Teaching Artist Grant
In 2023 and 2024, the Teaching Artist Grant (TAG) program provided financial support to artists disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically Indigenous and African heritage teaching artists. This grant program is now closed.
Overview
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As the Creative Capital, the City of Providence is invested in the continued development of a vibrant local arts culture. Post-pandemic, however, many local artists continue to struggle with the deep economic impacts of COVID-19. With funding support from the City, Interlace is partnering with AS220 to protect the City’s beloved and renowned arts culture by supporting artists disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
The Teaching Artist Grant (TAG) program provides financial support to artists who were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically Indigenous and African heritage teaching artists.
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This program is supported by the City of Providence’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which has provided over $3 million to the Providence arts economy in an effort to support local artists and organizations as they work to rebound from the deep economic impacts of the pandemic.
This grant fund is co-administered by The Interlace Grant Fund and AS220, with funding support provided by City of Providence Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism. This is the second of two rounds of TAG funding.
Review & Selection Process
Award decisions will be informed by a point system, and final selections will be made by an independent jury consisting of local Indigenous and African heritage leaders.
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The quantity and dollar amount of the grants awarded will be contingent on the number of applicants reaching threshold qualification. Previous awards under this program also will be taken into consideration. No applicant is guaranteed an award, but all eligible teaching artists are encouraged to apply, including those who've previously received TAG awards.
Anonymized aggregate data about awardees will be shared publicly, but names of awardees will only be shared in a meeting of the Art and City Life Commission. Interlace will share details about the jury after awards have been disbursed.
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Application Support Sessions​
Come get your questions answered and even fill out your application
with us in person! Bring a device if you have one. We will also have paper copies for reference.
Watch @as220providence and @interlacefund for updates.
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Friday April 12, 1-3PM, at AS220, 115 Empire St
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Friday April 19, 1-3PM, at AS220, 115 Empire St
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Saturday April 20, 12-2pm, at Knight Memorial Library Auditorium, 275 Elmwood Ave
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Friday April 26, 1-3PM, at AS220, 115 Empire St
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Saturday April 27, 12-2PM, atAS2201, 15 Empire St
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Monday April 29, 5-7PM, at Knight Memorial Library Conference Room, 275 Elmwood Ave
Timeline, Round 2
March 11, 2024
TAG application open
March 25 – April 26, 2024
TAG information sessions
May 8, 2024 (deadline extended from May 1, 2024)
TAG applications due
July 1, 2024
TAG awardees notified
Eligibility
Applicants must:
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Applicants must identify as Indigenous or of African heritage and must be 18+.
Definitions of Indigenous and African heritage for the purposes of this grant program are as follows:
Indigenous People: “People who are a part of social and cultural groups in Rhode Island that share collective ancestral ties before the European settlement of Providence and Rhode Island, including the natural resources where they live, inhabit, or from which they have been displaced."
African Heritage: “People in Rhode Island with ancestry originating from sub-Saharan Africa whose families have been impacted by the US slave trade and Jim Crow laws.”
Please note: If neither of these demographic definitions describes your background, applying for this opportunity is not appropriate.
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Applicants must live in one of Providence’s 15 wards and/or have a studio in one of Providence’s 15 wards or live in Rhode Island outside of Providence but work primarily in Providence.
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Applicants must be able to verify lost teaching artist income or increased expenses due to COVID-19 (see application for acceptable verification).
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Applicants must be teaching artists. TAG defines a teaching artist as a practicing artist or artisan who works with people of any age as an active part of their consistent practice.
The teaching artist supports, motivates, and/or mentors people, formally or informally,
to appreciate, understand, and produce an art form and/or creative cultural traditions.
Art forms and/or creative cultural traditions include but are not limited to…
Barbering, composition, cooking, cosmetology, dancing, design, DJing, drawing,
hair braiding, jewelry making, music, painting, performance, sewing and textiles,
sculpting, singing, storytelling, tattooing, traditional crafts, writing...
If you have a question about if your art form is eligible, please ask!
Not Eligible:​
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​Artists employed by or related to DPPP and PCG employees or board members cannot apply.
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Organizations (such as non-profits, artist-run collectives, independent art businesses) are not eligible for funding as entities; however, individual artists associated with entities are eligible as individuals.​
Application
Applicants for Interlace grants must submit their applications via Submittable, which requires users to sign up for a free account to apply. While creating an account may feel like an extra step, Interlace uses this tool to protect applicants' privacy.
If you would like to read the application questions before signing into Submittable, please see the following PDF, which shows what the application requires: