Community/Artist Partnership Program - 2013 Guidelines
Alternate ROOTS supports the creation and presentation of original art that is rooted in community, place, tradition or spirit. We are a group of artists and cultural organizers based in the South creating a better world together. As Alternate ROOTS, we call for social and economic justice and are working to dismantle all forms of oppression - everywhere.
The Community/Artists Partnership Program (C/APP) was initiated in 1993 to provide artists community training, technical assistance, and project support in the field of community-based arts. All program activities are meant to foster exemplary and equitable collaborations between artists and the communities with which they partner.
C/APP best expresses and manifests the organization’s mission to “support the creation and presentation of original art, in all its forms, which is rooted in a particular community of place, tradition or spirit.” C/APP’s focus is building equitable and reciprocal partnerships, and to foster relationships between artists and community that connect theories of social and economic justice and practice. The essence of C/APP is using the arts to build effective partnerships in pursuit of individual and community transformation. This is the heart of Alternate ROOTS.
C/APP Goals and Objectives
ROOTS aims to transform an organization that is a formidable network of artists and cultural workers, leveraging their creativity, talent and training to become a significant resource for artists and local communities throughout the region. C/APP’s objective is to build strong partnerships and collaborations that extend or deepen the presence of artists within a community, at home or on the road. Additionally, the organization wishes to support projects that may highlight existing community assets or address critical local issues in communities that are deeply impacted by social and economic injustices. Partnering with local communities’ projects may include convening events that foster dialogue between and amongst artists and community members. These events may serve as a vehicle for creation of new works, performances, exhibitions, workshops, case studies and other activities that explore the power of art as a force for social and economic justice.
Alternate ROOTS seeks applications for the next round of project(s) support. Local partners may be in urban, rural, or suburban communities. C/APP partners may be established social services organizations, arts and cultural presenting organizations, a group of teachers, neighborhood and community associations, an extended family or a group organized around an issue, cause, or concern; C/APP seeks groups interested in illustrating, targeting, and leveraging local assets, both material and immaterial, in the struggle to transform individuals and local communities.
C/APP Added Value
ROOTS will be a central partner; arts projects with a community engagement component will have the added benefit of ROOTS’ resources of staff, artists, educators, cultural workers, administrators, activists, facilitators, and trainers to support building equitable, reciprocal partnerships with key individuals and organizations in local communities.
C/APP Guidelines
This application is open to projects at any stage of development, from idea or concept, to ready for presentation. ROOTS may support project(s) for a maximum of two years. Project support may range from $5,000 to $25,000; ROOTS will make decisions based upon the scope, scale, and stated outcomes of the projects, and alignment with the goals, objectives and outcomes of the program.
All projects must take place within the Alternate ROOTS service area, which consists of the following: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C.
Application Process
The C/APP Presentation application process will happen in the following three parts.
Part I: Preliminary Application
- Online application launch on Friday, February 15, 2013 (printed version available upon request)
- Application process closes on Friday, March 29
- Preliminary panel meets to make selections for site visits (notification to applicants on April 12)
- Site visits by Alternate ROOTS team (April 22 – May 22)
- Panel meets to review assessments and make final decisions (May 24 – 25)
- Project(s) will be notified of final decisions (May 27)
- Project(s) prepare for launch during ROOTS Week 2013 (August 6 – 11)
- Community Organizing Learning Exchange (October 2013)
Successful projects will address one or more of the following:
- Uprooting racism or other forms of oppression
- Uphold the values of individual and community transformation
- Engage diverse segments of the communities as defined by the applicant
- Research or create new artworks or collaborations with a community, an organization, an individual and/or other ROOTS members in the region
- Develop new relationships or strengthen existing ones between artists/arts organizations and non-arts groups
- Create cultural exchanges between/within immigrant communities
Proposals will be evaluated along the following criteria:
- Project applicants demonstrate an ongoing commitment to community-based work
- A clear indication that the project activities are realistic and feasible within the proposed timeline
- Demonstrated artistic ability of all artistic partners
- Clearly articulated goals and outcomes used to evaluate the project
- Budget is appropriate for the scope and scale of the project
- Opportunities for the inclusion of local artists to engage in the project (if applicable)
- Clearly articulate potential for long-term impact and/or continuation of the creative experimentation
The artist or artistic company collaborating in this project must be a voting member of Alternate ROOTS in good standing. If you are not sure if you qualify, please contact Shannon Turner, Manager of Programs and Services, at 404-577-1079 or email her at Shannon@alternateroots.org.
Funding for the Community/Artist Partnership Program is provided by the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Surdna Foundation, the Joan Mitchell Foundation and the generous support of our members and friends.
Click here to apply online. A downloadable version of the application is attached below. If you would prefer to fill out the downloadable application, please e-mail the final version to capp@alternateroots.org.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| 2013 CAPP Guidelines.pdf | 1.33 MB |
| 2013 CAPP Guidelines - large print.docx | 615.3 KB |
| 2013 CAPP Presentation Application.docx | 116.24 KB |