LA COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS RECOVERY GRANT

Supporting the Recovery, Sustainability, and Equity of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles County

An initiative of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, 

administered by the Center for Cultural Innovation 

The 2023 application period is now closed. 

Notifications will be shared on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 5 p.m. PT.

 

The Los Angeles County Performing Arts Recovery Grant (Initiative) is a new grant initiative designed to support the continuing recovery of Los Angeles County’s (County) dynamic performing arts sector through flexible funding support that centers the artistic and creative process. It will deliver one-time funding to artists, independent producers, and small and mid-sized performing arts organizations that have a demonstrated history of developing, producing, and/or presenting work in the performing arts disciplines, such as dance, music, theater, folk, and traditional arts, with a history of public-serving performances, festivals, events, and engagement activities. A total of $1.2M is available.

Grants of up to $30,000 will be awarded through a competitive grant application process to support the creation, documentation, and/or presentation of new or existing artistic work. Competitive applicants will have a strong background in the performing arts, a supportive regional audience, and play a meaningful role in the local arts ecosystem. Competitive applicants will also reflect the cultural and geographic diversity of the County and propose projects that support the mission and vision of the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, including the advancement of cultural equity and inclusion in the region, and align with the goals of the Initiative.

The LA County Performing Arts Recovery Grant is an initiative of Arts and Culture. The Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), a nonprofit intermediary focused on the economic security of individuals in the arts, is administering the Initiative on behalf of Arts and Culture.

ELIGIBILITY

The Initiative supports Los Angeles County‐based individual artists, independent producers, and small and mid-size performing arts organizations—including nonprofits, for-profits, fiscally sponsored organizations (Models A or C), and producing collectives—that are a part of the cultural performing arts community that performs regularly throughout the region. Also eligible are those that participated in or would have been eligible to participate in the Ford Theatres’ Artist Partnership Program (APP), Big World Fun (BWF), and Jam Sessions (JS) programs.

Depending on the applicant category (i.e., individuals or organizations), additional criteria must be met to be eligible for funding consideration.

Individual artists and independent producers must also:

• Reside full-time in Los Angeles County;
• Be 21 or older;
• Have a documented history (at least five years) of developing, producing, and/or presenting work in the performing arts (dance, theater, music, and traditional and folk arts) in a public context, including online/digital platforms, in Los Angeles County;
• Cannot be a full-time or matriculating student; and
• Cannot have a conflict of interest (family or financial relationships) with the boards, staff, and directors of CCI, LA County’s Board of Supervisors, or Arts and Culture.

Organizations must also:

• Be based in Los Angeles County;
• Have a mission that expressly centers on the performing arts;
• Have a documented history (at least five years) of developing, producing, and/or presenting work in the performing arts (dance, theater, music, and traditional and folk arts) in a public context, including online/digital platforms, in Los Angeles County;
• Annual operating budget/total revenue cannot exceed $5M;
• Cannot be a County-owned or operated organization or facility; and
• Cannot have a conflict of interest (family or financial relationships) with the boards, staff, and directors of CCI, LA County’s Board of Supervisors, or Arts and Culture.

We value the work of the following artists, arts workers, and organizations; however, they are outside this initiative’s scope and ineligible for consideration:

• Arts education organizations, such as those that focus on K-12 school and/or afterschool programs. Teaching artists can apply so long as they have a performance practice outside of K-12 programming.
• Organizations for which the performing arts are not central to their programming, mission, and/or focus (such as media, film, and visual arts).
• Buskers and street performers.
• Specialized technicians, stage crew, vendors, and other back and front-of-house team members. (NB: while these individuals are ineligible to apply, compensation/salaries for their services may be reflected in an eligible applicant’s budget.)
• Applicants—organizations or individuals—whose project does not involve creating, documenting, and/or presenting new or existing artistic work.
• Educational institutions which lead to a degree or diploma, including but not limited to private or public schools or scholarship programs, colleges, and universities. This includes departments and programs therein, with the exception of arts organizations that possess independent 501(c)(3) status.
• K-12 schools, including public, private, and continuation.
• Student groups, recreational or social organizations.
• Municipal or County government agencies or departments.
• Private membership organizations that are not open to the general public.
• Federal, State, County, or municipal departments and agencies.
• Organizations with a “SUSPENDED” or “INACTIVE” Status with the California Secretary of State at the time of application.

Applicants may apply only once and to only one category. In other words, you may not apply both as an Individual and as the primary contact of an Organization, even if you meet the eligibility criteria in both categories. This is so we can support as many unique applicants as possible in a competitive application process. In addition, we will not accept applications that request support for the same project, regardless of category.

The performing arts are known to be collaborative art forms, with creation, documentation, and presentation of work often requiring collaboration among artists, choreographers, directors, producers, and presenters, as well as musicians, composers, dramaturgs, photographers, videographers, lyricists, book writers, and designers of all kinds. As such, applicants are welcome to include partners and collaboration in their proposed project activities.

Producing collectives will need to select a single representative (i.e., a lead applicant) to apply, and if funding is approved, this individual will be responsible for fulfilling the grant requirements. Similarly, for applicants who propose project activities that support a partnership or collaboration with one or more individuals or organizations, a single representative of the partnership/collaboration will serve as the lead applicant.

REVIEW CRITERIA

Panelists will assess and score applications using the criteria below.

Review Criteria	Maximum Point Value
1. Resonance: Applicant’s work demonstrates a strong background in artistic and/or cultural work in the performing arts.	25
2. Relevance: Applicant has an existing and supportive core audience and is an integral part of the County’s performing arts ecosystem.	25
3. Reflective: Project aligns with the goals of the LA County Performing Arts Recovery Grant initiative, and will advance cultural equity and inclusion.	25
4. Impact: Funding will support the applicant in creating, documenting, and/or presenting new or existing artistic work, and there is the likelihood that funding will realize the project's goals.	25

APPLY

The 2023 application period is now closed.

Notifications will be shared on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 5 p.m. PT. 

 Guidelines

Application Preview     Application Preview

 Sample Project Budget Template 

 Frequently Asked Questions

 Tips for Using Submittable

APPLICATION WORKSHOP

   Workshop Recording #1 (April 18 Presentation)

   Workshop Recording #2 (April 20 Presentation)

  Workshop Slide Deck

TIMELINE

Application Available	April 12 at 9 a.m.
Application Workshops - Presentation	April 18, 12 – 1 p.m. April 20, 12 – 1 p.m. Workshops will present the same content. Recordings of of both are available, along with the webinar's PowerPoint presentation, above.
Application Workshop - Drop-in Q/A	April 26, 2023 Please note, this is not a formal presentation, nor will it be recorded. The Drop-in Q/A is an opportunity to have your questions addressed by CCI staff in real-time. So that everyone's time can be used efficiently, we ask that you review the grant guidelines, application preview, and Frequently Asked Questions in advance!
Application Deadline	May 10 at 12 p.m. (Noon)
Panel Review	Week of June 19
Award Notifications Sent	June 28 by 5 p.m.
Period of Support	July 2023 – July 2024

QUESTIONS & SUPPORT

CCI staff are here to help! For questions related to the grant guidelines or application, email us at grants@cciarts.org or give us a call at 415.288.0530 during our office hours on Monday and Wednesday from 10 am to 2 pm. For Deaf applicants and those with hearing loss, contact CCI using the California Relay Service—our staff are trained in making and receiving these calls.

If you need technical assistance (e.g., password or upload issues), request support at: https://www.submittable.com/help/submitter/. Submittable’s business hours are 9 am – 5 pm MT. They aim to respond within 24 business hours.