Jazz Road Tours is a grant from South Arts, supported by The Wallace Foundation, that funds jazz artists to develop and execute tours bringing jazz music to communities across the United States. The program covers travel, lodging, and artist fees for multi-engagement tours with a focus on rural and underserved communities. A January 2026 cycle specifically targets rural regions nationwide.

Eligible applicants are professional jazz artists and ensembles. Awards are up to ,000; the most recent deadline was March 10, 2026.

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Jazz Road Tours offer grants of up to $15,000 to develop tours into communities across the country. Detailed Program Description Jazz Road: Jazz & Human Connection – January 2026 Cycle Jazz Road is a national initiative from South Arts supporting jazz artists through touring and residency grants that bring jazz into new places, strengthen artist careers, and build deeper connections with communities.

Rooted in the African-American tradition, jazz thrives on connection—and this cycle is all about just that. This February, South Arts is pleased to introduce a unique Jazz Road Tours cycle dedicated to rural communities nationwide. South Arts will take an active curatorial role, collaborating directly with artists to develop and shape tours that serve rural regions.

We’re inviting Letters of Interest (LOIs) through Salesforce from: Jazz artists based in rural areas or nearby urban centers; Artists with personal ties to underserved communities—through family, history, or shared cultural connection. To submit a letter of interest, simply respond to the questions in this form. Salesforce will generate the letter based on your answers.

Please do not upload or email a separate letter, as emailed submissions will not be considered. If bringing your music to one of these places would be meaningful to you—and impactful for the community—we want to hear from you.

Important Dates & Deadlines Submit an LOI between February 10 and March 10 Application Cycle Opens for Invited Applicants March 23 and Closes April 15 Awardees notified in early May Jazz Road contains two grants programs, Jazz Road Tours and Jazz Road Creative Residencies , with regularly recurring deadlines.

Update for New Applicants As of January 2024, South Arts has added childcare as an eligible expense that can be requested as part of the available $2,500 available for non-musician personnel expenses. Refer to the guidelines and eligibility information below for additional details about expenses that may be supported by a Jazz Road Tours grant.

While preparing your Jazz Road Tours Grant application, please refer to the following guidelines. Providing jazz artists financial assistance for performances/tours that increases their ability to earn income by connecting with a variety of communities in traditional and non-traditional venues Giving artists business development tools to advance their careers beyond subsidies and grants.

The goals are rooted in equitable pay and artist-centric programming as core values. South Arts believes that artists should receive fair pay for their time, work, and expertise, and that allowing artists (as opposed to venues/agents) to control engagements offers a unique level of creative autonomy and ownership; these goals are discussed below as well as in the Supplemental Questions document uploaded with this application.

Application Process & Requirements Letter of Interest (LOI) : Artists must submit a Letter of Interest between February 10 – March 10 to be considered for invitation. Please use the LOI Guide found on our resource page to ensure all required information is included.

Invitation Notification : Artists will be notified of their invitation to apply by March 23 Application Deadline : Invited applicants must submit a full application by April 15 In addition to standard identification information, applicants will be required to submit: Minimum of three (3) artistic samples that reflect your current creative work and the sound/instrumentation of the proposed project.

You may submit more than one project if the instrumentation differs (e.g., a quintet and a duo). At least one reference from a venue outside your home region Information about the artists you propose to tour with. If a submitted video features a different musician than the one you plan to tour with on the same instrument, please provide information for the touring musician.

Eligibility Eligible artists will have a meaningful connection to a rural area in the United States or its territories and must be an awardee or be recommended by an awardee, or staff from a Regional Arts Organization, or State Arts Agency.

Tours are awarded to individual artists as opposed to Organizations (Artists as an individual, an artist-led nonprofit organization, or an artist-led corporation are eligible) In addition an eligible artist is: A professional jazz artist, working solo or working with a composer-led or collective jazz ensemble which consists of up to 10 musicians; Age 18 or over and not currently a full-time student; Based in the U.S. or its territories, and is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Not owe any back child-support While we will be booking the tour, artists understand that eligible venues include but are not limited to: Nonprofit and commercial established jazz presenters and clubs Performing arts centers, theaters, and concert halls Universities, colleges, and institutions of higher education Local arts agencies/councils Radio station live segments Churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship Listening rooms and libraries Retail and civic/municipal events Tours will likely also include educational components.

Panel Review Process Applications for Jazz Road Tours will be reviewed by panels comprised of experts in the jazz field from across the U.S. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Your Letter of Interest (LOI) is your opportunity to share how your music—and your story—can create meaningful connection in a rural or underserved community.

We will review LOIs based on the following: Connection to Place & Community : Does the artist have a clear, personal, or cultural connection to the proposed community (e.g., rural hometown, nearby region, family ties, cultural resonance)? Artistic Alignment : Is the artist’s style and ensemble configuration well-suited to the identified community or region?

