing artists and key findings from our 2022 Brightening the Spotlight report:

• Current funding and presenting opportunities do not meet the needs of many Native creators.
• Native creators want and deserve to work with partners who treat them as professionals and who trust in their creative decision-making.
• Over half of the interviewees recommend that more Natives and culturally knowledgeable non-Natives be involved in funding decisions.
• Native creators do more than perform. Native creators play a wide range of roles in their communities, keeping traditions alive, promoting health and economic opportunities and educating non-Native audiences

How We define “Performing Arts”?

Native Performing Arts is a time-based performance or experience that honors, exposes, educates, challenges and celebrates the multifaceted stories of Indigenous peoples. Native Performing Arts centers Indigenous beliefs and values in funding, developing, creating, and presenting performative works. It is a platform for collaboration, discourse, intergenerational engagement, and living resistance, in which Native performing artists from all disciplines of performing arts (theater, music, dance, etc.) can create innovative work for audiences worldwide.