The City of Oakland announced that applications will be available on Tuesday, June 15 for its 2021-2022 Cultural Funding Program grants supporting arts and cultural activities in three separate project categories:
- Neighborhood Voices Individual Artist Projects
- Neighborhood Voices Organization Projects
- Organizational Assistance (general operating support)
All applicants must be Oakland-based, and all arts activities must be presented in Oakland between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. Interested artists and nonprofit organizations may access the grant guidelines and application forms at www.oaklandculturalarts.org. The application submission deadline is 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 15, 2021.
“Our beloved arts community has helped Oaklanders weather the pandemic through virtual programming, performances, stunning murals and other creative expressions,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “Cultural Funding Program grants are an important way that the City helps to support and nurture our arts community and cultural expressions of the many communities in Oakland’s neighborhoods.”
To assist applicants, How-To-Apply workshops will be scheduled for July. Details on the virtual workshops will be posted on www.oaklandculturalarts.org. All grant applicants are strongly encouraged to attend one of the free workshops. Advance registration is suggested; applicants should email dpate@oaklandca.gov to confirm attendance.
The Neighborhood Voices (VOICES) grant program seeks to bring Oaklanders together to create and support a sense of belonging within a community, foster social connections that lift our spirts, feed our community well-being and offer visions for our collective future.
The Neighborhood Voices Individual Artist Project category awards grants of $7,000 to Oakland-resident individual artists producing art activities in Oakland that culminate in a local public outcome for the benefit of the community. Non-profit organizations that are producing art activities in Oakland that culminate in a local public outcome for the benefit of the community are eligible to apply for Neighborhood Voices Organization Project grants that support project expenses up to $20,000. Arts organizations that have received Cultural Funding awards in two of the past four years, are eligible to apply in the Organizational Assistance category for general operating support grants up to $35,000.
In FY20-21, $1.1 million in grants were awarded to 63 individual artists and nonprofit organizations. The exact amount of funds available for the FY 2021-2022 grants will not be known until the Oakland City Council adopts the 2021-2023 Policy Budget in late June.
The Cultural Funding Program relies on a competitive panel process to determine award recipients and funding allocations. Grant recommendations must be approved by the Funding Advisory Committee and City Council before contracts are awarded.
The Cultural Funding Program is administered by the City’s Cultural Affairs Division. For more information, please visit www.oaklandculturalarts.org or contact Denise Pate, Cultural Funding Coordinator, at (510) 238-7561 or dpate@oaklandca.gov.
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About the Cultural Affairs Division
The Cultural Affairs Division is housed in the City’s Economic & Workforce Development Department. The division includes the City’s cultural funding program, which provides approximately $1 million in grants to support the arts in Oakland; the public art program, which has more than $1 million in funds currently dedicated for public art installations across Oakland and staff working on special events, film production permitting and walking tours.