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>> Hello, I'm Barry Bergey, I'm the director for the Folk and Traditional Arts at the National
Endowment for the Arts. I would like to welcome you to the Art Works guidelines webinar.
Just to give you a sense of what we'll be doing today - we're going to talk just a
little bit about applying to Art Works. We'll also discuss folk and traditional arts,
what that means, how to apply, and then we'll have a question and answer session. Just
a reminder in relation to the question-and-answer session, please don't use the raise hand function
on your screen. Rather, enter questions into the Q&A box. If you happen to miss something or
we are not able to get to all of your questions, this webinar will be archived on our website, probably
within a week or so, so you can go back to it and check in.
As a little bit of background - the National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated
to advancing artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals
and communities. We award grants to arts organizations of all sizes across all 50
states and the six U.S. territories. In applying to Art Works, the guiding principles
are the center of everything we do at the NEA. That means art works are first, the
art itself, the ways that art works on audiences, and we know also that art is work for artists
and arts professionals who make up the field. It is a three-pronged definition. Now, in applying
to Art Works, we support four outcomes. Creation, that is, the creation of art that meets the
highest standards of excellence. Engagement, public engagement with diverse and excellent
art. Learning, lifelong learning in the arts. And Livability, the strengthening
of communities through the arts. Innovation is also encouraged in projects we support. Innovative
projects can prove transformative with the potential for meaningful change. They can be distinctive, offering
fresh insights and new value for their fields and/or the public through unconventional
solutions, or they can have the potential to be shared and/or emulated, or are likely
to lead to other advances in the field. In applying to Art Works, you apply through
a particular discipline. You can see the disciplines listed on our screen - I will
not list them all. But just to let you know, it is important to decide through which
discipline through which you want to come, and the discipline is based on the nature
of the project, not necessarily on the nature of your organization. It is important to
think about where your project will get the best hearing.
Who may apply? Arts organizations, local arts agencies, official units of state or
local governments, school districts, federally recognized tribal communities and tribes and other
nonprofit organizations. There are several requirements in order to be eligible. First,
you need to be a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. You need to have a three-year history
of programming. That does not necessarily mean you have to have had three years of
programming as a 501(c)(3), but you have to have a record of at least three years
of programming. And you need to meet the reporting requirements on any previous NEA awards.
Grant amounts: well, generally our range is $10,000 up to $100,000. You are required
to have a one-to-one match for the project budget. Organizations may submit only one application under the
fiscal year 2015 rants for arts projects guidelines, with some exceptions. That is,
if you are a parent and/or a related organization, if you are an applicant to the media arts
for the July deadline, if you apply in a category such as Our Town. You can look at
the guidelines for further information on application limits. I would say in terms
of amounts, the general average for Folk and Traditional arts, the average grant is
around $25,000, just to give you a sense of the size of our grants. The grant review
process - first it goes to a panel where your application will be reviewed on the basis of two criteria,
artistic excellence and artistic merit. The recommended applications after staff review go
on to the National Council on the Arts, and then to the NEA chairman. Not until the
NEA chairman signs off on a grant does it become official.
We are putting on the screen the processing timeline for applications. The two very important
deadlines are the deadlines for initial submission.[5:27] We have two deadlines, one is February 20th,
coming right up. And the second is July 24th. There are deadlines that proceed after that after
that. I will not read all of those, but there is a period when you need to do the upload
of your application materials, approximately two weeks after that initial deadline. And
then panel review, and then the National Council and then notification. You will see that
for the February 20th deadline, the earliest start date for your project would be January 1st
of 2015. For the July 24th deadline, the earliest start date would be June 1st of
2015. We often get asked the question. What is the
folk and traditional arts? I will read you a definition that is rather long. I'm sorry
about that. But I would say that in general, if you have a question about whether your application
fits within that category, give us a call or contact us by e-mail and we can have a
discussion about it. But this is the definition we use. The folk and traditional arts are
rooted in and reflective of the cultural life of a community. Community members may
share a common ethnic heritage, cultural mores, language, religion, occupation, or geographic
region. These vital and constantly reinvigorated artistic traditions are shaped by values and
standards of excellence that are passed from generation to generation, most often within family
and community, through demonstration, conversation, and practice are also methods of communication
and perpetuation. Genres of artistic activity can include, but are not limited to, music,
dance, crafts, and oral expression. This definition is a basket, not a bunker. Our
intention is for it to be open. So as I say, I think it is important for those of you who
are interested in applying through Folk and Traditional Arts to have a conversation with us
about it. I might also say that in choosing a discipline, we have conversations here
among the various disciplines as to where a project might best fit. So if you have applied
to a particular discipline and staff feels it might be under a better discipline, we
have those conversations and then we give back to you and recommend that the application
might be transferred to another discipline. Your initial choice is not the final word
if you have some concerns about whether it will get the best hearing. I will talk as
little bit about the deadlines as they pertain to Folk and Traditional Arts. At the February
20th deadline, projects include the outcomes of Creation, Engagement, and Livability. At
the July 24th deadline, the projects would include Learning and Engagement.
