Community Traditions Grants

In partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The Institute for Cultural Partnerships, in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA), is sponsoring Community Traditions, a new small grants program in support of community traditions in Pennsylvania. The awards are available to individual Arts & Heritage and community-based organizations seeking to strengthen the awareness of and participation in folk and traditional arts rooted in communities throughout Pennsylvania. The grants are intended to serve as a catalyst for creating sustainable activities in the folk and traditional arts.

Current Deadline is July 2, 2002. All projects must be completed within six (6) months of receipt of funds.

GENERAL GUIDELINES
The program provides funds to individual folk Arts & Heritage and community-based organizations that have not received funding from the PCA within the last three years. Grant awards are non-matching and will generally not exceed $1,000.

While we recognize the value of each of these, this program does not fund:

• Oral history projects
• Theatrical presentations of community history
• Historical reproductions or reenactments
• Proposals must address one or more of the following project outcomes:
• projects that provide individuals and communities opportunities to explore, value, and understand their own arts and cultural heritage;
• projects that help individuals and communities gain access to resources that help them document, preserve, practice and/or teach their arts and cultural heritage within their own community and to others;
• projects that assist individuals and communities identify opportunities to serve as valued resources in their own or in other communities; or
• projects that help individuals or communities create dialogue across difference and build common ground.

HOW TO APPLY
If you have questions or would like to discuss your project idea, contact Carlos Fernandez at the address below. To apply, applicants should send a letter to ICP at the address below describing:

1. what you want to do and how the funds will be used;
2. how your proposed project will help to increase awareness of or participation in your community tradition(s) according to the Project Outcomes identified above;
3. a detailed budget and timeline;
4. biographical information (or a resume) for those most directly involved with the project; and
5. a letter of recommendation from someone who can attest to the importance of this project for raising awareness of community traditions within your community or increasing participation in those traditions

Work samples (photos, slides, a video or audio tape) may be requested by ICP after receipt of the application materials. ICP will contact you if work samples are required

AFTER YOUR APPLICATION IS RECEIVED
Proposals will be reviewed promptly, and applicants will have an answer within six weeks. If your proposal is chosen for a grant award, you will then receive a contract to return to ICP, and we will send you your grant award letter.

For our own record, and as a way of documenting the impact of these grants, we will send award recipients a disposable camera along with the contract and ask that a set of pictures with captions telling the story of the project be sent to us at the close of the project

All application materials should be sent to:

Carlos A. Fernandez, Folklife Specialist
Institute for Cultural Partnerships
3211 North Front St., Suite 104
Harrisburg, PA 17110-1342
Telephone: 717/238-1770
Fax: 717/238-3336