TAR Artist Application
For over 30 years, the Touring Arts Roster has been an ever-expanding, juried Roster of King County’s most talented performing artists. Presenters and event organizers use this Roster to find and hire you and can even apply for a grant to pay you!
These guidelines reflect information for the previous grant cycle and will be updated ahead of applications opening for the next cycle. Please contact 4Culture staff with any questions.
Steps to Apply
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Join the Roster
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Join the Roster
Joining the roster puts you within easy reach of presenting organizations, event organizers, and audiences across King County. Selected performers will be listed on the roster for 2 years and receive an honorarium to create your Roster profile and spread the word. We even offer a grant to nonprofits to hire you. Become part of the county’s celebrated Roster!
Criteria
We select performing artists through a thorough panel process. Panelists with expertise in the performing arts will evaluate your application based on the following criteria:
- Public benefit: you offer accessible and engaging performances for King County residents and visitors to experience and benefit from. The performances make clear efforts to be accessible to many ages, disabilities, languages, and communities.
- Qualifications: your work samples and experience show that you can successfully produce professional, feasible performances for audiences of all ages. Qualifications can be based on skills, recent work experience, formal or informal training, and knowledge.
- Advancing equity (optional): 4Culture’s mission focuses on racial equity and envisions a county where culture is essential and accessible to all. Your performances specifically benefit communities of color and/or historically marginalized communities. Your performances continue a long-term artistic practice or tradition from these communities and demonstrates value in sustaining this work. The project serves or collaborates with members of these communities. This is not a requirement.
Public Benefit: Why It Matters
Visitors who stay in hotels and motels in King County pay sales tax. A small part of that tax generates the funds for our grants—our mission is to reinvest those funds into King County communities. Most importantly, in your application you will be asked to state specifically how fellow residents and visitors will benefit from the work you do.
Equity Investments
To combat inequities in our grantmaking, 4Culture engages in the practice of making Equity Investments. This practice involves looking at several indicators of structural inequity and applying that knowledge to our peer review panel process. These indicators include but are not limited to geographic location of applicants, operating budget, communities engaged with, and audiences served, and project focus. By prioritizing these factors in our grantmaking decisions and panel review process, we anticipate funds will be distributed to communities that have historically been excluded from cultural funding.
Each of our grant programs utilizes an Equity Investment system tailored to the specific needs of its applicants. This organization-wide change—and what we learn about its impact—is an important step towards more equitable funding at 4Culture and throughout the King County cultural sector.
This grant’s Equity Investment is additional points added to the application scores for applicants who meet one or more of the following requirements:
- You are based outside of the City of Seattle.
- You are located in one of Seattle’s Communities of Opportunity.
- OR your application scores highly on the Advancing Equity criteria.
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Are You Eligible?
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Are You Eligible?
You
Apply to join the Roster if you are a performing artist, ensemble, or group/organization with some paid professional experience presenting concerts, performances, readings, workshops, and educational activities.
- You or your group must reside in King County.
- Be available to present 30-90 minute performances or workshops/educational activities appropriate for audiences of all ages.
- Individuals must be at least 18 years old and, if selected, must provide a Social Security Number to receive payment. No fiscal sponsors may be used.
- Groups/Organizations selected to join the Roster must provide an Employer Identification Number, which you can receive for a sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, General Partnership, nonprofit, etc. Your 4Culture group/organization account name must match the name associated with your EIN. We cannot accept EINs under personal names or Social Security Numbers. Fiscally sponsored groups and nonprofits are eligible but not required. Reach out to us if you have any questions.
- The following are not eligible to apply: 4Culture staff, Board, or Arts Advisory Committee members.
Your Performances
This Roster includes performance artists who offer performances and/or workshops or educational activities of all performance art genres, including but not limited to the following.
Genres:
- Children/family
- Circus
- Comedy
- Dance
- Experimental
- Folk & traditional arts
- Music
- Participatory/interactive
- Spoken word
- Theatre
- Visual performance art
See the current Touring Arts Roster for examples of selected performers.
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Helping You Succeed
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Helping You Succeed
Workshops
Please join us to meet staff, learn how to apply, ask questions, and meet other artists and art groups. Take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen your application!
Online workshops will be hosted on Zoom. Please register through the links below.
Video
Watch these step-by-step videos to for tips on how to set up an account and access the application, as well as a detailed walkthrough of the application:
Worksheet
Click to download the 2026 worksheet:
This worksheet includes the full application with helpful tips. Use this to work offline, draft your responses, and then copy-and-paste them into the online application.
See the current Touring Arts Roster for examples of selected performers.
Personal Feedback
We are happy to offer feedback on a draft of your application! Feedback takes about 1 week. Please contact the Program Manager by Wednesday, August 26.
Contact
Scott Oshima, , (206) 477-8064
Translation and Assistance
The guidelines, a detailed explanation of how to apply, and the application are in English. If this is a barrier that stops you from understanding the grant or applying due to limited English writing ability, visual impairment, or you would like to request assistance to create an application, please contact or call (206) 296-7580 or TTY 711, and we will make sure you get the support you need.
Русский (Russian)
Правила предоставления гранта, подробная инструкция по подаче заявки, а также сама заявка на грант составлены на английском языке. Если вы не можете подать заявку из-за недостаточного владения письменной английской речью или нарушений зрения, либо нуждаетесь в помощи для составления заявки, напишите по адресу или позвоните по телефону (206) 296-7580, либо TTY 711. Мы предоставим вам необходимую поддержку.
