CITY OF BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY ARTS GRANT PROGRAM
This program is funded and made possible by the City of Birmingham and administered by Create Birmingham.
2023 COMMUNITY ARTS GRANTS AWARDED
Bare Hands + Dewon Moton + Woodlawn Neighborhood Association
Day of the Dead Altar Workshops and Mural Creation
This grant will support altar-making workshops that give Birmingham residents the opportunity to learn about the traditions of the Day of the Dead and create personal altars to honor and remember loved ones. Muralist Dewon Moton will work with students to create a mural at Day of the Dead inspired by the altars created.
Magic City Poetry Festival + Yogi Dada + St. John AME Church
GRAFFICA LIVE! 2023
This grant will support an evening of poetry performances, African drumming, dance, sign language to music, yoga, a screening of Yogi Dada’s film GRAFFICA, and a panel discussion. The collaboration will expose a diverse audience to the beauty and power of Black creativity in the communal historical setting of a Black church.
Metropolitan Youth Orchestras of Central AL + St. Paul United Methodist Church
A Place in the Choir Gospel Festival
This grant will support a two-day gospel festival that will include free workshops, a recital by Metropolitan Youth Orchestra students and local artists, and an all-day exhibition of the St. Paul Choir, MYOCA ensembles, and local gospel groups. The event will celebrate the style, technique, and historical significance of gospel music.
Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema + Birmingham Public Library Association
Beyond the Screen
This grant will support a film education program for Birmingham residents at local libraries that introduces the terminology and techniques of making a movie. Participants will meet professionals in the field to learn about filmmaking as a career and explore the role of media in our society and the importance of creating it responsibly.
GRANT PROGRAM GUIDELINES
The Community Arts Grant Program will support community arts collaborations that benefit the City of Birmingham with grants of $10,000 each. Funded projects will take place between March 1 and December 1, 2023.
Each community collaboration supported will be a partnership between an artist or arts organization and a community organization from a non-arts sector. The primary partner must have nonprofit status and be located within the municipality of the City of Birmingham.
Funded projects will use the arts to address an issue impacting the City of Birmingham, will take place in one or more of the City of Birmingham communities and neighborhoods listed here, and will be accessible to the public.
Examples of issues addressed include but are not limited to civic advocacy and engagement, public health or safety, racial justice, restorative justice, education, and social or legal services.
Collaborations eligible for funding include but are not limited to workshops, performances, concerts, festivals, demonstrations, screenings, and readings.
Priority consideration will be given to projects involving small to mid-sized arts organizations and/or individual artists. Projects may be first-time collaborations or continuations of existing work.
Each project must identify two lead partners. Organizations and individuals may not serve as lead partners on more than one application.
Projects must provide 1:2 matching funds (50 cents for every dollar awarded). The total budget must be at least $15,000: $10,000 to be covered by this grant if awarded and $5,000 in matching funds drawn from other sources. Matching funds may be in-kind, cash, or a combination of both.
Applications will be reviewed by a nine-person panel appointed by the Birmingham City Council. The funding criteria and scoring rubric will be available for reference throughout the application process.
Questions may be emailed to communityarts@createbirmingham.org. Staff will also be available for 30-minute meetings in person and via Zoom that can be requested by email at this same address.
Complete details on eligible applicants and projects can be found below under Eligibility Check and Grant Application Requirements.
KEY DATES
November 25, 2022 at 5:00 pm: Eligibility Check materials due
November 30, 2022: Notification of eligibility to apply
December 30, 2022 at 5:00 pm: Application due
January 3-27, 2023: Panel review of applications
February 3, 2023: Notification of funding decisions
February 10, 2023: Grant agreements completed
February 28, 2023: Grant funds disbursed
March 1-December 1, 2023: Project period for funded activities
December 8, 2023: Project reports due
FIRST ROUND: ELIGIBILITY CHECK
Open October 31, 2022 through November 25, 2022 at 5:00 pm
If both partners have nonprofit status, the arts organization should serve as the primary partner for the application process. Applicants will be notified of qualification for the second round of consideration by November 30th. All Eligibility Check submissions must provide the following documentation to advance to the second round of consideration.
- City of Birmingham business license,
- IRS 501c3 letter of exemption,
- Documentation of City of Birmingham business address,
- IRS Form-990 for the most recently completed fiscal year,
- Audit or financial statement for the most recently completed fiscal year, and
- List of current board of directors.
SECOND ROUND: APPLICATION
Open December 1, 2022 through December 30, 2022 at 5:00 pm
All eligible applicants must submit an application that will include:
- A description of the project including timeline and location,
- A description of both partners and their roles in the project,
- A description of how the project serves City of Birmingham citizens,
- A project budget form detailing expenses and sources of matching funds,
- A partnership agreement form signed by both partners, and
- An IRS Form W-9 signed by the primary partner.
PANEL REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS
January 3, 2023 through January 27, 2023
An initial application review will be conducted by Create Birmingham staff to confirm that all applications are complete.
Applications will then be evaluated by a panel consisting of one representative from each of the City of Birmingham’s nine districts, selected by their respective City Council members.
The scoring rubric that will be used by the panel to evaluate applications can be found here.
NOTIFICATION
Applicants will be notified of the status of their proposal by February 3, 2023, with grant agreements to be completed by February 10, 2023.
Funds will be disbursed by February 28, 2023 for project activities taking place between March 1, 2023 and December 1, 2023.
REPORTING
A brief narrative and financial update will be required 60 days before key project activities, on a date to be determined as part of the grant agreement.
A brief final narrative and financial report will be due by December 8, 2023, or 60 days after the completion of the project, whichever comes first.
Under the terms of the grant agreement, grantees must agree to an audit of project expenses if requested by Create Birmingham or the City of Birmingham.