Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) + Creative Optimism-Uplifting Promises (CO-UP) Grants

2027-28 ARTIST RESIDENCY FRAMEWORK

Many independent artists wish to design and accomplish “socially-engaged” projects wherein experience and products are co-created and/or interactive with invited or open participation. DCA’s NEAR/CO-UP residency-based grant programs support artists in providing community-based, participatory projects. NEAR/CO-UP residencies take place in self-selected non-arts venues throughout the City of Los Angeles in order to gather, connect, and inspire audiences with underserved or little exposure to artistic and cultural opportunities. These residency projects engage participants in a series of artist-led workshops that are highly participatory and/or educational, and which match thoughtful and meaningful exchanges with appropriate audiences at host organizations in each City Council District.

NEAR and CO-UP Program Goals

• Supply creative arts resources to neighborhood host/partner organizations in each Council District by providing direct and intimate access to contemporary teaching-artists;
• Sponsor the implementation of participatory multi- session residencies by a spectrum of 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 envision the integration of either an artist-employee, a new branch of programs into its core service, or a new collaboration with a local arts-organization; and
• To position arts and creative activities in organizations with little or no arts programming that wish to build opportunities to test or develop new services, and envision the integration of either an artist-employee or a new branch of programs into its core services

Neighborhood Engagement Artist Residency (NEAR) grants

NEAR applicants (freelance, independent artists) should demonstrate their ability to manage community-based programs by providing a business plan for a LA City residency project that includes a minimum of 200 hours of planning and direct service in one council district to include a minimum of eleven (11) workshops consistently attended by approximately 20 participants, and culminating in no less than one public event with at least forty (40) attendees. The proposed business plan should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to provide these services with approximately $12,000 and any optional/match funding the applicants wishes to secure, so that the proposed workshops and culminating event will be free or low-cost to the public. Budgets that suggest matching support are not required, but are welcome when either the applicant or host organization can demonstrate a history of successful fundraising. Highest ranking is given to residency proposals that will bring thematically appropriate projects into non-arts venues, such as social service centers, senior centers, social benefit agencies, community centers, recreation facilities, libraries, youth centers, rehabilitation centers, family resource centers, health care facilities, hotels, malls/business centers, science/research facilities, transit centers and faith-based organizations. In regard to faith-based organizations, note projects DCA does not fund proposals that are primarily religious in nature or intent, unless a special case is made that the proposed artistic services are multi-denominational in nature or intent. Secondary priority is given to residencies taking place in DCA facilities and schools if they supplement the usual activities.

Creative Optimism – Uplifting Promises (CO-UP) grants

CO-UP applicants (social justice nonprofit organizations) will provide a business plan for a LA City residency project that includes a minimum of 200 hours of planning and direct service in one council district to include a minimum of eleven (11) workshops consistently attended by approximately 20 participants, and culminating in no less than one public event with at least forty (40) attendees. The proposed business plan should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to provide these services with a $15,000 budget ( $12,000 allocated to the artist and $3,000 allocated to the social justice nonprofit for administrative costs, and any optional/match funding the applicants wishes to secure), so that the proposed workshops and culminating event will be free or low-cost to the public. Budgets that suggest matching support are not required, but are welcome when either the applicant or host organization can demonstrate a history of successful fundraising. CO-UP Residency grants support collaborations between social justice organizations and teaching-artists in any district of the City of LA. Applications should be submitted by the social justice organization naming the teaching artist proposed for the residency. A Social Justice Organization is defined by DCA as a group that spends 20% or more its resources (staff time or funding) on advocacy for a specific humanitarian change. This may be environmental justice, human rights, or civil rights. The mission statement of an eligible nonprofit social justice organization will specifically name the inequities that they aim to overcome through organizing, learning, and/or direct services. 

