A professional budget is just as important as the application itself. The budget must accurately reflect the project or performance and be consistent with the content of the application. Therefore, do not include items in the budget that are not mentioned in the application and vice versa.
Also, avoid the strategy of applying for more than is needed in the hope of receiving half or part of the amount.
The content on this page is developed by Jens Christian Jensen from JC Copenhagen, which manages and advises artists and theatre associations, primarily self-producing choreographers. It is emphasised that all application and budgeting is at your own risk. The examples given are indicative and not relevant in exactly the same form for all types of applicants and applications.
Budget types
There are different types of budgets for different purposes. In this overview, you can find examples of an application budget and a working budget.
This will also help you to transfer your application budget to your working budget.
Application budgets
Download an example of a production budget based on salaries per month here.
Sheet guide: This excel sheet is open for editing. The colour codes indicate which fields are to be filled in and which contain formulas.
Red fields: For input
Grey fields: Totals (avoid changing these)
Please note that the numbers provided are examples and should be customised to the specific project.
If a touring budget is not relevant, it can be removed, just remember to adjust the sheet.
Download a sample application budget for private foundations here.
Note. The Danish Arts Foundation's Project Support Committee for Performing Arts:
Please note that these budget templates cannot be used for applications to the Danish Arts Foundation's Project Support Committee for Performing Arts.
They require the use of their own budget forms, which become available in the grant portal approximately one month before the application deadline. The templates are useful as working budgets to ensure that all elements are well thought out.
Work budget
Here are examples of how to work with working budgets at different stages of a performance.
Working budget, 1st step after commitment
Working budget, 2nd step with changes
Working budget, 3rd step with more changes
Tips for handling the excel sheet:
Add new columns when reviewing with the artistic director.
Use colour highlights to show changes from previous budgets.
Keep the original columns, where the first one always represents the budget to be accounted for.
New rows are added as needed, while deleted items are set to zero instead of being deleted.
For example: If the original budget is 128,000 DKK for four months of dancer salaries (32,000 DKK per month) and the planning requires a more detailed specification, the original line with the amount set to zero is retained and new lines with the specific amounts are added.
Workshops and materials
Workshop on application and working budgets:
On 14 December 2022, Jens Christian organised a workshop on application and working budgets at Performing Arts Platform.
In this connection, a PowerPoint presentation was prepared, which can be downloaded here.
Workshop on operational applications and budgets:
On 25 March 2025, Jens Christian Jensen and My Grönholdt (Artistic Director of MYKA) held a workshop on formulating operational applications and budgets.
See the PowerPoint presentation here.
About Jens Christian Jensen
Jens Christian Jensen started his independent company JC Copenhagen in the summer of 2020 to manage and advise artists and theatre associations, primarily self-producing choreographers.
Webinar about the good budget
In this webinar, we'll dive into budgeting for a grant application and how to ensure a fair salary for yourself and your team. We'll also look at how to manage ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ expenses in a budget and how to create a working budget that makes sense for you and your team.
Finally, we'll discuss how to create good financial management to make the money last and how to maintain a good dialogue with your funder.
Our host for the webinar is producer in the producer community prfrm, Mikkel Søndergaard Kryger. The webinar took place on 14 December 2023
About Mikkel Søndergaard Kryger
Mikkel Søndergaard Kryger has a background as a producer and PR manager from a number of theatres and companies, and has worked with state and municipal arts funding and cultural policy. Mikkel solves tasks within fundraising, financial management, PR, teaching, contracts and audience development at prfrm - production and communication of performing arts