Presenter’s Grants

October 1, 2026 Deadline to receive an invitation to apply for a Presenter’s Grant for shows in winter/spring 2027

October 15, 2026 Deadline to submit Presenter’s Grant Applications for shows in winter/spring 2027

April 1, 2027 Deadline to receive an invitation to apply for a Presenter’s Grant for shows in summer/fall 2027

April 15, 2027 Deadline to submit Presenter’s Grant Applications for shows in summer/fall 2026

Presenter’s Grants – invitation only

The Jim Henson Foundation Presenter’s Grants were created in 2004 to continue the work started by the Henson International Festivals of Puppet Theater in the 1990s. These grants were established to promote the presentation of excellence in contemporary puppet theater in New York City. Presenter’s Grants are only available to theaters in New York City that have a history of presenting puppet theater. They are by invitation only. There are two levels of funding for Presenter’s Grants: $5,000 and $10,000.

The Foundation does not fund puppet slams. Please visit the Puppet Slam Network to learn more about puppet slams around the United States, and targeted funding for them from IBEX Puppetry and Heather Henson. We do not fund shows retroactively.

NOTE:  It is important that the majority of this grant (80%) be used towards performance fees and services that directly benefit the artists.

$5,000 – The presenting of one piece of puppet theater in a high-profile theater. This piece needs to be either a Production Grant recipient of The Jim Henson Foundation, an international piece of puppet theater for adults, or a work that is of exceptionally high caliber for adults. We fund excellence in new contemporary puppet theater. The work needs to be fully supported by the theater in a proper run of a minimum of four performances, more if possible.  The Foundation prefers to fund presentations lasting multiple weekends which have the potential to attract attention from the press.

$10,000 – The presenting of three or more works of contemporary puppet theater within a season or a festival. This must be a minimum of three different puppet artists (or companies) performing three different pieces of puppet theater. The pieces need to be either Production Grant recipients of The Jim Henson Foundation, international pieces of puppet theater, or works that are of exceptionally high caliber. We fund excellence in innovative puppet theater. Each work needs to have a minimum of two performances. We encourage a longer run of at least 4 performances, and more if possible.  The Foundation prefers to fund presentations lasting multiple weekends which have the potential to attract attention from the press.

$5,000 – The presenting of three or more works of puppet theater for family audiences or the presentation of three or more works-in-progress of adult work. This must be a minimum of three different puppet artists (or companies) performing three different pieces of puppet theater. The pieces need to be either Family Grant  or Workshop Grant recipients of The Jim Henson Foundation, international pieces of puppet theater, or works that are of exceptionally high caliber. We fund excellence in new contemporary puppet theater. The Foundation prefers to fund presentations lasting multiple weekends which have the potential to attract attention from the press.

PLEASE NOTE: Your theater must be invited to apply for a Presenter’s Grant. You can ask for an invitation by emailing ariel@hensonfoundation.org with the name of your organization and a brief description of the show(s) you are presenting along with the dates of the performances. 

The Presenter’s Grant information asked for on the application via Submittable includes:

• Title of the show(s) or festival you will be presenting.

• A description of how your venue has supported new contemporary works of puppet theater in the past.

• A short description of the show(s) you are presenting.

• Description of how you will support the artist(s) and their show(s)

• Dates of when events will take place and number of performances

• Budget outlining how this funding will be used to support this programming

• 3-6 color images of puppetry in the show(s)

• Up to 4 minutes of video of the puppetry in the show(s) (if possible) 

Questions? If you have a question about our guidelines, you may be able to find the answer on our list of Frequently Asked Questions. You can also reach us at info@hensonfoundation.org. It is best to contact us with any questions well in advance of the application deadlines.

Packrat – Concrete Temple Theatre
2019 Presenters Grant – Dixon Place