Current Calls and Funding

Seattle Civic Poet 2023-24

Jourdan Imani Keith, Seattle Civic Poet, photo by Marcus R. Donner

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in partnership with Seattle City of Literature, commissions and supports an experienced poet with a two-year City residency to serve as a literary ambassador for the City of Seattle.

In addition to annual City events, the Seattle Civic Poet will foster community dialogue and engagement between the City, the public, and other artists, while celebrating the literary arts.

Please see the guidelines for full details.

Eligibility 

This call is open to Seattle-based poets who have an established body of work including published/self-published works, reading/spoken word plus project planning experience, and applied racial equity practice. Applicants must:

• Be based in Seattle (residence in the City of Seattle),
• Be eligible to work in the U.S.
• Have demonstrated interest/experience in promoting equity and inclusion through the arts, and
• Show strong program planning and implementation with partnerships.

Funding

The compensation for this commission is $15,000.

Funding covers a two-year period: time for writing, administration, other artist fees, performances, event costs, materials, travel, fees, taxes, and other project-related costs.

Deadline

Wednesday, July 13, 2022, 5pm Pacific

Please allow ample time to complete and upload your application; applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Virtual Info Session

Learn more about this call and how to turn in your strongest application:

Information Session
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
2 - 4pm Pacific
RSVP for June 15

Individual Phone Draft Review
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
11am - 3:30pm Pacific
RSVP for June 21

Application

Apply via Submittable.

If you have trouble with Submittable, check their FAQ which offers step-by-step guides. For further assistance with the Submittable online application, please contact Submittable tech support at support@submittable.com.

Info

For questions about the program or for help with the online application, please contact Project Manager, Irene Gómez, at irene.gomez@seattle.gov

Centering Art & Racial Equity Grant

The Centering Art & Racial Equity (C.A.R.E.) grant is the new name of the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture's (ARTS) funding program previously known as Civic Partners.

The updated name highlights the evolution of the program over the past ten years and reflects the values of racial equity, social cohesion, and the importance of art to our communities.

Please see the guidelines for full details.

Eligibility

The C.A.R.E. grant awards three consecutive years of funding to Seattle arts and culture, heritage, and arts service organizations with a minimum three-year history of providing accessible programming for Seattle residents and visitors.

To create a more equitable, vibrant, and relevant arts sector, ARTS prioritizes support for organizations with an arts-focused mission that are taking action to be anti-racist and who value, implement, and uphold inclusive practices through an intersectional racial equity lens.

Funding

Awards are based on overall score in relation to this program’s evaluation criteria as ranked by a diverse peer and community panel. Budget size is no longer a factor in determining award amount.

Funds may be used to support annual operating and program costs (staff, artist and other professional fees, facilities, outreach, etc.) relating to an organization's artistic and cultural services which are accessible to and provide public benefit to Seattle residents and visitors.

Deadline

The deadline to apply is 5:00pm Pacific, Wednesday, August 10, 2022.

Please allow ample time to complete and upload your application; applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Information Sessions

Bring your questions, learn more about this grant and how to turn in your strongest application:

Session 1 (In-Person)
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
2 - 4pm Pacific
RSVP for May 18

Session 2 (Virtual)
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
10am - 12pm Pacific
RSVP for May 24

Session 3 (Virtual with ASL Interpretation)
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
4 - 6pm Pacific
RSVP for May 25 (ASL)

Session 4 (Virtual)
Wednesday, June 1, 2022
1 - 3pm Pacific
RSVP for June 1

Session 5 (Virtual)
Thursday, June 16, 2022
11am - 1pm Pacific
RSVP for June 16

Session 6 (Virtual)
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
1 - 3pm Pacific
RSVP for July 19

Application

Apply on Fluxx, the City of Seattle's new grant portal. If this is your first time using Fluxx, you will have to create a user profile before you start your application.

Info

For questions about this grant, or help with the online application, please contact contact Cultural Invenstments Strategist, Kathy Hsieh.

TTY: Dial 711. Tele-Braille: (800) 833-6385.

Hope Corps: An Economic Recovery Program for Seattle's Creative Workforce

• አማርኛ
• 中文翻譯
• 한국어 번역
• Soomaali
• Versión en Español
• Tagalog
• Dịch tiếng Việt

Washington Diamonds Drill Team at the 2017 Muddy Lotus Festival, photo by Jenny Crooks

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) invites individual artists, arts educators, cultural producers, arts administrators, and creative workers; small community groups; and arts and cultural organizations of all sizes to apply to participate in Hope Corps by proposing project concepts that:

1. Generate career opportunities for the local creative workforce, and
2. Contribute to the wellbeing and resiliency of our communities, over the course of either 6 or 12 months.

