Use one of two online portals to apply by 11:59 pm on April 13, 2022
Artists who live in Berkeley as well as local festival organizers should apply by April 13 to be considered for grants to support their projects and events.
Artists can receive one-time grants of $4,000 to produce new work in a variety of disciplines, including visual arts, dance, music, theater, and literary arts. Berkeley festivals can access up to $15,000 in funding, depending on the event's budget size.
These grants are coordinated by the Civic Arts Program, which helps foster Berkeley's cultural vibrancy in a variety of ways, including funding for events and creative projects by artist.
Learn more on the artist or festival application portals and apply by April 13.
Grants to support individual artists
The artist grants support those artists living and producing art in Berkeley. The grant requires that they produce work that culminates in a local public presentation of their work for the benefit of the community by June 30, 2023.
A variety of arts qualify:
- Performance or dance
- Music or theater
- Visual arts
- Exhibitions or public art projects
- Social practice
- Media arts or film screening
- Literary projects or artists talks
Applications criteria:
- Artist has been a continuous resident of the City of Berkeley since January 1, 2020.
- Artist may not be an employee of the City of Berkeley nor enrolled as a full-time student
- Individual Artists may not receive funding more than once in a three-year period.
Learn more on the artist grant portal, where you will need to create an account on the Submittable platform to apply.
Apply for a Festival grant
Festival Grants support community festivals and events that honor and preserve a rich variety of culture. Those include arts festivals and celebrations of cultural heritage relevant to Berkeley residents as a whole or those that recognize a specific community, neighborhood or shared cultural interest.
Both small-scale and first-time events to large scale and established festivals.
- Small Events with a proposed budget of up to $5,000 - awards up to $5,000
- Mid-Size Events with a proposed budget between $5,001 - $50,000 - awards up to $12,000
- Large Events with a proposed budget over $50,000 - awards up to $15,000
To be eligible, applicants must:
- have at least one team member with experience producing at least two events at a comparable scale to the proposed grant-funded event
- be a not-for-profit corporation housed and with a corporate address in Berkeley
- host an event in Berkeley from July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023
Learn more on the festival grant portal, where you will need to create an account on the Submittable platform to apply.
Berkeley Civic Arts program supports cultural diversity
These grants provide a way to expand the reach and increase the vibrancy of Berkeley's arts, a core part of our community.
For questions about these grants, contact the Civic Arts Program at civicarts@cityofberkeley.info or (510) 981-7539.
If you know others who might be interested in applying, please spread the word!