Leeway Transformation Award (LTA)
The Transformation Award (LTA) provides unrestricted annual awards of $15,000 to women, trans*, and gender nonconforming artists and cultural producers living in Greater Philadelphia who create art for social change and have done so for the past five years or more, demonstrating a long-term commitment to social change work.
Award Overview
The Leeway Transformation Award (LTA) is unrestricted (it is not project-based) and open to artists and cultural producers working in any medium, including traditional and nontraditional as well as multimedia and experimental forms.
Leeway supports artists and cultural producers involved in creating art for social change that positively affects and engages communities and audiences. Creating social change must be integral to the ideas, beliefs, and goals that are woven throughout your art and your process of creating and sharing your art.
We encourage you to apply if you:
- Identify as a woman, trans*, and/or gender nonconforming artist
- Are at least 18 years old
- Have lived for the past two or more years (since April 2023) in Greater Philadelphia: Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia County
- Have been creating art for social change for the past five years or more, demonstrating a long-term commitment to this work
Read the full eligibility criteria for artists on page 3 of the LTA Guidelines in English and Spanish.
*Leeway is a trans-affirming organization committed to gender self-determination, and we use the term “trans” in its most inclusive sense, as an umbrella term encompassing transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, Two-Spirit people, and anyone whose gender identity or gender expression is nonconforming and/or different from their gender assigned at birth.
Two-Stage Application Process
THE TRANSFORMATION AWARD APPLICATION IS A TWO-STAGE PROCESS.
Stage 1: Stage 1 is open to all eligible applicants. The Stage 1 application is due May 15, 2025. A panel of community-based artists and cultural producers will review applications and make decisions to invite up to 30 applicants to submit work samples for Stage 2. Panel decisions will be sent to all applicants in August 2025.
Stage 2: Stage 2 is by invitation only. All invited applicants from Stage 1 will receive an application stipend to help cover the costs of preparing work samples. In addition to the stipend, Leeway will offer each applicant support through in-person meetings and application feedback, as needed. The Stage 2 deadline will be announced to finalists only. Panel decisions will be sent to all invitees with the announcement of final awardees in December 2025.
Applications are accepted via hardcopy or online. If you have any questions/concerns, the fastest way to reach us is by email at info@leeway.org or by phone at 215.545.4078. We’re happy to schedule a phone or video call.
Applying with a Co-Applicant
You may apply collaboratively with other artists for the Transformation Award. We understand that most projects are done in collaboration with others, so you are only required to submit a co-applicant form in English or Spanish, if you have played the same roles as artistic directors or partners for your past work. Applicants may only apply once per cycle, whether submitting as part of a collaborative or as an individual.
Please note: Co-applicants must meet the same basic eligibility requirements, which includes identifying as a woman, trans*, and/or gender nonconforming person. For more information, read the “Collaboration” section (page 3) of the LTA Guidelines in English and Spanish.
FAQs
Click here to visit our Frequently Asked Questions for LTA
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Information & Application Support
FAQs
Is LTA open to the public?
Yes! The Leeway Transformation Award (LTA) is open to the public and provides unrestricted annual awards of $15,000 to women, trans*, and gender nonconforming artists and cultural producers living in Greater Philadelphia who create art for social change and have done so for the past five years or more, demonstrating a long-term commitment to social change work. Deadline: May 15th.
How does Leeway define Art for Social Change?
Art with a vision and an intentional analysis. Find out more here.
What makes a Leeway artist or cultural producer?
Lots of different aspects! Find out more here.
What are social change intents?
Leeway asks applicants to identify at least one but no more than three social change intents that best describe their intent or vision behind their work. There is no correct or incorrect way to choose; you should pick one that resonates with you as the core intent or vision of your work. You will have an opportunity to define further what that vision is for you in Question 3 of the application. For more details, please see page 2 of the LTA Guidelines in English and Spanish.
Where can I find information about past LTA awardees?
Past LTA awardees are awesome. Find out more about them here.
Can I apply with other artists?
