KNIGHT/NEA COMMUNITY ARTS JOURNALISM CHALLENGE

Contact information: There is a different contact person for each of the eight cities where projects will be funded.

Type of foundation: This is a partnership between the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (an independent foundation) and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal grantmaking agency).

Types of grants: The Challenge will award planning and implementation grants. First-round winners will receive up to $20,000 to develop their “Idea to Action” plan. The plan will provide a clear description of the project and how it will impact local arts journalism. From this pool, Knight/NEA will identify a second round of winners who will receive up to an additional $80,000 to implement their idea over a two-year period.

Description: The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts have launched the Knight/NEA Community Arts Journalism Challenge, a pilot competition in eight communities to inspire new, innovative models for local, high-quality arts journalism in the digital age. The Challenge will seek to fund projects that create model programs that could be replicated in other communities. The eight-city Challenge is in its first year.

According to Dennis Scholl, Knight Foundation Vice President for Arts:

“I think that the chosen ideas will articulate some of the following: they will be inventive ways to leverage social networks or other emerging digital platforms, and of course mobile platforms, and to engage people with high-quality cultural coverage and criticism to their community. The new models will have some potential for sustainability although not necessarily sustainable right out of the box. That’s what Phase Two is for. We’re looking for fresh insights or unconventional solutions, creating arts journalism labs, in a way, with the best ideas from the eight target communities.”

For an insightful conversation about why arts journalism matters, see this interview with Dennis Scholl and NEA’s Senior Deputy Chairman Joan Shigekawa.

Sample grants: While this Challenge is in its first year, the Knight Foundation has run something similar in southern Florida over the past two years and in Philadelphia for one year. These projects have focused more on bringing the community together through the arts. Winners have included:

• $200,000 to Sleepless Night 2011 to inspire and unite South Florida with a third Sleepless Night festival featuring indoor and outdoor art and performances at dozens of Miami Beach venues (2010).
• $150,000 to Philadelphia Orchestral Association to expand concert content and accessibility by creating smart phone apps that supply real-time context about live performances (2011).
• $125,000 to Big Night in Little Haiti to showcase Haitian music through a monthly concert series in Little Haiti featuring the country’s diverse rhythms (2010).
• $50,000 to WXPN to build audiences and appreciation for Philadelphia’s vibrant music scene by creating a virtual space for the local music community and producing a concert series and a collection of web-based musical recordings and videos (2011).
• $50,000 to Mighty Writers to create Sound and Fury, an audio documentary, interactive website and public panel discussions about the role of black Philadelphia radio from the 1950s to the 1980s (2011).
• $35,000 to Astral Artists to spotlight distinctive voices in classical music by celebrating composers who are exploring their African-, Asian- and Latin-American cultures through their music (2011).

Fit for Public Broadcasting: This Challenge offers strong opportunities to public broadcasters with innovative ideas about arts journalism. The funders would most likely favor projects that include digital media and that leverage partnerships. Public broadcasters should be able to leverage their strong community connections and, in many cases, existing arts journalism infrastructures. The Challenge may help broadcasters find funding to expand existing arts journalism activities in new and innovative ways.

Eligibility: The Challenge will make grants to projects based in or benefiting one of the following communities:

• Akron, Ohio.
• Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Detroit, Michigan.
• Macon, Georgia.
• Miami, Florida.
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• San Jose and Silicon Valley, California.
• St. Paul, Minnesota.

Deadline: Applications must be received by midnight (EST), Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011.

How to apply: Individuals, non-profits and businesses are eligible to apply. Partnerships between legacy and emerging media organizations are encouraged. There is no limit to the number of applications an organization can submit. Applications should be completed and submitted online. A fact sheet about the Challenge is available here.

Knight and NEA staff will answer questions about the Challenge during a live, online chat at 2:00 p.m. on July 27 at artsjournalism.org. No registration is required.

Giving range: The Knight Foundation and NEA will award first-round winners up to $20,000 to develop their “Idea to Action” plans. From this pool, a second round of winners will be chosen to receive up to an additional $80,000 to implement their idea over a two-year period. First-round winners will be announced in October 2011.