DCASE News - Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events

DCASE CULTURAL GRANTS PROGRAM 

2014 Application Deadlines and Training Dates Announced

 

The mission of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is to enrich Chicago's artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. To support this mission, DCASE provides more than $1 million a year in direct funding for Chicago's arts community through its Cultural Grants Program. Designed to reach artists and nonprofit organizations within every community of the city of Chicago, grants provide operating funds for nonprofit organizations and project support for individual artists to create or develop work or engage in professional development activities. Grants are awarded through a competitive review process.

 

Announcing 2014 Cultural Grants Program Deadlines

 

Individual Artists Program

The goal of the DCASE Individual Artists Program (IAP) is to discover, nurture, and expand Chicago's individual artists. IAP provides project-based funding for practicing artists and creative professionals to:

(1)  Develop or create artistic work; or

(2)  Participate in high quality training or professional development opportunities.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Through this program, DCASE will award $2,000-$4,000 grants to Chicago-based artists over 18 years of age, at all career levels and working across numerous disciplines.

 

2014 Grant Calendar:

  • Online Application Opens: Friday, December 6, 2013 at 9am CST
  • Due Date: Monday, January 13, 2014 at 5pm CST

 

CityArts

The CityArts Program encourages the attainment of artistic excellence and financial stability through general operating support for Chicago-based nonprofit arts and culture organizations. Through CityArts, DCASE provides one-year, general operating support grants to organizations with annual budgets under $5,000,000 that offer vibrant artistic or cultural programming to the city's residents.

 

2014 Grant Calendar:

  • Online Application Opens: Friday, January 24, 2014 at 9am CST
  • Due Date: Monday, March 3, 2014 at 5pm CST

 

Grant Training Opportunities

 

The Chicago Artists Coalition presents: GRANTED: Strengthening your grant proposals 

An A.B.C. - Art.Business.Create 20/20 panel discussion with one-on-one reviews

  • Date: Thursday, November 14, 5:30-8:30pm
  • Location: Chicago Artists Coalition, 217 N. Carpenter St., Chicago, IL 60607
  • Who Should Attend: Arts practitioners of all disciplines who are interested in improving their grant application skills.
  • Speakers: Grantmakers from DCASE, threewalls/Propeller Fund, the Chicago Dance Maker Forum, the Illinois Arts Council, and the Maker Grant.
  • Description: In this workshop, artists will hear from the top individual-artist grant makers in Chicago about how to approach grant writing in a way that results in a clear and effective application. Immediately following the panel, artists will have the chance to sit down with a grant maker for 15 to 20 minutes to review artist statements, project budgets, work samples, and etc.
  • Registration is $10 for CAC members, and $15 for the general public

 

DCASE Application Assistance Workshops

The DCASE Cultural Grants Team will offer Application Assistance Workshops for Cultural Grant Program applicants. Workshops will review updates to grant guidelines and review criteria, and provide tips and guidance to help applicants to prepare the strongest, most competitive applications possible. All applicants encouraged to attend. All workshops are free of charge and will be held at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St. The schedule is as follows:  

 

Individual Artists Program Applicants:

  • Thursday, Nov. 21, 10am-12pm: 5th floor Washington Room
  • Thursday, Nov. 21, 2-4pm: 5th floor Washington Room
  • Thursday, Dec. 5, 1-3pm: 1st floor Garland Room
  • Wednesday, Dec. 11, 10am-12pm: 5th floor Garland Room
  • Wednesday, Dec. 11, 5pm-7pm: 1st floor Garland Room

 

CityArts Applicants:

  • Wednesday, January 8, 1-3pm: 1st floor Garland Room
  • Thursday, January 9, 10am-12pm: 1st floor Garland Room
  • Thursday, January 9, 2-4pm: 1st floor Garland Room
  • Wednesday, January 15, 12-2pm: 1st floor Garland Room
  • Wednesday, January 15, 5-7pm: 5th floor Garland Room

 

Name That Grant Contest

We need your help renaming the "Individual Artists Program" Grant to something a bit more creative and catchy. Enter your bid to rename this grant program and make your mark on the city's creative scene. Establish your legacy! (And win a prize if you win! The Chicago Artists Resource is offering a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com to boot.) Let's see what you've got! The contest closes December 31.

 

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