The teaching-artist should not already be affiliated with the same social justice organization (already employed performing the proposed or other services), as the priority of the CO-UP grant program is to connect freelance artists and social justice organizations for new projects (entirely new or in a pilot phase of less than 4 years). Small artist ensembles can be eligible as named artist-collaborators if the social justice organization is willing to employ 1-3 assistant artists under the direction of a lead artist whose community-based practice has been largely self-developed and remains primarily self-directed.

For all NEAR/CO-UP proposals, a project budget and a prioritized list of the proposed residency(ies) site(s) — one primary choice and up to two secondary choices in the same or different districts – listed by name of venue, address, City Council District, name of venue contact person, and the contact person’s title. In addition, a required attachment of a letter of support from the proposed venue in each of the one to three proposed districts; include no fewer than two letters of support (i.e. one plus one backup) host organization letter are required, as these demonstrate an applicant’s self-initiative to research, plan and coordinate a residency in partnership with an actively involved host organization to benefit a target population within the City of LA. Proposals should be developed with a timeline/work plan that evolves toward project goals. In addition, residency applicants are recommended to plan for approximately 40 hours for grant administration, project marketing, and networking opportunities.

Contracting Information

Selected NEAR and CO-UP applicants will be legally contracted to provide one residency consisting of eleven or more sessions of educational and/or participatory workshops culminating in one public presentation. Residency grant funding is disbursed over two installments of 50% of the grant amount, based on the completion of project-specific contract-specified benchmarks, so planning for good personal cash flow and host venue collaboration is essential. DCA will provide NEAR grants for up to 25 separate teaching artists (ideally one in each of the City’s fifteen Council Districts). DCA will provide CO-UP grants for up to 15 social justice organizations that pair with a teaching-artist for a mutually beneficial residency (Note: the overall number of NEAR and CO-UP grants and their contract-amounts will be contingent on DCA’s budget for its upcoming fiscal year)

Demographics and geographic dispersion of Residency grantees:

DCA’s public residency program strives for an equitable distribution of artistic services to the City’s 15 Council Districts. When judging geographic access, panelists are instructed to greatly incentivize services in Council Districts 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and/or 12, which historically have been arts-underserved, and mildly incentivize services sited in Council Districts 1, 2, 4, 10, and/or 15 which historically have been moderately arts-underserved. Applicants’ ranking for funding is based on panel score and council districts to be served. In multiple cases each cycle, selected grantees may be asked to move their project to another Council District before commencing services. (Click here for an interactive map of LA City council districts. Confirm whether an address is within LA City boundaries by searching for it in the City’s Neighborhood Info tool)

APPLICANT & PROJECT ELIGIBILITY

Eligible Applicants:

• Applicants for a NEAR residency are individual artists (or collaborative duos/teams/ensembles under the leadership of a single applicant) who reside within Los Angeles County, whose community-based practices have been largely self-developed and remain primarily self-directed.
• Applicants for a CO-UP residency grant are social justice nonprofit organizations headquartered in Los Angeles County with an operating budget of at least $100,000 (as demonstrated by the applicant’s most recently filed IRS Form 990). While nonprofits with an arts-focused mission cannot apply, an eligible CO-UP applicant may select and name a key artist in their proposal who is a full- or part-time staff member of a local nonprofit arts organization that is also receiving grant support directly from DCA in any other category. Note CO-UP is not a category for “partnerships” for social-justice organizations to “adopt a nonprofit arts agency” as a two-agency-partnership. In CO-UP the social justice organization is asked to treat their selected teaching artist as an independent contractor.

A lead artist can be named only once per DCA grant-cycle, as either a lead artist in one NEAR proposal, or in one CO-UP proposal. However, NEAR and CO-UP artists can hire colleagues as “guest instructors” and pay each other one-time fees to co-lead specific workshops.

All NEAR/CO-UP applicants must propose activities taking place at eligible locations within the City of Los Angeles. Collaborations involving Registered and Board Certified Art-Therapists, community organizations with missions to serve and uplift people experiencing homelessness, and projects taking place in the City of LA’s arts-underserved Council Districts of 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12 are especially encouraged.

