Many independent artists wish to design and accomplish “socially-engaged” projects wherein experiences and products are co-created and/or interactive with invited or open participation. These two Residency Grant Programs supports artists in providing community-based, participatory projects. NEAR and CO-OP residencies take place in self-selected non-arts venues throughout the City of Los Angeles in order to gather, connect, and inspire audiences with underserved or little exposure to artistic and cultural opportunities. These residency projects engage participants in a series of artist-led workshops that are highly participatory and/or educational, and which match thoughtful and meaningful exchanges with appropriate audiences at host organizations in each City Council District.
DCA will provide NEAR grants for up to 22 separate teaching artists (ideally one in each of the City’s fifteen Council Districts). NEAR residencies will consist of twelve sessions including at least one culminating event.
DCA will provide CO-OP grants for up to 15 separate teaching artist residencies that pair social justice organizations with teaching-artists, with an emphasis on projects in the federally recognized South LA- Promise Zone (City Council Districts 8, 9, 10 and 15, south of the 10 freeway and north of 228th St). CO-OP residencies will consist of eleven workshop sessions with one public culminating event.
The overall number of NEAR and CO-OP grants and their contract-amounts will be contingent on DCA’s budget for its upcoming fiscal year.
For NEAR proposals, highest ranking is given to residency proposals that will bring thematically appropriate projects into non-arts venues, such as social service centers, senior centers, social benefit agencies, community centers, recreation facilities, libraries, youth centers, rehabilitation centers, family resource centers, health care facilities, hotels, malls/business centers, science/research facilities, transit centers and faith-based organizations. In regard to faith-based organizations, note projects DCA does not fund proposals that are primarily religious in nature or intent, unless a special case is made that the proposed artistic services are multi-denominational in nature or intent. Secondary priority is given to residencies taking place in DCA facilities and schools if they supplement the usual activities.
CO-OP Residency grants support collaborations between social justice organizations and teaching-artists in any district of the City of LA, with special emphasis on the federally recognized Promise Zone of South LA (City Council Districts 8, 9, 10 and 15, south of the 10 freeway and north of 228th St.). Applications should be submitted by the social justice organization naming the teaching artist proposed for the residency (unless the artist is employed at a local, partnering non-profit arts organization). The teaching-artist should not already be affiliated with the same social justice organization (already employed performing the proposed or other services); as the priority of the CO-OP grant program is to connect freelance artists and social justice organizations for new projects (entirely new or in a pilot phase of less than 4 years) Small artist ensemble can be eligible if the social justice organization is willing to employ 1-3 assistant artists under the direction of a lead artist whose community-based practice has been largely self-developed and remains primarily self-directed.
NEAR and CO-OP GOALS
- Supply creative arts resources to neighborhood host/partner organizations in each Council District by providing direct and intimate access to contemporary teaching-artists;
- Support projects that will consistently engage no less than 20 participants on some topic of thematic learning, and the group will culminate their workshops by staging a final presentation to be view by no less than 40 other individuals.
- Sponsor the implementation of educational-participatory 6 or 12 session residencies by a spectrum of the City’s most qualified teaching-artists; and,
- Provide host organizations offering little or no arts programming with opportunities to test or develop new services, and envision the integration of either an artist-employee, a new branch of programs into its core service, or a new collaboration with a local arts-organization.
- To position arts and creative activities in organizations with little or no arts programming that wish to build opportunities to test or develop new services, and envision the integration of either an artist-employee or a new branch of programs into its core services