Under the February 20th deadline, those would be projects that start after January 1st
of 2015. I will elucidate a little bit about those various outcomes. Creation would be
the creation of new work based on tradition. Engagement could be public performances, exhibitions, festivals,
workshops and demonstrations, touring, media projects, or innovative uses of new models, technology,
or new media to present and/or foster appreciation of folk and traditional arts. Under the
February 20th deadline, our outcomes would be Livability . That could be folk and traditional
arts festivals, performances, and other activities in public spaces that are intended to foster interaction
and/or enhance the unique characteristics of a community. I should say that the Livability outcome,
although IU would say most Folk and Traditional Arts applications and projects address livability, this
has a very specific purpose. It is looking at long-term livability and has some reporting
requirements that are not included in the other outcomes. So I would say in general,
we get very few Livability applications. 90% of our applications come in under Engagement. But
if you do think about Livability as an outcome, please talk with staff before you submit
under that outcome. OK, let me see -- I will talk a little bit
more about -- I'm sorry, I do need to talk about the two other outcomes under the July
24th deadline. The other is Learning. That could be education and related activities
for youth, adults, intergenerational groups and schools, or workshops, residencies, mentorships,
and apprenticeship programs. You might have noticed that we also have an arts and education discipline
here so it is important, again, to speak with staff if you are thinking about applying to Learning
to see what might be the best window for your application, whether it be through Folk Arts
in Learning, or through Arts Education. And finally, Engagement under the July 24th deadline. That
could include public programs that raise awareness of culture heritage, identification and
documentation of artists and artistic resources, conservation of and public access to archival material,
conferences and gatherings of artists, technical assistance and provision of cultural expertise to arts
organizations, and innovative uses of new models, technology, or new media to present
and/or foster appreciation of folk and traditional arts. You can find our guidelines online
at arts.gov in the Apply for a Grant section. We have redesigned our website, so I'm going
to walk you through our website just a little bit to familiarize you with it if you are
intending to use it and get to our guidelines. First, you would select "Grants to Organizations"
under that tab , after you have clicked on "Apply for a Grant." Second, you would select "Art
Works" to learn more about that general category. You can browse through the Key Information for
Applicants and other important information. Once you have done that, then you can select
your discipline, as you can see in the lower right-hand corner the various disciplines listed.
When you select the discipline, then you can read about the project types supported
at each deadline. Then you can select "How to Prepare and Submit an Application," and
that will get you started. From the "How to Apply" page, you can also access a static version
of the Grant Application Form. You can practice a bit before you submit your application,
get a sense of what is required. This is a PDF version that will allow you to see
the information collected on that form. You see that on your screen at the moment. On
each page there is a box with Art Works Resources. From here you can access helpful resources such
as recent grants, an accessibility checklist, program evaluation resources, and sample application narratives. I
would recommend, especially to those of you that might be applying for the first time,
to look carefully at the Recent Grants list. That will give you a pretty good idea of
the types of grants that have been funded through Folk and Traditional Arts. It also
gives you an idea of the size of our grants, the relative size. So you get a sense of
what types of projects and how much money we have in the past allocated to support
them. How to apply. The first step is to submit through
Grants.gov, that would be February 20th or the July 24th deadlines. The first thing
you do is to submit the SF-424. that's the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance. This is
the only item you submit through Grants.gov. If it is not successfully submitted by the deadline,
then you will be unable to submit other materials in NEA-GO. I should mention that
Grants.gov is a government-wide electronic application system through which all applicants must
submit. The NEA does not operate the site. Do not wait until immediately before your deadline. Submit
no later than 10 days prior to the deadline. For those of you who have applied in the past,
you are required to change your password every 60 days, so it is a good idea to check to see
whether or not your password is up to date. You obtain a DUNS number and you register with
SAM, that's the System for Award Management, in order to use Grants.gov. You probably
need to allow at least two weeks for the registration or renewal. Just a reminder that this process
is free. There are sites online if you Google SAM or DUNS who will offer to register for
you, for a fee. A fairly hefty fee, I must say. Those sites will do it, but you pay
for it. It is free. They may lead you to believe it is not. Sop it's important to
go directly to those sites and there is a link to those sites in the "How to Apply"
section. It is important to go directly to those sites to get your numbers.
