CA For The Arts
Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) + Creative Optimism–Uplifting Pr
CA For The Arts, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079
Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) + Creative Optimism–Uplifting Promises (CO-UP)
Join to apply for the
Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) + Creative Optimism–Uplifting Promises (CO-UP)
role at CA For The Arts.
Location:
Los Angeles, CA Amount:
NEAR $12,000; CO-UP $15,000 Deadline:
Oct 31, 2025 – 11:59 pm Status:
Open
These grants support freelance teaching artists, social-activation artists, and social practice artists in community-based, participatory projects hosted in non‑arts venues within the City of Los Angeles. NEAR projects are designed to gather and inspire participants with limited exposure to cultural opportunities, while CO‑UP projects pair a local nonprofit social justice organization with a creative teaching artist to culminate in a public presentation.
Goals
Supply creative arts resources to neighborhood host/partner organizations in each Council District by providing direct and intimate access to contemporary teaching‑artists.
Support projects that will consistently engage no less than 20 participants on some thematic learning topic, with a final presentation viewed by at least 40 other individuals.
Sponsor the implementation of educational‑participatory 6 or 12‑session residencies by the City’s most qualified teaching‑artists.
Provide host organizations offering little or no arts programming with opportunities to test or develop new services, and to envision integration of an artist‑employee, a new program branch, or a new collaboration with a local arts organization.
Eligibility
NEAR applicants are individual artists (or collaborative duos/teams/ensembles under a single applicant) whose community‑based practices are primarily self‑developed and self‑directed.
CO‑UP applicants are social justice nonprofit organizations headquartered in Los Angeles County with an operating budget of at least $100,000 (as demonstrated by the most recent IRS Form 990).
All applicants (individual or nonprofit) must reside in or be headquartered in Los Angeles County, and all proposed projects must occur and culminate within the City of Los Angeles.
Teaching artists must demonstrate at least 2 years of experience instructing participants in the proposed artistic discipline within projects at non‑arts venues, public schools, parks, libraries, or similar community centers.
NEAR applicants will propose a residency involving a relationship with one non‑arts host organization, to take place at that organization’s location.
Artist Residency Program Webinars Two webinar workshops will be offered in early to mid‑October. Space is limited to 30 participants per webinar. Recordings will also be available.
Webinars
Application Timeline
Opens: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Deadline: Friday, October 31, 2025
Notification of results: May/June 2026
Grant activity/projects: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
Guidelines and Application For full program information, please review the program guidelines at
dcaredesign.org/air/ . After reviewing the guidelines, prepare and submit an application at
dca-la.smapply.org .
Learn More Visit the
Cultural Grants Program website
for additional details.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) + Creative Optimism–Uplifting Promises (CO-UP)
role at CA For The Arts.
Location:
Los Angeles, CA Amount:
NEAR $12,000; CO-UP $15,000 Deadline:
Oct 31, 2025 – 11:59 pm Status:
Open
These grants support freelance teaching artists, social-activation artists, and social practice artists in community-based, participatory projects hosted in non‑arts venues within the City of Los Angeles. NEAR projects are designed to gather and inspire participants with limited exposure to cultural opportunities, while CO‑UP projects pair a local nonprofit social justice organization with a creative teaching artist to culminate in a public presentation.
Goals
Supply creative arts resources to neighborhood host/partner organizations in each Council District by providing direct and intimate access to contemporary teaching‑artists.
Support projects that will consistently engage no less than 20 participants on some thematic learning topic, with a final presentation viewed by at least 40 other individuals.
Sponsor the implementation of educational‑participatory 6 or 12‑session residencies by the City’s most qualified teaching‑artists.
Provide host organizations offering little or no arts programming with opportunities to test or develop new services, and to envision integration of an artist‑employee, a new program branch, or a new collaboration with a local arts organization.
Eligibility
NEAR applicants are individual artists (or collaborative duos/teams/ensembles under a single applicant) whose community‑based practices are primarily self‑developed and self‑directed.
CO‑UP applicants are social justice nonprofit organizations headquartered in Los Angeles County with an operating budget of at least $100,000 (as demonstrated by the most recent IRS Form 990).
All applicants (individual or nonprofit) must reside in or be headquartered in Los Angeles County, and all proposed projects must occur and culminate within the City of Los Angeles.
Teaching artists must demonstrate at least 2 years of experience instructing participants in the proposed artistic discipline within projects at non‑arts venues, public schools, parks, libraries, or similar community centers.
NEAR applicants will propose a residency involving a relationship with one non‑arts host organization, to take place at that organization’s location.
Artist Residency Program Webinars Two webinar workshops will be offered in early to mid‑October. Space is limited to 30 participants per webinar. Recordings will also be available.
Webinars
Application Timeline
Opens: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Deadline: Friday, October 31, 2025
Notification of results: May/June 2026
Grant activity/projects: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
Guidelines and Application For full program information, please review the program guidelines at
dcaredesign.org/air/ . After reviewing the guidelines, prepare and submit an application at
dca-la.smapply.org .
Learn More Visit the
Cultural Grants Program website
for additional details.
#J-18808-Ljbffr