Arts in Education Artist Residency Grants

Reminder: Please review general grant eligibility and guidelines before proceeding.

About

This category is designed to give schools and school districts funding to bring artists into the classroom, either virtually or in person, for a residency during the fall semester of 2022 or spring semester of 2023. Grant funding supports standards-based, long-term (10 days and longer) artist residencies that provide students with the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge and skills in the arts. Educators and artists collaborate to design an artist residency that meets the specific needs of the school and engages students in hands-on, participatory arts learning. At a minimum, artists work with the same group of students for 10 days during the residency. Residency days and weeks do not have to be consecutive.

Who may Apply

Pre K–12 schools and school districts in North Carolina may apply for this funding.

Scope and allowable expenses

Grant amounts range from $5,000 to $15,000. Grant funds may be used for artist fees, marketing, contractual fees, artist/contractor travel, and other project-related expenses. Grants may not fund fees for student artists and ensembles. All grants must be matched dollar for dollar except those serving rural, low-wealth counties designated Tier 1, which are eligible for 75 to 100 percent funding. Organizations must make a strong case for financial need if the cash match is less than one-to-one.

Project period

All grant funds must be expended on activities that take place between July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023.

How we make funding decisions

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

Artistic proficiency

• Quality of the artists involved in the residency (professional artists with a demonstrated body of work).
• Appropriate payment to artists

Project impact

• Potential for long-term impact on students
• Strength of education goals and curricular connections
• Involvement of teaching artists as integral to the project and participation, and reflective of student demographics when appropriate.

Potential for successful implementation

• Quality and clarity of project plans and potential for proposed activities to meet project goals.
• Strength of management and resources necessary to carry out the project (i.e., appropriate budget, appropriate resources, qualifications of project personnel).
• Appropriate evaluation strategies and performance measurements to assess student learning that reflects attainment of specific project goals.
• Evidence of financial commitment and letters of support from partners.

Application information

Submit your application through the GO Smart grant portal. Applicants will be asked to provide the following information. The information must address the funding criteria.

Profile questions
In addition to contact information, you will be asked to submit your organization’s mission statement, an organizational history, and both an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number.

Application narrative

1. In one or two paragraphs, provide a clear and concise overview of your proposed artist residency project.  Summarize what will happen and who will be involved in achieving your goals.
2. Provide a brief description of the planning process that occurred prior to submitting this grant proposal. Include 1) the involvement of artists, school personnel and other key partners and 2) dates, location, and purpose of all planning meetings.
3. Provide a description of each artist (artistic company members and/or independent teaching artists) and contractor involved in the project. Include: 1) their credentials; 2) relevant experience working with the target population; 3) rate of payment for their services; and 4) racial and cultural composition.
4. Provide a description of the intended participants, including the age/grade level for the core group(s) of students and any other information about demographics.
5. Include two or three participant goals. One or more of these goals must support N.C. Arts Education Essential Standards. Explain how these goals will impact participants.
6. Provide a detailed description and timeline for all project activities. For classes and workshops, include the number and length of sessions and the age/grade level of participants. Explain how these activities support the goals and arts standards identified in question #5 above.
7. Describe the specific strategies that will be used to assess student learning and evaluate the residency. Explain how these assessment/evaluation strategies support the goals and arts standards identified in question #5 above.

Support materials and work samples
Applications without support materials and work samples will not be considered. Work samples should provide evidence of the quality of the artists’ work (not student work). No headshots or highly edited promotional videos will be accepted.

All applicants must upload the following support materials:

• Signed letters of intent from the teaching artist(s)
• Résumé(s) of proposed artist(s)
• For artist(s) work samples, please upload:  up to 5 images, or up to 5 pages of writing, or up to 5 minutes of video