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A new, multi-year program supporting BIPOC-led and -serving arts and cultural organizations.
South Arts is pleased to announce the Southern Cultural Treasures: a $6,000,000, four-year initiative supporting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) -led and -serving arts and cultural organizations throughout the Southeast.
This cohort is made up of 17 organizations that represent BIPOC arts and community-driven stewardship throughout the nine-state region that includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
Birmingham, AL
Art2Action Inc
Tampa, FL
Ashé Cultural Arts Center
New Orleans, LA
Asia Institute – Crane House
Louisville, KY
B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center
Indianola, MS
Ballethnic Dance Company Inc
East Point, GA
Catawba Nation Cultural Division
Rock Hill, SC
Collage Dance Collective
Memphis, TN
Colour of Music Festival
Charleston, SC
Deep Center, Inc
Savannah, GA
Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator
Miami, FL
JazzArts Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Junebug Productions
New Orleans, LA
Mississippi Center for Cultural Production
Utica, MS
Otis Redding Foundation
Macon, GA
Teatro Avante
Miami, FL
True Colors Theatre Company
Atlanta, GA
The Southern Cultural Treasures initiative is modeled on the Ford Foundation’s “America’s Cultural Treasures” initiative. This national initiative aims to support arts and culture groups “that have been historically marginalized, underfunded and underrepresented in the narrative of American culture.”
South Arts’ purpose in developing the Southern Cultural Treasures Program (SCT) is to acknowledge and honor the diversity of artistic expression and excellence of arts and cultural organizations led by and serving people of color in the South Arts region.
Through this initiative, South Arts will provide critical funding and resources that lead BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) organizations to stability and success, and enhance their ability to expand their impact on the regional cultural landscape. South Arts has, through a generous matching gift from the Ford Foundation, a unique opportunity to leverage funding to catalyze increased funding support for arts and cultural organizations led by and serving people of color in the South Arts region.
In “Not Just Money: Equity Issues in Philanthropy,” published by the Helicon Collaborative in 2017, Helicon identified that the existing systems and structures have constant traits. On the one hand, they promulgate financial sustainability of White and European arts and cultural organizations while, on the other hand, they prevent the same benefits to arts and cultural groups serving communities of color. In 2021, the same systemic inequities hold true as the effects of the pandemic bring this disparity in sharp relief. It will require meaningful investments over sustained periods to help BIPOC led and serving arts and cultural organizations grow their capacity and financial reserves to overcome these historic challenges.
The goal is to provide financial capital and other resources to BIPOC led and serving arts and cultural organizations, such that these organizations are positioned to achieve self-determined success.
South Arts envisions a future in which everyone has equitable access to the arts regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, ability, geography, religion, and thinking/communication styles. Only by creating a more equitable arts landscape can we meet South Arts’ mission of advancing Southern vitality through the arts. This initiative addresses the South Arts strategic goal of advancing impactful arts-based programs that recognize and address trends and evolving needs of a wide range of communities in the South.
The Southern Cultural Treasures Initiative is a four-year initiative to support our nine-state region’s BIPOC-led and -serving arts and culture organizations.
The Southern Cultural Treasures Program will support the long-term stability and resiliency of organizations that contribute to the history, culture, and vitality of the nine-state South Arts region. We anticipate that the grant period will run between April 2022 until March 2025 and support 12 -15 organizations by providing each:
A Southern Cultural Treasure grantee is expected to represent artistry, cultural heritage, and creative expression of their respective communities, be located within the 9-state South Arts region, and have one or more of the following characteristics:
For the purposes of this program, the term “community of color” can refer to a group of people, geography, or community/communities of creative practice. The term “BIPOC led and serving arts and cultural organizations” are defined as at least 51% of the staff and/or board is composed of communities of color and more than 51% of the organizations’ activities are related to and/or engage communities of color.
South Arts reserves the right to adjust dates and deadlines.
Please review the full eligibility information and guidelines below to learn more about the Southern Cultural Treasures program before beginning your Letter of Interest to Participate.
The Southern Cultural Treasures initiative will utilize a three-step selection process. South Arts will first accept an online Letter of Interest to Participate (LOIP) from any eligible and interested BIPOC led and serving arts and cultural organization. Following a review from staff and other stakeholders, up to 40 LOIPs most closely aligning with the program goals and organizational characteristics will be invited to participate in step-two, the full application.
The full application will consist of narrative questions about the organization. Following a review from staff and other stakeholders, approximately 20 organizations from (among the 40) will be invited for the third step, an interview. After the interviews, a cohort of 12-15 organizations will be selected as Southern Cultural Treasures.
The following is a list of expectations of applicants who want to participate in this initiative:
South Arts welcomes letters of interest from BIPOC led and serving arts and cultural organizations to include but not limited to:
Ineligible organizations include:
Applications for this program are closed.
For questions about Southern Cultural Treasures, please contact us at 404.874.7244 x111 or by email.
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