Deadline: 16-Mar-21
The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) is accepting Letters of Interest (LOIs) for the LIFT – Early Career Support for Native Artists Program that will provide invaluable support to early-career Native artists with one-year awards to develop and realize new projects.
The program encourages artists to uplift communities, advance positive social change, point courageously toward environmental sustainability, and foster communal meaning-making. The program will consist of a suite of activities that includes grantmaking, artist professional development, and artist convening.
The primary objectives of this opportunity are to support artists who are developing their voices and for whom the award may serve as a launching point in their career.
Program Services
- Grantmaking: One-year awards of $10,000.
- Professional development: Artist awardees will participate in training facilitated by NACF and designed to provide education around project management, small business development, career advancement, and artistic development.
- Convening: Bringing current recipient artists together to share best practices, develop relationships and in subsequent years, bringing together artists from each of the award cycles.
- Culturally Appropriate Evaluation: Support from NACF to develop project deliverables, outcomes and internal/external NACF program reports.
- Communications and marketing support.
- In response to a pandemic environment, some of these services will be offered in virtual environments, as needed or possible.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible for the LIFT program, applicants must:
- Be 18 years or older;
- Currently reside in the United States;
- Be an enrolled member or citizen of a federally-recognized or state-recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska Native corporation, or of Native Hawaiian ancestry. Applicants will be asked to provide documentation of their Native citizenship or ancestry.
- Be an individual practicing artist working in the disciplines of dance/choreography, fiction/poetry writing, film/video, multi-disciplinary arts, music, performance art, theater and screenplay writing, traditional arts or 2D + 3D visual arts.
- Be early in their artistic career with ten years or less experience. Early career may be defined as an artist who is 18-30 years old, or who is more than 30 years old, but who started their arts career later in life.
- Not have received a singular award of $10,000 or more in their artistic career;
- NOT BE enrolled in a university or higher education institution during the 12-month award period.
Review Criteria
Panelists will review applications using the following criteria:
- Project Explorations: Applicants will describe the work’s style, format, themes, and process of creation. Public presentation of the work is required and depending on the pandemic environment, the virtual presentation will be considered. Applicants will describe the issue(s) to be addressed, its significance to the community or communities, and the impact the project will have in addressing the issue(s).
- Artistic Experience: Artistic experience is demonstrated through technical skills, originality, innovation, inspiration, and the distinctive niche of the artist(s), as indicated by work samples; training, apprenticeships, and/or education.
- Financial Capacity: Financial capacity is demonstrated by the viability of the project budget. If the project budget is more than the maximum $10,000 grant amount, artists must demonstrate other support for the project (for example other grants, in-kind contributions, earned income, etc.). Note that a minimum of $2,500 of the $10,000 must go the artist as a stipend. The remaining funds may be spent on production, presentation, engagement, supplies, etc.
For more information, visit https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/programs/lift