Step two, submit through NEA-GO, that would be two weeks later, that would be March 6th
through the 20th for the February deadline, or August 7- 21 for the July deadline. And
there you submit the Grant Application Form. This is the more detailed form, including the
answers to the narrative questions, the financial information, and the bios. You also upload the programmatic activities
list, statements of support, special items, and work samples. So, most of your work is
through NEA-GO once you fill out the initial form through Grants.gov.
A little bit more about the work samples. You submit those electronically. As I said, two
weeks after submitting your application. It is a good idea to prepare your work samples
well in advance of the application deadline and have them ready to upload once NEA-GO
becomes available to you. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of good samples. A
narrative is fine, but samples go a long way to convincing a panel of your artistic excellence
and merit. The choice of those samples has a big impact on the panel evaluation. Accessing
the system, you can go to "Track My Application" at Grants.gov. The Notes box will have a
link to NEA-GO and information about when the system will be open. You use your username,
which is Grants.gov tracking number, and the password would be your NEA application
number to access the NEA-GO system. This information will be available two days after
you submit your SF-424 to Grants.gov, but no earlier than 10 days before the application
deadline. Here are just a few tips about applications. Start
early. I cannot emphasize that enough. Read through the guidelines. Look at Recent
Grants listed on the website. And feel free to contact NEA Folks and Traditional Arts
staff if you have any questions. Very helpful elements on the website also are the Frequently
Asked Questions, the past grants as I mentioned, and the sample grants. And you can see the
screen there related to those sites. The sample applications - these would be examples
of previously submitted application narratives. They are found at the FOIA or Freedom of Information
Act Reading Room on our website. A reminder of what we do not fund: we do
not fund general operating or seasonal support, individuals, individual schools, facility
construction, purchase, or renovation, commercial, for-profit enterprises, creation of new organizations,
academic agrees, re-granting, or projects that replace arts instruction provided by
a classroom teacher or an arts specialist. Just a note about accessibility. The project needs
to be accessible to individuals with disabilities in compliance with federal law and regulations. Access
accommodations, such as sign interpretation and captioning are allowable costs and should
be included in your budget planning. Things to consider when you are planning your project
related to accessibility: pick wheelchair accessible venues, including accessible restrooms. Provide
sign interpretation of of performance or workshops upon request. Use large print,
high-contrast labeling for exhibitions. Accessible electronic versions of print material and publications
upon request, and open or closed captioning for broadcast. For more information, please contact
the NEA's Office of Accessibility.The accessibility specialist is Katie Lyles Levy, she's great
and works with applicants all the time in terms of meeting those accessibility standards. There
are a few things that are new this year, so I would like to go over those one more
time. The deadlines have changed. February and July. It used to be March and August. Our
website has a new look. Most application materials are now submitted online via NEA-GO. And
you can see the How to Apply instructions for details. There are no grants made for less
than $10,000. Letters of support are required. Let me just mention something about that. In
folk arts, it is not an unusual thing. Letters of support can be as few as one and as many
as three. In the case of folk arts, often it indicates community support - if you are making
a film, it would be good to have a letter from the artist featured to make sure they are
agreeing to cooperate with the project. Impact letters, that is, someone who has attended
or experienced an event with your organization in the past could write a passionate letter
about the value of that project. Those are very helpful. I would say in general, letters from
mayors or governors or senators or congressmen are not so helpful. It is really the content
of the letter that is important, that will convince the panel of the merit, artistic
merit of your project. Finally, program evaluation resources are available now. If you have questions,
look at our guidelines, and for more information contact William Mansfield. You can see his
email address there. And his phone number. Bill is very helpful with applicants. I would
suggest in general that if you are calling him and you can have a computer in front
of you and be on our website, your call will be most productive because Bill can then
walk you through the process or answer any questions by using the website and guiding
you through that process. I would suggest that you call him from your desk if you can
when you have computer access. OK, I believe we have gone through the narrative and the slides. I
imagine we have a few questions coming in. We encourage any of you to send a question if
you have one. I'm going to turn the microphone over to Erin Waylor, our division coordinator,
so that she can read the questions and I will do my best to answer them. [24:02]
>> Thank you, Barry. I work for a county library and we would like to apply. May
we?