Residency funds shall be used for: 

• community projects held in publicly accessible facilities (unless special permission is provided by DCA staff for a residency to be in a limited-access venue such as a domestic violence shelter or juvenile detention camp).
• sustainable activities that are guided by a strong artistic vision, purpose, or theme;
• projects that emphasize the creative process, community participation, and result in at least one low-cost or free public presentation;
• project themes that emphasize a connection between creative thinking and skill building within cultural issues; and
• impacts which include enabling participants to understand the art form involved and to develop their creativity through it.

Host venues must be located within the City of Los Angeles and be non-arts spaces, such as social service centers, senior centers, social benefit agencies, community centers, recreation facilities, libraries, youth centers, rehabilitation centers, family resource centers, health care facilities, hotels, malls/business centers, science/research facilities, transit centers and faith-based organizations. In regard to faith-based organizations, note DCA does not fund proposals that are primarily religious in nature or intent, unless a special case is made that the proposed artistic services are multi-denominational in nature or intent. (Click here for an interactive map of LA City council districts. Confirm whether an address is within LA City boundaries by searching for it in the City’s Neighborhood Info tool)

Please note that residency projects may incorporate curriculum-based teaching or be organized as a peer-to-peer exchange with a number of mature artists focusing their work on a specific theme with the goal of presenting one collective project to the public. 

 Applicants should not be: 

• individual artists who live outside Los Angeles County;
• individuals enrolled in a degree or certificate program during the grant cycle;
• past grantees who have not successfully completed their DCA contracts within the past two years; or
• individual artists whose past and/or current development is chiefly affiliated with one or more non-profit organizations that provide the same or similar community services (however, such artists may be included as a named lead artist within an eligible CO-UP proposal).

 DCA does not fund:

• projects to be hosted by organizations or festivals already funded by DCA;
  • projects that remunerate full-time employees, part-time employees or Commissioners of DCA;
  • events that are closed to the general public (however, projects at special population facilities such as correctional or medical facilities are eligible with prior permission from DCA grants staff);
  • the purchase of depreciable assets (office/electronic equipment, cameras, musical instruments, etc.);
  • cash prizes, competitions, or awards, hospitality, or food costs, including travel and accommodations, unless food costs are a required nutrition element of an after-school youth program;
  • culinary arts projects that go beyond recipe sharing, food presentation concepts, culinary photography/videography, and/or cookbook publishing: because DCA cannot fund: gathering edibles, group testing of flavors, eating foods, or drinking beverages due to risks of injury or illness;
  • for-profit ventures or projects that are commercial in nature;
  • projects that are primarily religious in nature or intent, unless a special case is made that the proposed artistic services are multi-denominational in nature or intent; or
  • projects at public schools that do not include at least 14 hours of workshops and one after school or evening assembly to which the public is invited.

GRANT AMOUNTS

• DCA will provide NEAR grants of $12,000 and will be offered for residencies of eleven workshop-sessions and at least one culminating event for a total of 12 services. The number of grants and the grant amounts will be contingent on DCA’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. If DCA receives modest budget reductions some or all of the NEAR projects may be reduced at contracting time from 11 workshops and 1 culminating event to $6000 grants for 5 workshops and 1 culminating event.
• DCA will provide CO-UP grants of $15,000 (with $12,000 allocated to the artist and $3,000 allocated to the social justice nonprofit) and will be offered for residencies of eleven workshop-sessions and at least one culminating event for a total of 12 services. The number of grants and the grant amounts will be contingent on DCA’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

TIMELINE

• Workshop Assistance: September - October 2026
• Online Submission Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026
• Notification of Results: May – June 2027
• Contracting: May – June 2027
• Proposed Project Service Period: July 1, 2027 June 30, 2028

PANEL REVIEW PROCESS

Peer panels of artists, arts administrators, educators, art enthusiasts and other experts are selected from a pool of submitted questionnaires and resumes. Consideration is given to creating teams with demographics appropriate for each category and reflective of the City including artistic expertise, gender, geographic knowledge and cultural understanding. Peer panels are charged with reviewing all eligible proposals, discussing project worthiness, making comments and assigning numerical scores. Individually, each panelist considers the applications in relation to Cultural Affairs’ goals and criteria and in comparison to other applications. Panelists use DCA’s score-sheets for consistency and score each application up to 100 points. After individual review and consideration, the panelists gather for collegial discussion at one or more group meetings, wherein average scores are computed and final rankings determined.

