Durham Arts Council
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copyright © 1998-2007
Durham Arts Council, Inc.
120 Morris Street
Durham, NC 27701
919.560.ARTS









Come face-to-face with the arts in Durham.

Artist Information

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Q&A: Season Grant Program

Click here to see a list of the 2007-08 grantees.

Congratulations to the 2007-2008 Durham Arts Council’s Season Grantees!
Click on above link to see list of Season Grantees.

When is the information session?
Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 6 p.m. in Adaron Hall, Durham Arts Council Building

What is the deadline for application?
9:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3, 2008 - For projects taking place between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009. NOTE: First time applicants must meet with Margaret DeMott, Director of Artist Services, to discuss their application.

Who may apply?
Applicants must be a non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status based in Durham County or providing at least 50% of programming in Durham County.

What projects are eligible?
You may apply for support for a single project or for general operations. Season Grants may not be used to support fundraising activities.

What can I apply for?
You may apply for cash and/or for use of space in the Durham Arts Council building. There is no set limit on how much you may request. However, no applicant will receive more than 15% of the total Season Grant funds. For FY 2007-2008 the average cash grant awarded was $3,800 with cash grants ranging from $0 to $12,920.

Space grants varied from ongoing use of office, meeting, rehearsal and performance space for an organization to the use of a theatre for a single concert. The Durham Arts Council building is a 52,000 sq. ft., city owned, community arts center that contains spaces for dance, theatre and music rehearsals, meeting rooms, offices, exhibit and performance spaces. As part of your Season Grant request you may ask for use of these spaces for a particular project or for on-going operations. There are fees associated with use of granted space in the building.

What are the criteria by which DAC evaluates applications?
Criteria for evaluating applications are:

  1. quality of art or arts experience,
  2. applicant’s history of responsible management,
  3. feasibility of programming and its effectiveness in fulfilling applicant’s mission,
  4. resource that the project or organization represents for the community,
  5. applicant’s mechanism to solicit input/opinion/participation from members of more than one racial/ethnic group as appropriate to the mission of the organization, and
  6. impact of project

Who evaluates the applications?
A panel of area artists and arts professionals reviews and scores each application. The panel reviews the entire body of applications and recommends grant awards to the DAC Board of Trustees. The DAC Board of Trustees then must approve the recommendations of the panel for the process to be complete. We are currently planning to complete the review of applications by late June 2008.

Why does DAC ask about the participation of people from more than one racial/ethnic background?
DDurham Arts Council recognizes that more than 50% of Durham’s population is African-American, Asian-American, Latino or Native American. As a steward of public and private funds, DAC strives to provide a representative portion of grant support for arts programming that reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of the County. While we do not expect that every application will propose to serve all cultures represented by Durham’s population, we will look for proposals that explain how the applicant has invited and encouraged representatives of different cultures to participate in the program(s) whether as artists, administrators, audience members or volunteers. We believe that, as appropriate to their missions, the on-going stability of community arts organizations is fortified by their ability to draw on more than one racial/ethnic culture for resources, energy and vision.

Where does the money for Season Grants come from?
The Season Grant Program is funded by the gifts of private individuals and corporations to the Durham Arts Council Annual Arts Fund, the City of Durham, and by the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, with funding from the state of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. DAC does not require a specific match for a cash grant, however, we will look for evidence that the applicant has actively pursued more than one source for the resources needed and does not expect DAC to provide everything through this Season Grant.

What is the timeline for application, and are there other important dates?
2008-2009 Season Grants are designed to support activities happening between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009. "Notifications of Intent" are due by Monday, January 28, 2008 . Information Session is on Thursday, January 17, 2008 6 p.m. in the DAC Building. Applications are due at the DAC Building by 9:00 p.m. on Monday, March 3,2008. You will be notified of the final awards in June of 2008. For those receiving cash grants, funds should be available in October 2008. Final reports will be due in late June, 2009.

How do I apply for a Season Grant?
If you have never submitted a Season Grant application to Durham Arts Council you must review your proposal with Margaret DeMott, DAC Director of Artist Services, (919-560-2720) before you complete your application. If you have submitted an application before but have questions about the application or your proposal, call Margaret DeMott. Fill out the Season Grant Application form and submit 8 copies (including the signed original) of the application (all pages) and appropriate copies of supporting materials to:

Office of Artist Services
Durham Arts Council, Inc.
120 Morris Street
Durham, NC 27701

Where do I get the application form?

  • You can pick up an application at the front desk of the DAC Building after December 1, 2007.
  • You can call the Artist Services Office, (919) 560-2720 and request an application after December 1, 2007
  • You can download the application and guidelines  [Word] [PDF]
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