Schwartz Performing Arts Fund
The Institute for the Performing Arts offers financial assistance for conceiving, planning, and coordinating performing arts-related activities on the University of Rochester campus, such as:
- Guest artist performances and residencies that serve student learning
- Conferences/lectures/symposia
- Commissions
- Events in service to curriculum or the UR student learning community
- Creative and/or scholarly research related to performing arts
Projects eligible for funding should either be directly related to or contribute to the advancement and promotion of knowledge in the performing arts and should involve students in a significant way. Interdisciplinary arts projects are encouraged as are projects that engage UR students with the community and/or community non-profit organizations. Expenses can include student research assistant or student arts fellow to support the project. Payments to University of Rochester employees are ineligible expenses.
Grantees who receive the Schwartz Performing Arts Fund are required to complete a final report within 30 days of the project. This final report must include:
- Statement(s) of impact from one or more students and from the lead facilitator of the project
- A summary of project implementation and overall impact
- The number of artists and attendees
- A detailed income and expense report
- Two to four high-quality images of the project, including photo credits
Grantees who have already received funding can submit their final report online.
Application Process and Eligibility
Submissions for proposals are welcome from one or more adjunct or full-time professors at the University of Rochester throughout the academic year, starting from the first day of fall semester through two weeks before the last day of the spring semester.
This opportunity is open to all departments, provided that the proposed project is centrally focused on the performing arts. The proposal must involve the School of Arts and Sciences Performing Arts collaborator in a significant way.
Project deadlines are October 15 for spring semester projects and March 15 for fall semester projects. Most projects will be funded within the $5000-$10,000 range, but larger-scale projects with strong student, campus, and community impact will be considered at higher levels of funding.
If awarded, department/program administrators are responsible for overseeing all project logistics (i.e., any relevant guest/speaker travel, housing, hospitality, payment processing, etc.).
Upon completion of the project, awardees must submit a final report.
Projects included in regular department budgets, such as mainstage shows and student concerts, are ineligible for funding. Only projects outside of recurring annual or semester performances will be considered. Special projects that enhance regular programming will be considered.
Applicants should clearly outline the project’s objectives, the student and/or community impact, the methods to achieve them, and explain why the proposed format (i.e., lecture, performance, etc.) is most suitable for success. Submissions must be made at least three weeks before the first proposed event date to allow for flexibility and responsiveness to current events, while also maintaining the integrity of the review process.
Deadlines and Notifications
Project deadlines are October 15 for spring semester projects, and March 15 for fall semester projects.
Accepted grantees will be notified directly and will receive an acceptance agreement to complete and return.
Current Projects
2026-2027 Recipients
Versa-Style Street Dance Company
Missy Pfohl Smith
September 19 - 20, 2026
Orchestra New Initiatives
Mark Powell
September 27 - 28, 2026 and November 7 - 8, 2026
Todd Talks
Nigel Maister
Fall 2026 - Spring 2027
T.I.M.E. (Time, Identity, Memory, and the End of History Illusion)
Nigel Maister
Fall 2026 - Spring 2027
Heidi Latsky Dance
Missy Pfohl Smith
January 19 - 23, 2027
Carillon Project
Carson Landry
Fall 2026 - Spring 2027
Past Projects
2025-2026 Recipients
Todd Talks
Nigel Maister
October 6, October 27, and December 1, 2025
February 9, and March 2, 2026
The IPA and the Schwartz Performing Arts Fund supported Todd Talks—a online speaker series from the URochester International Theatre Program—which invites top artists from the worlds of theatre and film to be in conversation with our students and our communities. Guests included multi-award-winners and nominees for Obie, Tony, Olivier and other prestigious awards.
Note: The Todd Talks page includes all of the information outlined on the poster, for those who'd like to use a screen reader to access the poster content
Ephrat Asherie Dance - Shadow Cities
Missy Pfohl Smith
February 4 to 7, 2026
Ephrat Asherie Dance brought its acclaimed new work Shadow Cities to the University of Rochester—a vibrant collaboration with Grammy-winning jazz composer Arturo O’Farrill that fuses street and club dance with original Latin jazz. The residency included a public performance with Q&A, an open rehearsal, and community workshops, culminating in Asherie’s role as guest judge for the 14th Annual inspireJAM All-Styles 2v2 Battle. Exploring identity, memory, and cultural connection, Shadow Cities celebrates the energy of the in-between—where movement, music, and community converge.