Administrative Capability: Maximum of 25 points

The strength and quality of administrative capability is determined by the preparation and articulation of the submitted application, the business skills evidenced in the project narrative and resumes, the proposal of a fair and accurate budget, as well as realistic and specific goals that correspond to DCA’s grant-making objectives.

Ideas and/or Innovation: Maximum of 25 points

The creation of new works with new ideas or new methods, a new interpretation, or the targeting of a new audience. The panel is asked to judge how creative, how feasible and/or how strategic are the proposed services. For Traditional/Folk applications and projects created in a “classical” or a “historical” manner, the panel judges the service goals in relation to the artist’s/organization’s adherence to an artistic lineage and authentic practice.

Impact and Relevance: Maximum of 25 points

The panel’s consideration of whether the proposed services: broaden geographic access to the arts, serve underserved cultural constituencies, provide impactful educational experiences, will provide relevant quality in relation to cost per participant, and include appropriate strategies for evaluation.

Quality and Community Partnerships: Maximum of 25 points

The capacity to serve the stated needs of the participants, target audience and/or the community at the proposed host organization, ideally demonstrating an alignment of project-responsibilities between the teaching artists and partnering host organization.  Extent to which proposed services would galvanize community inclusion/collaborations, foster community pride, provide job and/or volunteer opportunities, or generate local attendance or regional tourism. Extent to which prior experience, merit and quality of talent outlined in biographies/resumes, of past work submitted on sample documentation, and of community support suggested in supplemental printed materials is competitive against other proposals.

Role of DCA Program Staff & Approval of Panel Recommendations

The staff conducts informational workshops to review grant-writing basics, communicate timely/new information, and offer contemporary advice. The staff audits and compares incoming applications in accordance with government information and processes such as: the Regional Alliance Marketplace for Procurement (RAMP), Census data, and DCA administrative review files. The Grants staff coordinates and facilitates panel meetings, wherein the panelists evaluate DCA’s grant process. The Grants Director reviews all grant policies and procedures with the General Manager. Lastly, the staff carries all panel recommendations forward for approval by the Cultural Affairs Commission. Awards are contingent upon the City’s adopted budget and are not official until a legal contract is fully executed.

Determination of Outcomes

Applicants should be advised that the City’s budget for the Department of Cultural Affairs is not determined until the February-March following the submission of proposals. The DCA budget will rise or fall depending upon economic and social factors. Therefore, DCA reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time. Alternatively, DCA may award larger or smaller grants depending upon its available budget. An artist’s proposed work may be reduced or increased accordingly. Proposals to DCA shall not be considered proprietary to any artist, venue, or source of funding. In the situation where DCA decides not to become the primary or sole funder of an artist’s new Fellowship or Residency project, applicant artists may seek to fully execute their proposed project with any other funding source(s).

WEBINARS & WORKSHOPS

DCA offers a series of free educational webinars open to participants from any area of the Los Angeles region. First-time applicants and applicants whose proposal will be drafted by staff members new to or unfamiliar with the DCA Grants program are especially encouraged to attend. Returning applicants are recommended to view or participate in a webinar at least every other year, as DCA’s guidelines, applications forms, and instructions are adjusted each year. Each webinar/workshop will be 60 to 90 minutes long.

Training webinars are limited to 30 participants per session. Anyone wishing to participate in a webinar is required to RSVP at least two business days beforehand. Those who RSVP will receive a confirmation email with login/access information for the workshop 48 hours before the workshop. If spaces are filled, we ask you to enroll in a later session.

