The Express Grants program is open to organizations in rural communities of 50,000 people or less, the EGP offers expedited awards of up to $2,000 supporting the presentation of touring artists.
Donor Name: South Arts
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: Ongoing
Size of the Grant: up to $2,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
South Arts believes that rural communities deserve great art, and can require specialized support to make that vision viable.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must program arts experiences featuring a Southern artist. Express Grants can be used to support fees for presenting Southern guest film directors, visual and performing artists, or writers from inside or outside of the presenter’s state. Touring support is awarded for film (documentary, fiction, experimental and animation), performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater and dance), literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry), traditional arts, and visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media). Projects must include both a public presentation (film screening, performance, reading or exhibition) and an educational component.
South Arts is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. They have prioritized this commitment to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led organizations, LGBTQIA+ led organizations, and organizations led by people with disabilities are represented as both applicants and grantees. In addition, they encourage applications for projects that engage BIPOC artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, and artists with disabilities. Their guidelines also acknowledge the current realities of the presenting and touring field. For the 2022-2023 grant cycle, they will again accept applications for virtual presentations and for the engagement of local artists, and we will temporarily adjust the cash match requirement from a dollar-for-dollar cash match to a 50% cash match.
Funding Information
- Express Grants support rural organizations and communities with expedited grants of up to $2,000.
- Projects must take place between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023.
Eligibility Criteria
- Only nonprofit and governmental presenting organizations in South Arts’ nine-state region are eligible to apply. South Arts’ nine-state region includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. For the purposes of these guidelines, presenters are defined as organizations that present or host guest artists for engagements in their communities.
- Only organizations in rural communities are eligible for this grant program. For the purposes of these guidelines, a standard definition of rural is a population of 50,000 or below.
- Applicants must have not-for-profit, tax-exempt status, be an official unit of local, county, or state government, or be a federally recognized tribal community. For nonprofit applicants, tax-exempt status will be verified by a third party entity. Governmental applicants must provide proof of government status. South Arts does not accept applications from fiscal agents for this grant program.
- Applications will not be accepted from organizations that do not have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Learn more about obtaining a UEI here.
- Eligible projects must take place in South Arts’ nine-state region. Unless there are special circumstances, projects should take place in the applicant’s state (please contact South Arts to discuss special conditions).
- Eligible projects must include the engagement of a performing or visual artist, film director, writer, or an artist ensemble/company that resides in South Arts’ region. The engagement can include a guest artist that resides within or outside of the applicant’s state. Supported disciplines include film (documentary, fiction, experimental, and animation), performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater, and dance), literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry), traditional arts, and visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media).
- Need help finding a Southern artist? View artists who have been supported by South Arts in the past or look through our State Arts Agency partners’ rosters.
- Screening partners currently receiving funding through South Arts’ Southern Circuit program are not eligible to receive additional funding for the Southern Circuit film screenings.
- Applicants currently receiving funding through South Arts’ Presentation Grants or Traditional Arts Touring program are not eligible for this grant program.
- Applicants are limited to one Express Grant application per South Arts fiscal year.
- Applicants who have failed to submit final reports for any previous South Arts grant by the application deadline for this program will not be considered for funding in this grant cycle.
- Applicants who fail to properly acknowledge South Arts’ AND the National Endowment for the Arts’ support in programs and press materials may not be considered for future funding.
For more information, visit South Arts.