Potential for Impact : Does the proposed tour or engagement show potential to create meaningful artistic and/or social impact for both the artist and the community? Readiness & Clarity : Does the artist clearly articulate their goals and show readiness to execute a tour with the proposed collaborators and configuration?

Authenticity & Artist Voice : Does the LOI reflect a strong artistic identity and authentic desire to connect through jazz? Use the LOI Guide to help shape your submission and make sure you touch each of these areas. Work Sample Review Criteria Your work samples should showcase your current sound and creative voice.

We’ll use these materials to understand your artistic identity and assess your potential fit for curated opportunities in specific regions. We will review your work samples with the following in mind: Artistic Quality : Do the samples reflect strong musicianship, creativity, and a clear artistic perspective?

Current Representation : Do the samples reflect where you are creatively right now, and the sound and ensemble you plan to tour with? Clarity of Identity : Is there a strong sense of who you are as an artist or ensemble? Potential for Community Resonance : Does the music have the potential to connect with a range of audiences, particularly those in rural or underserved areas?

Technical Clarity : Are the recordings clear enough to evaluate the performance (we don’t require studio-level quality, but clean, listenable recordings are essential)? Grant Awards & Payment Grant contracts will be issued to the lead applicant (or their business entity) on behalf of the ensemble. Applicants must provide documentation verifying U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status.

Grant funds are considered taxable income. Grantees are responsible for complying with all relevant local, state, and federal tax laws. Grantees are fully responsible for managing the tour, including disbursing funds and completing all required reporting.

Award letters will outline the payment schedule and process in detail. All grant applications must be submitted online using the Salesforce system. We recommend that you visit the site early to create your account and become familiar with the system.

Below are examples of questions you will answer as part of submitting your letter of interest in salesforce. This Letter of Interst helps South Arts and Jazz Road understand who is interested in participating in a curated rural tour and why your lived experience, relationships, and perspectives make you a strong fit for this model. 1.

Your Connection to Rural or Underserved Communities You will be asked to describe your personal, cultural, or lived connection to rural or underserved communities.

This may include: Where you were raised or currently live Family roots or long-standing ties Communities you’ve consistently returned to outside of touring Cultural, regional, or socioeconomic experiences that shape how you show up in these spaces Focus on relationship and understanding , not performance history. 2.

Why You Are a Strong Fit for a Curated Rural Tour This round of Jazz Road Tours will be curated by South Arts and Jazz Road , with presenters and regions selected in advance. Artists are not responsible for booking or routing. You will be asked to explain why you, as a bandleader and person , are well-suited for this curated model.

Consider addressing: How you navigate unfamiliar or resource-limited settings How you communicate with presenters and community members Your comfort working within shared goals and collective logistics Your openness to responsiveness, flexibility, and listening This section should help panelists understand how you show up , not what you play. 3.

Your Ensemble & Community Readiness You will be asked to bBriefly describe why your current ensemble is a good match for rural and underserved touring. You may touch on: Shared values or backgrounds within the group Experience working together in intimate, non-traditional, or community-centered settings Interpersonal dynamics that support adaptability and care 4.

Understanding of Place & Potential Impact You will be asked to describe the types of rural regions or communities where you believe your presence could be most impactful. You can be as braod or as specific as you would like (for example: Appalachian counties, Delta towns, border regions, agricultural communities, tribal lands, etc.).

What you understand about these places What kind of exchange or connection feels possible there Why jazz—and your presence specifically—could resonate This is about insight and intention , not outcomes or metrics. 5. Why This Opportunity Matters Now You will be asked to share briefly why participating in this unique round of the Jazz Road cycle feels meaningful to you at this point in your life or career.

This may relate to: Artistic maturity or perspective A desire to return to or reinvest in certain communities A sense of responsibility, curiosity, or reflection Authenticity matters more than ambition here. 6. General Availability You will be asked to share three windows of availability from July 2026 through June 2027.

Please share your general availability beginning July 2026 onward. Optional Closing Reflection If you wish, close with a short reflection on what Jazz & Human Connection means to you personally. Have a question about the guidelines or priorities above, or need assistance to resources to help assemble a tour/application?

It may be addressed in our Jazz Road Resources and FAQ section. After reviewing program guidelines, log in to Salesforce to apply for a Jazz Road Tours grant, edit an application in process, and submit any required reports. Where are Jazz Road artists heading next?

Catch a live performance from these talented jazz artists. Where have Jazz Road artists been? Look through the recent history of Jazz Road Tours to see where artists have toured their work.

Thank You to Our Sponsors For further information about any of the Jazz Road initiatives, contact Drew Tucker. Get the latest South Arts updates. Be the first to know about arts and culture events, conferences, and grant opportunities happening in the Southeast.

South Arts is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts as well as other public and private sources. National Endowment for the Arts Logo The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Doris Duke Charitable Foundation logo