New opportunity for artists across Minnesota:
Artists Respond: Combating Social Isolation
This is a state-wide call for artists to help people in their communities connect with one another while staying safe and healthy. This is an open call with a rolling deadline for artists with creative ideas, with $500 in project support available. This opportunity is supported by the Kresge Foundation and the Blandin Foundation.
See more and the application: https://springboardforthearts.org/artists-respond/
The COVID crisis has resulted in increased levels of social isolation in our communities, particularly for higher-risk groups like the elderly or people with disabilities. This isolation can have devastating effects on individual health and well-being.
With this project, artists in Minnesota of all disciplines and career levels are invited to create moments of joy, solace, solidarity, sharing, and a sense of connection for those who are feeling most isolated in these pandemic times. Whether a virtual guided walk, a postcard swap, charades with folks inside nursing homes, poetry broadcast from a porch, or texted meditations in the morning, artists can play an important role right now to lift spirits, combat isolation and create camaraderie through shared experiences.
Projects with a focus on higher-risk groups, including but not limited to those in care facilities, elders living at home, new immigrant communities, families lacking access to broadband, and essential workers who may be self-isolating, will be prioritized for funding. Artists should already have a connection with or into the group – through themself, someone in their family or close network, or other existing relationship.
There will be 60+ projects funded. These project funds are open to any artist in Minnesota and Springboard will prioritize artists and culture workers from communities that are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic crisis. Access to technology, the internet, and other systemic barriers may make it difficult for some artists to respond quickly to this call so we will start reviewing applications after at least 10 applications are submitted from priority groups. At least 70% of the project funds will go to artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color and/or Native; artists from outside the seven county metro area; artists from the disability community, including people with compromised immune systems; or LGBTQIA+ artists.
There is more information and the application here: https://springboardforthearts.org/artists-respond/
