Grants | CEL

Creative Communities

are Thriving Communities

Photo: Gowri Savoor

Thriving Communities Project Grants

We believe that creative communities are thriving communities.

We believe that teaching artists can play an essential catalytic role
in the greater success of their communities.

We envision a Vermont where teaching artists thrive as central contributors to the health and sustainability of all of our communities.

Summary

2019 Project Grants

We support teaching artists to bring people together to create public artworks that strengthen awareness of a pressing social challenge and opportunity.

Who May Apply

We are seeking Vermont teaching artists of all disciplines who want to have a leadership role in developing more equitable, healthy and sustainable communities.

Essential Question

For the 2019 grants, all projects will explore the essential question:

The Earth is speaking—how do we respond?

Support

What We Support

Each Thriving Communities Project Grant will range from $7,000-$10,000, and include the following:

$4,000-$7,000 for teaching artist fees (based on $250/day for planning and $450/day for implementation)
$2,500 full scholarship to attend the Teaching Artist Academy (Sep. 13-15 & Oct 11-13, 2019). Includes tuition, lodging and meals. LEARN MORE
$500 in marketing support to help advertise and promote project

We will award 5 to 8 grants to teaching artists who are full-time residents of Vermont.

How do we define "teaching artist?" A New Framework for Understanding the Field of Teaching Artistry, by Eric Booth.

What We Don't Support

We expect that each project will require additional funding to cover the following expenses, which will be the responsibility of the teaching artist/community team:

Project supplies

Artwork installation
Travel expenses
Social event costs connected to the community building efforts

Teaching Artist Academy

All grantees will be awarded full scholarships to attend the Teaching Artist Academy, at Galusha Hill Farm Lodge in Topsham, September 13-15 and October 11-13, 2019.

The Academy provides a unique opportunity to work with the top leaders in teaching artistry, including Eric Booth, who is widely described as the father of the teaching artist profession, and Judith Bose, who was the first full-time teaching artist hired by Lincoln Center.

Participants will refine their project plans and expand their skills and boldness in project design and implementation, partnership building, and fundraising. LEARN MORE

Details

Grant & Project Timeline

2019

February 15: Letter of Interest due
April 1: Full proposal due
Mid-April: Grants awarded
September 13-15: Teaching Artist Academy – Session 1
October 11-13: Teaching Artist Academy – Session 2
October 13: 1st grant payment of 10% for project planning
December 1: Final project plans and timeline submitted

2020

February–June: second payment of 50% at the beginning of project implementation; third payment of 20% at time of the local culminating event
July 25: Final payment of 20% following presentation at the Festival of Arts & Imagination in Montpelier.

One World Festival

of Arts & Imagination

The resulting artworks will have two public presentations:

Each project team will present their artwork in their local community in the winter/spring of 2020, at a time and location determined by their project plan.
All project teams will present their works at the Festival of Arts & Imagination in Montpelier on July 24-25, 2020.

The One World Festival explores and advances the way arts and artists work in complex social change—and the way in which collaborating with artists helps us perceive the world in new ways and build pathways around obstacles to social change.

The festival will bring together artists, environmentalists, low-carbon and sustainable energy thought leaders and everyday citizens to inspire new pathways to climate action.

The One World Festival celebrates the power of creativity to inspire us to imagine and build more thriving communities.

Application Process

There is a two-step application process:

Submit an online Letter of Interest (LOI) by 11:59pm on February 15, 2019.
Following a review of the LOI submissions, a select number of applicants will be invited to submit a full application, which will be due April 1.

Grants will be awarded by mid-April.

Check out the FAQ page for answers to common questions. This page will be updated regularly.