>> I would think so. Are you part of county government? If you're part of a local county or state
government that should do the trick, or if the library is a not-for-profit. It would
probably be good to follow up with a conversation to determine whether or not you are eligible. It
sounds like you would be if you're part of the government.
>> Could you please define parent organization?
>> We get that question a lot. I believe that is addressed in our frequently asked
questions or FAQ section but I will do my best. Best example I could use is probably
a university. At a university, there are many other organizations within the university,
let's say, a museum, or a presenting facility. Those would be - could be - independent components
of a parent, that is, they have their own Board of Directors and they have a budget that
is separate and definable from the overall university budget. That particular exception
to the one application rule is intended to allow those sorts of organizations to apply,
knowing that universities might have many eligible applicants. It would be good, again,
to have a conversation with staff as soon as you can, because they can discuss that
with you. They also have means of checking to see whether or not you might qualify as an
independent component within a parent.
>> Somebody is asking if they can get a copy of the PowerPoint slides, and the quick answer
to that is, yes. The presentation will be archived and you can access that at our website at
arts.gov. Another question for you, Barry. Did you say that three letters of support was
the maximum requested?
>> That is correct. The minimum is one, and the maximum is three.
>> Are the work samples due two weeks after the Grants.gov deadline or the NEA-GO deadline?
>> That would be the two-week timeframe for the NEA-GO. You have a period there to upload
your sample material.
>> First, you have to apply at Grants.gov. And then there will be a two- week window after
your SF-424 is submitted, the two-week window where you will submit your samples through
NEA-GO. >> Our international, cross-border projects
allowable?
>> The simple answer is, yes. We do international projects. Again, it would be good to have a
conversation with our specialist, with Bill Mansfield about that. Because we are looking
for general impact within the United States, or for a U.S. artist. It would probably be
good to follow up with some of the details on that question, but they are allowable.
>> Is there a limitation on the organization's annual operating budget? For instance, must
you have an annual operating budget over $100,000?
>> The answer is, no, we are Folk and Traditional Arts after all and we have many organizations
that have very small operating budgets. There is no minimum - the only requirement is that
you be able to match the grant. You need to think about your capacity to match the
grant. With small organizations, sometimes panels will ask the question. Do they have
the ability to carry out the project? Demonstrating your track record of success in doing projects
can be important to support your case. Also, showing how you plan to match. Those two
factors. And what audience you hope to reach and how you might reach them. The scale
of the project is often governed by the impact, and evaluated based on the impact of that project,
the potential audience for that project as well.
>> Can you explain the one-to-one match requirement?
>> If you have a project that is going to cost $60,000 total you can request up to
$30,000 from the NEA. Any money that you get from the NEA has to be matched at a minimum
of one to one. That does not necessarily have to be cash. It can be donated services,
in-kind services, use of facilities, that sort of thing. Bt you have to demonstrate
that match You do not have to have the cash in hand when you apply but at the end of the
project period, you have to be able to demonstrate you have matched the grant.
>> Would the Folk Arts discipline consider funding a translation of a theater piece
into the language of a community?
>> I cannot recall that we've ever had a project such as that, but I would not necessarily discourage
it. I guess the question is, is it a community-based theater piece? Where did the theater piece
come from? Is it connected to the community, or is it a more appropriate theater project? I
think that is probably something we would need to discuss with you, the specifics about
that. And have some conversation internally, perhaps, about that.