Soomaali (Somali)
Tilmaamaha deeqda, sharraxaada faahfaahsan ee ku saabsan sida loo codsado, iyo codsiga deeqda waxay dhammaan ku qoran yihiin Af-Ingiriisi. Haddii arrintaan ay tahay caqabad kaa hor istaageyso codsashada oo ay sabab u tahay awoodda qorista Af-Ingiriisiga oo xadidan, naafanimo aragga ah, ama aad jeclaan lahayd inaad codsato in lagaa caawiyo in aad codsi sameyso, fadlan la xiriir ama wac (206) 296-7580 ama TTY 711, waxaana xaqiijin doonnaa inaad hesho taageerada aad u baahan tahay.
Español (Spanish)
Si esto supone un impedimento para presentar la solicitud debido a una capacidad limitada para escribir en inglés, una discapacidad visual o necesita ayuda para crear una solicitud, póngase en contacto con o llame al (206) 296-7580 o TTY 711, y nos aseguraremos de que reciba la ayuda que necesita.
Puede encontrar una versión en español de las directrices aquí.
Puede encontrar una versión en español de la hoja de trabajo preparatoria o solicitud aquí.
Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Các hướng dẫn về khoản tài trợ, giải thích chi tiết về cách nộp đơn và đơn đăng ký tài trợ đều bằng tiếng Anh. Nếu đây là rào cản khiến quý vị không thể nộp đơn đăng ký do khả năng viết tiếng Anh hạn chế, suy giảm thị lực hoặc quý vị muốn yêu cầu hỗ trợ để tạo đơn đăng ký, Làm ơn liên hệ hoặc gọi (206) 296-7580 hoặc TTY 711 và chúng tôi sẽ hỗ trợ những gì quý vị cần.
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After You Submit
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After You Submit
Timeline
- Wed. September 9 at 5:00 PM PT: applications due
- Sep–Oct: panel review
- By Nov: notifications
- Dec–Jan: Roster profile creation
- Feb 2027: Roster launches and payment
- 2027–2029: Roster period
Panel Process
We selection artists to join the Roster through a panel of artists and art professionals, who evaluate all eligible applications based on the criteria and Equity Investment. Panelists are different every year and work in a variety of art genres, which may differ from your own. Keep this in mind as you write your application.
4Culture staff facilitates the panel but does not score applications or influence the outcome. The panel meets to discuss and recommend applications for funding. 4Culture’s Advisory Committee and Board then approve the final list of awards.
All eligible applicants will be notified if they were selected or not. Selected performers will be listed on the roster for 2027-2029 with the option to renew if you meet all requirements.
Payment
If selected to join the Roster, you will receive an honorarium to create your Roster profile and help spread the word out about the Roster and Presenter grant. Payment may take 2-4 months.
Presenting organization will contact you directly and be responsible for payment. 4Culture does not act as an agent or hiring manager. To encourage hiring you, King County nonprofit and fiscally-sponsored organizations can apply for our Presenter Incentive for up to $2,500 to pay you! Note: Being on the Roster does not guarantee that you will be hired or presenters will receive funding.
Requirements and Appeals
Learn about what will be required if you are awarded a grant, and about the process for appeal of a 4Culture decision.
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Apply
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Apply
Apply by Wednesday, September 9 at 5:00PM PT.
Apply through our online grant portal system at apply.4culture.org.
- Returning applicants: please make sure your account, address, and profile are updated.
- New applicants: you will need to create an account before you can access the application. Groups must create an organization account, which may take 1-2 days to be approved.
Individuals must create an individual account under your full legal name. Groups must create an organization account under your group name. If you receive the award, this group name must match your EIN (see Eligibility section above).
Click “Start or continue an application” and select Touring Arts Roster. Save a draft by completing the required fields or by using temporary text.
We highly recommend drafting your application in a separate document (e.g. the application Worksheet, a Word Document, Google Doc, etc.). Once you click “Submit,” your application is considered complete and ready for review.
What’s in the Application?
The application includes 4 narrative questions and the required information and materials below. We strongly recommend assembling them before you begin your application. See the Worksheet for the full application and helpful tips.
Summary
- Performer Name
- Genre
- Rates
Narrative Questions
- Short Description
- Full description
- Public benefit
- Advancing equity (optional)
Qualifications
- Qualifications description
- Work Experience: a list of 3 recent performances
- References: 3 recent clients
Work Samples
You must submit Video work samples of past performances that best demonstrate your qualifications. Video samples are required. Images and Documents are optional.
- Links: YouTube, Vimeo, and Soundcloud links only (public or unlisted; no passwords)
- Attachments: JPEG, PDFs, and DOCs (under 2MB each)
- Samples must be under 5 minutes or 5 pages total. For longer work samples, please note what section should be reviewed in the Work Sample Description.
Work Sample Description
Please prepare the following information for all work samples:
- Brief description of performance, event, or project (1-3 sentences)
- Presenter or event organizer information
- Date and location
- Image, audio, or video credits
Demographic Information
Your Account profile in our application portal must provide demographic information for the current year. Individuals must provide your own demographics; and Groups must provide demographics for your leaders, and staff and board, if any. We use this information to make sure we are equitably reaching all communities in King County. All information will be kept confidential and will not be used in funding decisions.