It is highly recommended that returning and new applicants and new employees at returning vendors, attend our informational webinars in order to avoid common mistakes and to improve clarity and strategy within their proposals

To participate in a webinar, please register at least 48 hours in advance. Please note webinars are capped at 30 registrants, will be hosted live on ZOOM, and will be recorded and posted to youtube.com/@culturela.

NEAR/CO-UP WEBINARS

Wednesday, September 30^th 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Online Webinar – Registration Link

Monday, October 19^th 5-6:30 PM 
Online Webinar- Registration Link

To view a recording of the October 14, 2025 webinar, please click here

INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLY

Proposals for NEAR and CO-UP residencies are to be submitted online via SurveyMonkey Apply at https://dca-la.smapply.org/.

An eligible application will consist of the following components:

• NEAR/CO-UP Proposal
  • Cover Page (general applicant information)
  • Project Info & Proposed Host Venues
  • Project Narrative (three narrative questions detailed below)
• Series of Attachments (A through E as detailed below)

Project Narrative Questions

1. Project Specifications, Qualifications, and Collaborating Artists:

• Demonstrate your ability to research, plan and implement a residency project by describing who will be involved, what the residency will consist of, when the residency will take place, where the residency will take place, and how the residency will be conducted. Conclude your response with a timeline of project, listing the dates, topics and objectives of each session, and anticipated public culminating event(s).
• Briefly summarize your key qualifications for this project (i.e., special training, similar experiences, fluencies, or expertise). Will there be collaborating artists? If so, list them, and describe your selection process and their roles.

2. Community to be Served and Host Venue Partnership:

• Describe the participants and audience to be served by the project and any special needs of this group. Include gender, family type, age group, economic class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and/or any other relevant information. How will you generate an atmosphere that encourages artistic expression and ensures active participation? How will your culminating event tie together your proposed project? Describe the creative methods or innovative approaches that make your project unique.
• Describe how you have/will collaborate with your host organization for outreach, solicitation and multi-week engagement. Describe similar venues in at least 2 other City Council Districts. Include the amount of time and money you estimate will be spent on marketing.

3. Impact and Evaluation:

• Describe the measurable short-term and hopeful long-term community benefits that may result from your proposed residency. What specific mental wellness or social change are you planning to measure in your participants (such as: awareness, depth of knowledge, skills, and/or confidence)? Who will evaluate your project (a peer or objective scholar)? How much time and money do you estimate will be spent on evaluation?  What before-and-after assessment strategy (observed or embedded in an objective manner) will be used to gauge the challenges (risks) and benefits (outputs) of your participants, workshops, and outcomes? How will the proposed residency benefit your own artistic development?

Series of Attachments

Attachment A: Project Host Letters

Letters demonstrating alignment of project-responsibilities between the teaching-artist and proposed partner host organizations. Upload a Project Host Letter from the proposed venue in each of the one to three proposed districts (DCA recommends including no fewer than two letters of support to reflect your 1st choice partnership and at least one backup partnership). Note that if a single partnership has two hosts (for example: host organization provides enrolled-participants while a second venue provides workshop and performance/presentation space), then please ensure your uploaded document includes letters from each host.

Each Project Host Letter should follow the format below:

1. The partnering/applicant organization’s name and mission;
2. The partnering/applicant organization’s current client demographics (and the amenities of the organization’s facility if this same organization is hosting the workshops and final-presentation);
3. The organization’s readiness to partner successfully with this specific teaching-artist for the proposed project-residency by describing;
4. Currently offered core creative/art programs (if any);
5. How the proposed artist residency project differs from the regular programs/services;
6. The anticipated impact of the proposed residency on the target participants and estimated audience;
7. Match of donated materials, free space rental, underwritten insurance, in-kind project partnership coordination hours, marketing support, supplementary artist fees, and/or any other support host will provide for the proposed residency; and
8. Statement of commitment by partner/applicant organization to coordinate, recruit, or enroll a core audience of no less than 20 people for consistent attendance at the proposed workshop-activities
9. If you are proposing a CO-UP project please follow the Partner/Host Letter with a copy of the 501c3 nonprofit designation letter for the organization that will receive the DCA grant and employ the teaching-artist