Consent ROCs
Sara Bickweat Penner
Spring 2026
ConsentROCs is a continuing research study and community engaged project where researchers are co-designing Consent Forward Theatre Workshops with high school Rochester area theatre educators based on the specific needs of their students. These workshops were taught onsite at high schools by researchers and UR Theatre student mentors in spring 2026 as part of a community engaged course.
This project was made possible in part by the University of Rochester’s Schwartz Performing Arts Fund of the Institute for Performing Arts and the Center for Community Engagement. If you and your school are interested in being a part of this study in future, please contact Sara Bickweat Penner or Lindsay Warren Baker for more information at sara.penner@rochester.edu.
Dance On Film
Xuechun Lyu and George Elkind
Spring 2026
This three-event series explored the intersection of film and dance, showcasing dancers who use film or video in creative ways during live performances, or who push the boundaries of capturing movement on camera.
Dance On Film spanned from fall of 2025 through the spring of 2026. Each event was organized by a graduate student from within the Graduate Program in Visual and Cultural Studies in collaboration with the Program of Dance and Movement. The series featured three guest artists: dancer and performance artist Eiko Otake; scholar, creator and critic Dr. Tiffany E. Barber; and writer and editor David Velasco. Their visits engaged audiences with multiple screenings, lectures, and workshops, introducing cross-disciplinary works that integrate dance, performance art, film, and music.
Daniel Pesca Orchestra Commission - Up North: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
Mark Powell
March - April, 2026
Eastman School of Music faculty composer Daniel Pesca premiered a new piano concerto written for collegiate and civic orchestra forces. The University of Rochester Symphony Orchestra (URSO)—now in its 70th season—performed the work with Pesca as soloist. Co-commissioned with the Idaho State Symphony, this project celebrated collaboration, community musicianship, and the vibrant tradition of University-based orchestral performance.
The Hallowed Crown
Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp
March 29 - April 4, 2026
The Hallowed Crown was an interdisciplinary dance and performance project exploring identity, power, and transformation through the Crone archetype—a force of disruption and renewal. Created by Andrea Gluckman, Paul Leary, Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp, and Lowell Hutcheson, the work fused dance, music, theatre, and visual art into an immersive experience that reimagined community beyond patriarchal and binary structures. Through myth, ritual, and striking visual design, The Hallowed Crown invited audiences and students alike to engage with themes of liberation, rebirth, and collective transformation.
The Christians
Nigel Maister
April 23 - May 2, 2026
The University of Rochester’s International Theatre Program presented Lucas Hnath’s acclaimed play The Christians in spring 2026—a compelling exploration of faith, doubt, and belonging in contemporary America. Set in a modern mega-church, the production featured a gospel choir led by Julius Dicks (Arthur Satz Department of Music and Music Director at Baber AME Church), uniting URochester students and local community artists. This collaboration bridged campus and community, offering mentorship, shared artistry, and a powerful reflection on conviction, inclusivity, and spiritual identity.
2024-2025 Recipient
A.I.M by Kyle Abraham
Missy Pfohl Smith
January 22, 2025
The University of Rochester’s Program of Dance and Movement welcomed the acclaimed contemporary dance company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham for a dynamic residency that combined performance, education, and community engagement. Under the artistic direction of Kyle Abraham—a visionary choreographer celebrated for blending traditional and vernacular dance styles—A.I.M explores themes rooted in Black and queer history and culture through a distinctive and highly physical movement vocabulary.
The residency included a powerful lecture demonstration, during which company members created live, improvised choreography, shared excerpts from the company’s repertoire, and engaged in thoughtful dialogue with the audience.
Company artist Faith Montdesire also led two A.I.M Movement Workshops: one on the University of Rochester campus and another at Community Place at the Greater Rochester Senior Center. These workshops fostered inclusive, intergenerational participation among students and older adults.