Evolving Lines of Work

Three main categories of work will be developed:

• Cultural assets

  Institutions playing an anchoring role with respect to cultural identity and cultural life within communities (e.g., informal centers of cultural learning, arts schools, organizations sponsoring celebrations of cultural traditions, community gardens).

• Cultural drivers

  Individuals and groups engaging in culture-based actions directed at protecting and promoting just and sustainable communities (e.g., artists as players in social activism, artists as partners in community development).

• Cultural education

  Programs and institutions working to widen and deepen knowledge, skills, and expressive abilities in culture-based activities (e.g., intensive arts training programs for teens, community-based training programs in cultural traditions in immigrant and indigenous communities) with particular emphasis on reaching those from disadvantaged communities.

Thriving Cultures Evolving Guidelines

We are currently accepting letters of inquiry in two of several lines of work: Teens' Artistic Advancement and Artists Engaging in Social Change. In addition, we are currently exploring additional priority areas and will update these guidelines in Fall and Winter 2010-11 to reflect the results of these explorations. Note: Artists Engaging in Social Change, and additional priority areas, will not exclusively involve teens.

Guidelines:

Teens' Artistic Advancement

Thriving cultures depend upon the existence of vibrant artistic communities, and the survival and flourishing of these communities depends, in part, upon arts education. As an important component of this education, Surdna is dedicated to providing opportunities for the artistic advancement of teens. We aim to stimulate fresh thinking and new approaches to address the isolation and lack of opportunities for artistic advancement for young people from disadvantaged communities. Long-term, we expect teens from many cultures to contribute to the artistic fabric of the United States and to contribute to the evolution of new art forms. Some will use their developed artistic voices to help address societal concerns.

Surdna seeks programs in which:

• There is unwavering institutional commitment to teens (especially those from disadvantaged circumstances), as made evident through the consistent availability of resources and staff.
• Young people have increasingly complex and long-term opportunities to create art with accomplished artists, often resulting in strong mentoring relationships.
• High quality, experienced, faculty and guest artists introduce diverse cultural and contemporary art-making approaches.
• Professional artistic development opportunities are created for staff.

Examples of our grantmaking interests are programs in which:

• An effective pipeline is developed for those students who are isolated from opportunity, but are committed to advancing artistically (including arts career development); e.g. intentional connections exist among high school, cultural mentors, afterschool and summer pre-professional programs—leading to entrance and success in undergraduate arts programs and professional work; there is good “mission” fit among institutions.
• Young artists from a diversity of cultures who wish to pursue study at mainstream arts training institutions are given the opportunity and preparation necessary to succeed.
• Youth in immigrant and indigenous communities can advance in the distinctive artistic expressions of their cultural heritage; e.g., through apprenticeships with master artists and tradition bearers.
• Master artists in traditional art forms have opportunities for artistic refreshment—whether through exchanges with other artists who share their cultural heritage, or cultural study with elders; they have the opportunity to explore the connections between tradition and innovation.
• Youth committed to social change can develop their artistic voice to strengthen their effectiveness when analyzing and working toward solutions.
• Artists, educators and youth together create new arts education approaches that recognize the evolving nature of the arts; there is balance between the need for skills and techniques specific to an arts discipline and the need for resilience, versatility and innovation.

Artists Engaging in Social Change

Artists, arts and other cultural organizations play a critical role in fostering just, sustainable communities: they raise awareness and deepen our understanding of seemingly intractable social problems (e.g., regarding race, economic and cultural inequity); help those whose stories are not often heard to gain a public voice; and build sustainable communities by helping to develop innovative solutions and inspiring community members to action. The goals of this line of work are: 1) to strengthen the capacity of artists, arts and other cultural organizations in communities across the country to effectively engage in social change; and 2) to support and heighten awareness of the diverse roles artists can play in social change efforts.

There is a wide spectrum of roles that the arts and artists play in civic life. Working with Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts, Surdna has created a chart which illustrates our vision of the spectrum of roles artists play when engaging in social change.  If you are planning to apply for a grant in this category it is important that you click here to to see the "Artists Engaging in Social Change" chart.

Our grantmaking interests include the following:

Practice:

• Community-based artistic and cultural projects that experiment with new approaches to artistic practice and increasing impact; projects may be national in scope and impact

• Initiatives aimed at raising the level of current aesthetic practice while increasing social impact
• Projects that amplify environmental, cultural, economic and or/social justice challenges

Capacity building:

• Artist-run institutes that help deepen artists' and other staff's artistic and contextual knowledge while focusing on social change work
• Exchanges among seasoned practitioners to share approaches and opportunities
• Opportunities to build the training pipeline for socially committed young artists (from high school/afterschool programs to college and/or graduate study)
• Teen arts programs that also provide the societal context to connect youth to meaningful social change opportunities
• Work that advances cross-sector partnerships; e.g., residencies for artists with social change organizations, and vice versa, designed to promote intensive mutual learning and enhance impact
• Building core staff capacity: building the teams/staffs necessary to develop effective work

Note: Artists Engaging in Social Change, along with additional priority areas under consideration, will not exclusively involve teens.

Click here to download the paper: Artists Engaging in Social Change by Pam Korza and Barbara Schaffer Bacon, co-directors, Animating Democracy, Americans for the Arts

Surdna will continue to fund Surdna’s Arts Teachers Fellowship Program (SATF). For additional SATF information, please click here. Currently, with the exception of SATF, Surdna does not fund individual artists directly. In addition, we do not support programs with the primary focus of serving elementary schools or children under 13 years of age; audience development; using the arts specifically to enhance learning in non-arts focused academic curricula.