>> Are the deadlines according to content or time of year? In other words, my folk
festival is in October. Must I apply in July? Or may I wait until March?
>> You can apply at either deadline within October event. However, if you want to allow yourself
the most prep time, you probably want to apply at the earlier deadline, so you have some
sense of whether you've gotten the funding. That would be the key factor. Again, you also
need to look at the outcomes and see where you best fit. I would say in general, public events
have applied at both deadlines.
>> Would an archiving project be more likely to fall under the February or July deadline?
>> Most of our archival projects come in at the July deadline.
>> Here is a similar question about deadlines. We conduct an afterschool class for youth to learn
traditional flute. Would we apply in February or July?
>> Most of our education projects come in at the later deadline, the July deadline. But
I would say also it would be good to have a conversation now because you may want to
think about whether or not this would fit under Arts Education. We do have a specialist
in Arts Education named Terry Liu who is an ethnomusicologist who has worked with folk
and traditional arts. He would also be able to give you good advice about that.
>> In terms of projects involving international collaboration, is there support for American artists traveling
abroad to both develop and tour a collaborative project as well as international artists coming
to the United States to work on the project?
>> We do not fund a lot of touring abroad. We do fund some projects that involve artists
from abroad coming to the United States. However, there is a program funded through the Mid-Atlantic
Arts Foundation to support the international touring of artists. I would suggest you
go to their website and check in with them and check about their deadlines, because that
may be a more appropriate source of support for that type of activity.
>> What are some common in-kind items that you see in the budget?
>> Well, they can be volunteer work on a project. You may have, let's say, board members,
or members of your organization who will volunteer their work at a festival or an event. One
thing to keep in mind, though, if it is a lawyer who is a member of your organization
and he or she is helping to park cars, you can only charge the fee that might reimburse
someone for parking cars, not for being a lawyer. You need to think about that a little
bit. Also, the use of facilities, the rental of items, all of those sorts of things. In
some cases, people provide food and lodging for artists that come to town. As long as
it is well- documented, those sorts of things can also be in-kind donations.
>> Do have a percentage or rough idea of how many new Folk and Traditional Arts applicants
are awarded grants? I would assume the question is in regard to first-time applicants.
>> I don't think I could give you a percentage, but I would say we get a fair percentage
of new applicants each year. And many of them are successful. Probably your best gauge
of that would be to take a look at our recent grants and get a feel. Look at a couple of
years and get a feel for how many new names you see there, names of organizations.
>> In the past, I have circulated a letter among various traditions bearers and related
organizations which they agreed to sign instead of gathering individual letters of support. Does
this meet your requirement of a minimum of one letter of support?
>> I would say it could, it could demonstrate support of those artists for the project.
I would recommend that the letter have some content so it doesn't look like a petition.
But if they're key to the project, they're community members or they're participating
artists and they signed on to whatever you say in your letter, I would think that would qualify.
>> Can you give an example of a project that was for touring that was funded from the
past, a past touring project?
>> We have funded a number of touring projects. In my experience, we have fewer of those
these days. I think it is because of the cost of touring nowadays. We have funded Western
tours featuring native american and cowboy artists in the past. We've funded tours of
Irish musicians, of blues musicians. We have funded any number of types. Usually,
they're regional tours touring one part of the country, the Southwest, Southeast, New England. We
have funded a number of those types of projects. [36:43]
>> Somebody asked the question about when the archive would be on our website. The
answer is two days. By the end of the week. The next question is, what is the difference
between festivals, workshops, and demos under Engagement, versus workshops and residencies
under Learning?
>> There probably isn't a lot of difference. I would say, in some cases workshops are a
one-time affair. In other cases, it would be a series of workshops or residencies
with the ultimate outcome being a more in-depth teaching experience with the same intended audience. In
terms of the nature of them, I would not say there is a lot of difference. But sometimes
workshops and demos are done at festivals. For instance, a one-time affair involving artists
that happen to be participating at a festival. That is more of an Engagement type of workshop. In
other cases, residencies or workshops or demonstrations might be over a longer period
of time within educational outcome that might be somewhat different.
>> Is there a preference for projects that are serving the cultural community, such as tradition
bearers versus the public, such as facility guests?
