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• Live in the DC metro area: Applicants must currently reside in D.C., or one of the six nearby counties in MD and VA: Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Montgomery, and Prince George’s.

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• Aged 18+ and Emerging: Applicants must be 18+ at the time of applying. We generally consider emerging artists as those who are not currently signed on to a record deal (Musicians) or have not previously published a book with distribution >5,000, though self-published is okay (Writers). 

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• Original work: Submissions must consist of work that Applicant created and has all the rights to. You do not necessarily need to create new work.

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• 5 minute video: Videos must be 2-5 minutes in length, be a complete piece (with a beginning and an end) and be majority in English.

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• Unpublished / Un-produced: FOR APPLICANTS TO THE WINNER GRANT ONLY. Your piece can not have been previously published (see self-published exception below), produced or under any form of agreement.

  • Exception: - You may submit a video if the content has previously ONLY been on your personally owned Social Media or websites PROVIDED that you remove any such material from all such personally owned Social Media or websites (including Patreon, Soundcloud, etc.) BEFORE submitting your Application, and all video content and material stays off any Social Media or websites for the duration of the Application (which ends when Winners are announced).

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• Performance and Content: Your work, and how your work is performed, will be the primary criteria used for review for a grant. We encourage you to make the video as good as possible (excerpts of videos selected for a Winner or Virtual Gig grant will be used in an announcement video) but you will not be judged primarily on the technical quality of the video itself (see "Video and Text").

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• Video and Text: Videos must be 2-5 minutes in length, be a complete piece (with a beginning and an end) and in English. We will not review any performance longer than 5 minutes. If your video is considered for broadcast, there may be an opportunity to have the video more professionally shot. Applicants must also upload the text of any words in your piece to help with the review process (exception for submissions under Instrumental). For more help, click here.

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• Performers vs. Applicant: Whoever is submitting the Application must be the person who created the piece and the Applicant must appear in the first 15 seconds of the video submission and state i) his or her name, ii) the title of the piece, and iii) the names of any other performers involved. Other collaborators in your video can live outside the DMV, but they must also be at least 18 years old at the time of applying. For examples, click here.

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• Payment to the Winners: You may apply as an individual or as a group, but only one person will be considered the Applicant. If a submission is selected for grant, the check will be sent only to the Applicant, and it is up to the Applicant how, or if, that money is shared with any others.

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• One Submission, One Category, One Sub-Genre:  You may apply in only 1 of the 4 Creative Categories and 1 Sub-Genre and submit only 1 video for this round of Applications. Creatives who apply as an individual are not permitted to appear in a different Application submitted by a group. Send us your best work!

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• Show Respect for a General Audience: Submissions must not denigrate any identity group, and Emergent Seed has the sole right to determine what it deems offensive in any other way. Always keep in mind we are trying to build community and we plan to use the videos selected in one or more broadcast events for a general audience (roughly PG-13 appropriate). Also take care that you’re shooting your video in an appropriate setting with appropriate clothing.​