“Catapult | A Caribbean Arts Grant” launches Open Call
SOURCE: National Gallery of the Bahamas
7 Aug, 2020
CATAPULT – New Grant Funds for Caribbean Artists
American Friends of Jamaica, Kingston Creative and The Fresh Milk Art Platform partner on $320,000 US programme
In light of the severe impact that COVID-19 is having on creative people and the arts sector, a fund of US$320,000 from the Open Society Foundations has been granted to the American Friends of Jamaica, in collaboration with Kingston Creative and The Fresh Milk Art Platform, in support of artists, creatives and cultural practitioners across the Caribbean region. This grant acknowledges the current global pandemic, a crisis disproportionately impacting the creative sector in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), many of which lack the resources to provide adequate support to those working in this vital sector.
CATAPULT will target participants living and working across the Dutch, English, French, and Spanish regions. This five-month comprehensive arts programme includes funding online creative events, art writing, digital skills training, residencies and virtual discursive salons.
CATAPULT is particularly interested in working with arts and cultural practitioners who are exploring the broad critical themes of Culture, Human Rights, Gender, LGBTQIA+ and Climate Justice from Caribbean perspectives. The team especially welcomes applications from those who do not have permanent employment at this time.
CATAPULT will increase the capacity of Caribbean-based artists to navigate the digital space and learn new ways to connect with diverse global audiences. It will also promote the visibility of cultural practitioners by expanding the pool of online content from the region, enabling artists to engage wider audiences while increasing the potential to earn beyond their borders.
The collaboration will support the following projects:
(i) Caribbean Artist Showcase
(ii) Caribbean Creative Online
(iii) Digital Creative Training
(iv) Consultancy Vouchers
(v) Lockdown Virtual Salon
(vi) Stay Home Artist Residency.
Stay tuned for more information as the Open Calls become available for the upcoming six projects.
ABOUT THE PARTNERS
American Friends of Jamaica | The AFJ has a near 40 year history of funding charitable organizations in Jamaica in the fields of Education, Healthcare and Economic Development. A registered 501 (c) 3 nonprofit headquartered in New York City, AFJ relies on individual and corporate contributions made by donors who believe in our work and will advocate on our behalf. Part of the AFJ’s mission is to facilitate donor directed contributions which enables donors to support registered charitable organizations aligned with their own goals for philanthropy.
Kingston Creative is a registered non-profit arts organization founded in February 2017 and based in Kingston, Jamaica. Its mission is to enable creatives to succeed so that they can create economic and social value, gain access to global markets and have a positive impact on their community.
Fresh Milk is an organisation whose aim is to nurture, empower and connect Caribbean artists, raise regional awareness about contemporary arts and provide global opportunities for growth, excellence and success. Fresh Milk supports excellence in the visual arts through residencies and programmes that provide Caribbean artists with opportunities for development and foster a thriving art community.
Kingston Creative, Fresh Milk, and the American Friends of Jamaica introduce CATAPULT | A Caribbean Arts Grant – a group of six new initiatives supporting Caribbean Creatives. These funding opportunities will increase the visibility of over 1,000 Caribbean-based artists, creatives and cultural practitioners to global audiences, provide much needed financial support, and develop the creative skills of our artists. Now more than ever in light of COVID-19, it is critical to think about artists having an online presence, valuing the work of Caribbean artists, and enabling their growth.
Eligibility:
Emerging, mid-career and established creatives working in one or several of the following fields are invited to apply: visual arts, sculpture, installation, painting, drawing, craft, dance, theatre, performance, photography, new media, gaming, film and animation, curation, and literature. Applicants must be nationals of a Caribbean country and/or be based full-time in the Caribbean region.
Artists, creative entrepreneurs and cultural practitioners based in the following 34 countries are eligible to apply:
Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saba, St. Barthelemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands.
Application Process:
To be considered, please complete the form located at: kingstoncreative.org/catapult-arts-grant/creative-online or freshmilkbarbados.com/projects/catapult-arts-grant/creative-online
Required information:
– Contact information
– Artist statement/bio
– Link to the online recording or live streamed performance
– Statement outlining the main ideas/concept presented online
– An up to date Curriculum Vitae (CV) labeled CCO_Surname_FirstName_CV
– A professional reference
All applications are to be submitted in English. The work featured through Caribbean Creative Online however can be in the native language of the cultural practitioner.
The selection decision will be based in part on the description of the primary concepts, areas of research or art practice. The deadline for submission is September 1, 2020.