>> I think in general, our panels look for in terms of artistic merit, the impact on
the community. What we might call in-reach projects are definitely ones that the panel in the
past has supported. But also, there are other types. There are projects that involve more
the exposure end of things where you take an artist outside his or her community and
present them to new audiences. There are also projects where you find that artists
from one community might be reaching out to a similar community in another location. You
bring in artists from outside to engage with community members from not their own community,
another community, but they may be practicing the same tradition. I would say we fund both
types of projects.
>> Can we apply for a project that would include learning and community arts education
as well as performance? Either by participants or by professional artists whose art forms
reflect what is being studied.
>> The answer is yes. You can bundle an application, that is, it can have several dimensions. That
is not a problem. It is important, though, -- you are telling the panel a story, so
it is good to have a story to tell them. If you have a series of projects or multiple
types of projects, show how that fits into the overall outcome that you intend.
>> Here is another question about an idea for a proposal. What about a folk artist painting
a historical mural in a courthouse? Would they apply to Folk and Traditional Arts?
>> That is probably the type of questions we want to have off-line with you. I would
say, in general, if it is a mural project, we might want to think about whether it is more
appropriate for art in public places, or another area in the agency through Visual
Arts, that is. We would want to get a sense of whether that mural, there is some tradition
of mural painting and how that connects to the artist who might be selected. That is
probably a more detailed question that we should go into, you know, spend a little more time
on.
>> Will the SF-424 forms still require the various attachments that have been required
in past years?
>> The SF form is just your basic information, it's about a three-sentence description of
your project and some of the other very basic things. All of theattachments that you use
to submit through Grants.gov will now go into NEA- GO. That first step is a fairly simple,
straightforward one, with not a lot of information needed. However I would say, you should have all of that
information at hand when you submit at the February deadline. Have everything in mind and organized, but you don't have
to submit that until two weeks later.
>> And Barry, there was another question as well about the timeline. We have scrolled back
and posted that for everybody to review again.
>> Thanks.
>> When is the next Art Works webinar for Folk Arts guidelines?
>> This it will be the only one for this year. But if you want to experience it again,
you can always go online and watch it as many times as you want.
>> Thanks, Barry. That sounds exciting. [LAUGHTER] Can an organization apply for separate grants
with different arts focused in each application? >> Each applicant can only submit one application
per year so you would need to pick the project that you want supported for any given year and
apply for that. >> When can you first submit the SF-424 to
apply for the July deadline?
>> The answer is that the package will be posted in early June.
>>
Which deadline receives the most applications?
>> Generally, our second deadline receives a few more applications than the first, but I
would not try to figure out where you are going to have the most competition. Because
the money is allocated roughly based on our experience with the numbers of applications per
deadline. I think the most important thing is to look at those two deadlines, look at the
outcomes and what is described under those outcomes to be sure you are in the right
place. That should be the measure for which deadline might be most appropriate for you.
>> We have applied several years without success. Should we just give up?
>> First, I'm sorry. I think it would be a good idea if you haven't to talk with our specialist
to get panel comments, to get feedback. And I think that may give you some sense of whether
you are applying in the right place, with the right idea. There could be many factors. It
is extremely competitive at the federal level. I think it could be good for you, first, to
determine whether or not there could be some particular issue that has been a problem, or whether
we just don't have enough money to go around, which could also be the case in some situations.
>> Here is a question that segues with that. After my organization receives a notification of
funding, may I call to get feedback?
>> Absolutely, and I would say in general, both successful applicants and unsuccessful applicants
can benefit from calling to get feedback from the panel because even the great applications
often have some very constructive feedback from the panel. And those that are not successful,
there may be just one issue that could have been a problem for that particular panel. Our
panels change every year. Every panel meeting, it's a different set of people, and they
all come with very diverse opinions and experiences. I would not take one rejection as fatal.
>> Do you tend to favor projects in larger cities as opposed to smaller ones?
>> Absolutely not. We are very interested in both geographic and cultural diversity. The
panels are very sensitive to the size of the organization, the community they are
reaching. Those are all factors that we take into account. I should also mention that
for some of the smaller organizations, rural organizations, you might also want to look
at our guidelines for the Challenge America Reaching Every Community category. That's
outside of Art Works - it is a $10,000 grant, all or nothing. They have their own specific guidelines. Some
of those grants are geared toward reaching smaller communities.
