Partner with IndieSpace for The Big Give
The Big Give is our signature annual celebration of indie theater.
Imagine 500 artists gathered under one roof, cheering as names are called and grants are awarded live. It is fun. It is celebratory. It is indie theater.
It is a night dedicated to uplifting the artists, small theaters, and community venues that keep New York City’s cultural heartbeat alive. This joyful event combines entertainment, community, and direct impact, ensuring that artists receive support in real time.
What Is The Big Give?
The Big Give is a hybrid event that takes place on Zoom and in-person. This year, The Big Give will be on December 4, 2025 at Judson Memorial Church. We expect more than 500 artists, indie theater makers, and community leaders to attend in person or via Zoom.
The event is a celebration of indie theater. Through a lottery system, indie theater companies, fiscally sponsored collectives/productions, and indie theater venues are awarded grant checks on the spot.
The Big Give provides immediate support to the indie theater community, reinforcing our commitment to transparency, equity, and responsive funding.
Learn More and Get Involved
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, download our 2025 Sponsorship Proposal to explore partnership opportunities, benefits, and visibility for your company or organization.
You’ll find detailed opportunities to align your company or organization with one of New York’s most exciting indie theater events.
Partnering with IndieSpace
Our community includes more than 2,000 individual artists and 600 indie companies and venues.
We have directly impacted thousands of individuals and venues, providing a combined total of $2.5 million in direct funding to artists in our history. Over the last three years, 71-94% of our funding has been allocated to historically excluded individuals and small companies.
Now entering its 12th year, The Big Give has become a beloved and trusted event for NYC’s indie arts community.
When giving to IndieSpace, you’re giving to indie artists across New York City. IndieSpace provides grants for their work, mental health services, living expenses, and the incredible spaces that they call home.
Why Sponsorship Matters
Sponsorship dollars go directly toward grants that help artists pay for rehearsal space, keep the lights on in small venues, and continue creating work that reflects the diversity and vitality of our city.
By sponsoring The Big Give, you’re not just funding an event, you are fueling the sustainability of New York City’s indie theater ecosystem. It’s immediate. It’s tangible. And it’s deeply needed.
Additionally, the indie theater community values companies and brands that stand for equity, creativity, and real community impact.
Why The Big Give Is Important
Indie theaters are where innovation happens, where underrepresented voices find a stage, and where community thrives. The Big Give is a direct investment in that ecosystem, ensuring artists can survive and thrive without unnecessary barriers.
In a time when arts funding is uncertain and many small venues are closing, your support helps keep creative spaces alive.
Arts funding is shrinking. Rents are rising. And yet, indie theater is still showing up with fire and brilliance. Your partnership now means more than ever.
In the current arts funding landscape, grants can take months — sometimes years — to secure, often favoring organizations with the time and capacity to navigate complex processes. The Big Give changes that. By distributing funds instantly through a public lottery, we ensure equal opportunity for all indie companies, productions, collectives, and venues, regardless of size or profile.
This approach fosters trust, dismantles barriers, and demonstrates that community support can be fast, fair, and joyful. And because The Big Give is also a gathering place, it builds lasting connections between artists, audiences, and supporters – strengthening the ecosystem well beyond the event itself.
How Sponsorship Benefits You
As a sponsor, your company will be recognized across IndieSpace’s platforms and The Big Give’s promotional channels. We highlight our sponsors widely through social media, newsletters, press releases, event signage, our website, and on-stage acknowledgments.
Our community represents a highly engaged NYC audience of cultural decision-makers, theatergoers, and theater-makers.
Some sponsorship levels also include opportunities for on-site engagement, like hosting a booth, offering branded giveaways, and even joining in the excitement of pulling winners’ names from the lottery hat.
We’re happy to co-create something custom with you, whether that’s sponsoring the DJ, a community grant, or a food area.
Your partnership with IndieSpace will be seen by an engaged, diverse audience of artists, cultural leaders, and arts lovers, a community that values companies who stand with the arts and champion local creativity.
Questions?
Let’s connect and explore how your support could make a real impact., Please contact Joel Guzman at joel@indiespace.org.
Thank you for considering this exciting opportunity to champion the arts. We look forward to partnering with you!
