US: BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant Program 2023

Deaf Spotlight inspires and showcases Deaf Culture and Sign Languages through the arts. The Deaf Arts Grant will make a crucial difference for BIPOC Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing artists to thrive in the challenging arts field.

Funding Information

• The number of grants given out each year is dependent on funding available. For 2023, Deaf Spotlight will award $1,000 each to 4 recipients. At least one recipient will reside in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, or Idaho), and at least one recipient will be a National selection outside of the Pacific Northwest region.

Grant awards may be used for:

• Direct project expenses (such as research or residency)
• Wages, salaries, and fees
• Supplies and materials (purchases that will assist for the completion or production of your work)
• Equipment or space rentals (for presentation or creation of your work)
• Insurance, licenses, permits
• Publicity and marketing
• Transportation (such as travel to workshops, seminars, and/or anything that will assist with art creation)
• Documentation by photographer or videographer
• Training (such as workshops, master classes, and/or coaching)
• Accessibility (such as interpreters, captions, etc.)

Eligibility Criteria

• In 2023, applications will be accepted by artists working in these art forms or disciplines:
  • Literary: Comics and Graphic Novels, Experimental/Hybrid works, Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Zines.
  • Media: Animation, Augmented Reality, Film, Immersive Audio & Video Works, Podcasts, Screenplays, Sound Art, Teleplays, Video Art, Virtual Reality, Web-based Art.
  • Performing: Costume Design, Dance, Music Composition, Musical Theater, Performance Art, Playwriting, Puppetry, Set Design, Sound Design, Spoken Word, Storytelling, Theater, Traditional/Folk Performance.
  • Tactile: Craft, Furniture Art, Installation, Interactive Installation & Sculpture, Immersion, Mixed Media, Multi-Sensory, 3-D, Printmaking, Public Art, Textile Arts.
  • Visual: Bio Art, Craft, Digital Arts, Drawing, Ecological Art, Environmental Design, Furniture Art, Illustration, Installation, Interactive Installation & Sculpture, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Public Art, Sculpture, Textile Arts, Traditional/Folk Art.
• Any work with audio elements must be made accessible (transcripts, captions, audio descriptions, visual descriptions, etc.).
• To apply, you must:
  • Identify as a member of an underrepresented racial group, such as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC).
  • Identify as a member of an underrepresented racial group, such as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC).
  • Identify as Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, or Hard of Hearing.
  • Identify as an artist who makes original art.
  • Live in the United States or U.S. Territories. US citizenship is not required.
  • Be at least 18 years of age by the time grant funds are dispersed (August 31, 2023).

Criteria

• Vision for grant award
  • Shows a clear need for the grant award, and a clear plan for what they will do with the funding
• Experience and potential
  • Shows potential and strength in previous work or current work
  • Shows history of starting and completing work
• Artistic growth 
  • Demonstrates growing skills and deepening of craft, technique, or approach over time
  • Shows growing scope, direction, themes, approaches in artistic or administrative work.

Ineligible

• Grant awards may NOT be used for:
  • Purchase of equipment unrelated to art needs (such as software or food)
  • College or university tuition
  • Government-run programs and degree-granting institutions, religious services, fundraising efforts, or gifts
  • Political campaigns.

For more information, visit BIPOC Deaf Arts Grant Program.