Attachment B: Artistic Work Samples 

Documentation that demonstrates at least one prior experience of the proposed teaching-artist with a community engagement project that is similar to the proposed workshops. To ensure your artistic work samples showcase the quality of the experience of the workshops or collaborative sessions, as well as the culminating presentation, samples should consist of video footage or images of the sessions, and video footage or images of the work created by the participants. Samples of the applicant’s own artwork should not be submitted; the experience and artistic qualifications of applicants will be assessed by reviewing the CV or resume. The artistic work sample can consist of no more than 5 minutes of footage or audio, or 5 to 10 images. For literary projects, published material may be provided. Applicants may choose to provide artistic samples via: Three (3) URLs to online videos, audio tracks, webpages, and/or online resources, or up to ten (10) static images.

• Video clips:  Up to 5 minutes. In general, panelists prefer to review substantive artistic excerpts rather than short edited clips with heavy narration.
• Audio track(s): (Optional for Music-themed projects when more appropriate than video footage):  Up to 5 minutes.
• Published Material:  This format may be used for literary themed projects when more appropriate than images to show a culminating project. Digital versions of these publications may be linked or uploaded as artistic documentation
• Images/Photos: Up to 10 images of workshops/sessions or completed artwork. Digital image files must be in JPEG format, 72 DPI, 5 MB or smaller.

Attachment C: Teaching Artist Professional Resume & Guest Artists’ Resumes

Attach a current resume to the application which shows the lead teaching artist’s community work, teaching experience, artistic accomplishments, education/training, degree(s) earned, and prior residency experience.  If you are a Traditional/Folk artist, include a separate statement describing the extent and basis for your expertise within your discipline. If applicable, attach current resumes for each collaborating artist who will work on this project. Note: if you have multiple collaborators, you will need to combine multiple resumes into one document for the upload.

Attachment D: Project Budget

Complete the NEAR CO-UP Budget Form framed around a $12,000 DCA grant (NEAR applicants) or a $15,000 DCA grant (CO-UP applicants), breaking down how funding would be allocated for each category. (Adobe Acrobat or Reader is recommended to complete the Budget Form)

The Cultural Affairs column should total up to the requested DCA grant amount, and the donated column should reflect any cash, materials, and/or donated in-kind services provided by other sources, including the host venue and lead Teaching Artist (here is a sample budget, for reference purposes).

Attachment E: Supplementary Materials (optional, but strongly encouraged)

Provide no more than three supplementary items that support the quality, content, relevance, and/or intended impact of the proposed project. Examples of such items are brochures, program materials, educational curricula, newsletters, letter of support from past participants, published articles, etc.

SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

DCA utilizes an online platform powered by SurveyMonkey Apply. The process to prepare and submit a grant proposal will be entirely online via the SurveyMonkey Apply platform. 

Step 1 – Register: Click on the following link to access DCA’s online grant submission system: https://dca-la.smapply.org/

Applicants will need to register for an account. A confirmation email will be sent to your email account with a new link. Clicking on this link will complete the registration process.

Step 2 – Fill Out the Proposal Forms: Information entered in the forms may be saved one section at a time as the form is being filled out. Be sure to save often.

Once all the forms have been filled out, and all artistic documentation, ancillary materials, and supplemental items have been uploaded, the proposal is ready to be submitted.

Step 3 – Submit the Proposal: 

All proposals must be submitted online. Once an applicant clicks on “Submit” in their SurveyMonkey Apply account, no more edits or additions to the proposal may be made. The deadline for submission is 11:59 pm on Friday, October 30, 2026.