Hope Corps seeks to connect under- and unemployed workers in the creative industries with career opportunities—specifically through projects that meet the civic needs of our times—including:

• Public health
• Mental health and healing
• Food security
• Media, journalism and storytelling
• Social connection and belonging
• Arts education

Please read the guidelines for full details.

Eligibility

• King County-based adult (age 18+ by Aug 1, 2022) artists, arts educators, cultural producers, arts administrators, creative workers; small community groups; or nonprofit organizations at all stages of their development or career are eligible to apply.
• Projects must adhere to Public Health – Seattle & King County safety guidelines.
• Programming must take place within the city of Seattle, and be promoted and made accessible to Seattle residents, workers, and visitors.
• Applicants must pay regularly contributing creative workers a minimum of $1,500 per month (the equivalent of $30 per hour x 50 hours).
• Projects must be new concepts, or regularly occurring projects/work that have been reimagined or otherwise address Hope Corps goals and focus areas.
• Applicant cannot be disbarred, suspended, or have any other exclusions or disqualifications from receiving federal funding, resulting from violations of Federal criminal law, such as fraud, embezzlement, or tax evasion.
• Awarded programs will be required to follow all current Federal, State, County and City COVID-19 mandates and protocols. Currently, the City of Seattle requires that all entities contracted with the City, providing face-to-face programming, be fully vaccinated. At the time of contracting, it will be required for awardees to submit verified evidence of vaccination. More information including Attestation Forms, FAQs and info in other languages are available on the City of Seattle COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement website.

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Projects that do not address one of the focus areas of this program.
• Activities that are not allowed by public health guidelines at the time of submission.
• Capital improvement project.
• Private fundraisers or events.
• Projects that take place outside of Seattle city limits.
• Ticketed events that do not provide an opportunity for the public to participate.

Funding

Funding amounts range from $15,000 - $300,000. Please use the following framework as a guide for requesting funding amounts.

6 month duration:

• $15,000 / Individuals – employ 1 artist or creative worker over the course of 6 months 
  • $12,000 in wages (approximately 15hrs/week) 
  • $3,000 in discretionary budget (materials, courses/workshops/professional development, subcontracting) 
• $30,000-60,000 / Small Groups – employ 2-4 creative workers over the course of 6 months 
• $75,000-150,000 / Large Groups – employ 5-10 creative workers over the course of 6 months 

12 month duration:

• $30,000 / Individuals – employ 1 artist or creative worker over the course of 12 months 
  • $24,000 in wages (approximately 15hrs/week) 
  • $6,000 in discretionary budget (materials, courses/workshops/professional development, subcontracting) 
• $60,000-120,000 / Small Groups – employ 2-4 creative workers over the course of 12 months 
• $150,000-300,000 / Large Groups – employ 5-10 creative workers over the course of 12 months 

Note: Projects must pay regularly contributing creative workers a minimum of $1,500 per month (the equivalent of $30 per hour x 50 hours per month).

Note: Any party that enters into a contract for Hope Corps assumes responsibility for local, state, and federal reporting to the IRS of related income and payments to creative workers.

Deadline

Monday, June 6, 2022, 5pm Pacific. 

Virtual Information Sessions

Learn more about this opportunity and how to turn in your strongest application. View a recording of the May 11 workshop here.

There are also two sessions to get feedback on your application:

Workshop 1
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
1-2pm

Workshop 2
Monday, May 23, 2022
6-7pm
RSVP for May 23

Draft Application Feedback 1
Friday, May 27, 2022
11a-1pm
RSVP for May 27

Draft Application Feedback 2
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
4-6pm
RSVP for May 31

Guidelines

Please read the guidelines for full details on Hope Corps.

Application

Apply via Submittable. 

You can also preview the application without having to create a Submittable account.

If you have trouble with Submittable, check their FAQ which offers step-by-step guides. For further assistance with the Submittable online application, please contact Submittable tech support at support@submittable.com.

Info

For questions about this opportunity, or help with the online application, please contact project manager, Alex Rose. 

Do Something at ARTS at King Street Station

Photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Applications for ARTS at King Street Station are currently on pause.

Please follow us on social (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) or sign up for email updates and announcements of the reopening of the application and ARTS at King Street Station.