Yes. You may apply collaboratively with other artists for the Transformation Award. We understand that most projects are done in collaboration with others, so you are only required to submit a co-applicant form in English or Spanish, if you have played the same roles as artistic directors or partners for your past work. Applicants may only apply once per cycle, whether submitting as part of a collaborative or as an individual.
Please note: Co-applicants must meet the same basic eligibility requirements, which includes identifying as a woman, trans*, and/or gender nonconforming person. For more information, read the “Collaboration” section (page 3) of the LTA Guidelines in English and Spanish.
Do I need to submit my resume/CV?
No. Instead, Leeway asks applicants to complete an “Experience Page”. This is a space where artists will provide brief descriptions/dates of 4-10 artistic, personal, political, professional, and/or social change-based experiences relevant to their art for social change work.
The Experience Page is not meant to read as a traditional resume and should reflect defining moments for you as an artist or cultural producer. The review panel values experiences that are often not included in traditional resumes and know that these experiences can be defining moments for artists.
For LTA, we recommend including experiences that reflect five or more years of an art for social change practice.
Please note: These experiences are shared with the review panel but will never be shared publicly.
Do artists need to submit work samples in Stage 1?
No. Leeway does not require work samples for the Stage 1 application. However, if you are invited to Stage 2, you will need to provide work samples. So, we highly encourage you to think about what work you already have documentation for and/or what work you can document when applying for this award. Regardless of whether you move forward to Stage 2, this is good practice for any artist.
Who decides who receives funding?
An independent review panel – consisting of community-based artists from different ranges, breadths, and depths of art for social change work – decides who gets funded. Leeway staff does not make these decisions.
How are applications evaluated?
An independent peer review panel will evaluate applications. Keep in mind that this is a national panel and members of the panel may not be familiar with your particular artistic practice or cultural context, especially as it relates to the Philadelphia region, so describe them clearly.
Peer review panelists will evaluate applications based on the following criteria:
- Breadth and depth of your experience creating art for social change for five years or more
- Whether or not social change is an intentional part of your artistic practice
- Your relationship to the communities you work with
- Audience and/or community engagement
The review panel will look at the “Description of Your Art for Social Change Work” section of your application to get a sense of the following:
- Why you are doing this work
- Whether a clear vision and social change intent is an integral part of your practice
- How who you are and how you identify play a role as it relates to the audience/communities you work with
- What role audience or community has in your work
- What the trajectory of your art for social change work has been over time
- What impact your work has on the Greater Philadelphia region
How many awards are given each year?
Leeway receives approximately 75-100 LTA applications each year – and 10-12 awards are given, depending on Leeway’s budget.
When will award notifications be sent?
The Transformation Award is a two-stage application process. Stage 1 is open to all eligible applicants. A panel of community-based artists and cultural producers will review applications and make decisions to invite up to 30 applicants to submit work samples for Stage 2.
- Stage 1 (Deadline: May 15) notifications will be sent in August 2025
- Stage 2 (Invitation Only) notifications will be sent in December 2025
Do applicants receive feedback on their applications?
To keep our process transparent, every applicant receives feedback, based on the panel’s deliberations. This offers a view into the process and gives information applicants can use as they think about their work and future applications to Leeway or other funders. Applicants may opt out of receiving feedback — and can always request it at a later date.
We offer feedback with the understanding that grantmaking is a reductive process, where there is never as much money as qualified applicants, so please consider if you are prepared to receive this feedback.
Can I apply for LTA + another Leeway grant at the same time?
LTA applicants may apply for and receive the Art and Change Grant and/or Window of Opportunity Grant in the same year. However, LTA applicants may not apply for the Media Artist + Activist Residency in the same year.
If I’ve previously received LTA, can I re-apply?
No. Leeway Transformation Awards can only be received once.
How do I get help with my application?
Leeway staff are here to support! You can:
- Attend an Information Session where you can learn more about Leeway grants and how to prepare your application
- Register for an Applicant Support Session where you can meet one-on-one with a Leeway representative to get direct feedback on your application
Contact Leeway staff to set-up a one-on-one appointment at info@leeway.org or 215.545.4078