>> Barry, here is a pair of questions about potential project ideas. First, would Folk
Arts support a new piece inspired by a folk tale tradition as opposed to one coming directly
from the tradition?
>> That is a complicated question, and probably would bear some more conversation. I would
say it is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. I think that panels always
look in Folk and Traditional Arts for that connection to community, where the ideas are coming
from, how they are expressed, who they are reaching -- what audience they are reaching. Those
are all factors that we generally find panels discussing. It would be good to have a conversation with
our folk arts specialist. It would also be very good to look at our recent grants,
and maybe add a couple of other places, in Theater and other areas where projects
of that sort may have been funded. That would give you a fairly good idea of what
discipline to approach.
>> Is eligible -- public programs, many of them, come in at that first deadline. I
think, again, take thinking about the artistic content and also the audience to be reached,
but it certainly sounds as though it may be eligible project.
I should add one thing. That is, if it is a one-time, one evening event, you might think
about the potential artistic impact and merit of that type of project. To consider whether
or not it might be better to approach a state arts agency or some other organization, knowing
you are competing on the federal level with all sorts of activities. But sometimes subsidizing
just a single event, the panel might question whether a federal investment is necessary
for that sort of project. You may be able to make the case, but I think that would
be the challenge, to make that case.
>> Barry, my microphone may have not been on when I asked the last question. I'm getting
some feedback about that. The question was, Is an evening length performance of traditional
art featuring dancers of allowable? So, yes.
>> Yes, it's allowable. And I was speaking to that in my last comment. That is - a
one-time, single-night event. The question is may be one of impact, that is, what size audience
are you speaking about? Is it something that requires and merits federal investment, or
is it something that perhaps could be funded at the state or local level? That would be
the case you need to make for the NEA. >> If an organization is awarded a Folk and
Traditional Arts grant, can they also apply for a Media Arts grant in July?
>> Yes, they can, but I would look carefully at the Media Arts guidelines and have a conversation
with them to be sure that your type of media project fits within their particular guidelines.
>> Can we find the Livability reporting requirements on your website?
>> Yes, there will be links within our guidelines to the Livability, and the Livability section,
to give you an outline on what reporting requirements there would be under that category.
>> An applicant writes in: I'm having trouble understanding the difference between "Learning" and
"Engagement." Is the learning mainly internal, for example, for the organization itself to be learning
rather than teaching?
>> I would say in general, Learning involves teaching more than the organization itself learning
in some way. Engagement is broad. We intend these categories to be broad. I would not
get too hung up on the category itself, as long as you are fairly confident you are at the
right deadline. But I would say again, it would be good to have a conversation to learn
the specifics. In general, I would say that Learning would involve after-school, out-of-school,
apprenticeships, those sorts of activities. As far as learning for the organization, I'm
not sure. But that could be an Engagement project, I would guess.
>> Here is a question I will try to answer. An applicant is asking how the SF-424 form compare
to the SAM form on Grants.gov. SAM is one system and Grants.gov is a separate system.
First, you have to register your organization with SAM and then once you have completed
that registration, you can move on to Grants.gov. There is not actually a SAM form on Grants.gov.
Barry, there's one final question. An applicant is asking about a solicitation they received,
and the solicitation said if they paid them X amount of money that they would register
them with SAM. Is SAM and Grants.gov, are those free to register with?
>> Absolutely, those are free. I'm afraid there are people who have discovered they
can make money by deceiving people into thinking that they had to pay some money to do it.
So you have to be very careful about that. The best thing would be to go to our website. Go
through our How to Apply segment, and link directly with SAM and the Grants.gov websites, so
you are not solicited for these other -- I probably shouldn't use the term. I won't
describe what these people are doing, but they are taking people's money - let's put
it that way - when it's not needed. So on that happy note, I thank everybody for listening. Please
feel free to get in touch with us with follow-up questions. We are always happen to answer them. I thank
Erin Waylor who was my interlocutor throughout, and the media staff for assisting us in this
presentation. Thank you very much. Any questions. We will put up that screen and we will say goodbye.