Li
fe Enrichment Committee
October 24, 2022
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Edward D. Reiskin FROM: Alexa Jeffress
City Administrator Director, Economic and
Workforce Development
Department
SUBJECT: Fiscal Year 2022-23 Cultural Funding
Grants - Round One
DATE: September 27, 2022
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
S
taff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Awarding Grants To Forty- Nine (49) Oakland-based Nonprofit Organizations Providing Arts And Cultural Services In Oakland For Fiscal Year 2022-2023 (Round One), In A Total Amount Not To Exceed One Million One Hundred Eight-Five Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Dollars ($1,185,350).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A
doption of the proposed resolution will award forty-nine (49) Cultural Services Grants to Oakland-based nonprofit organizations to provide cultural services that will reach all seven of Oakland’s City Council Districts. These organizations will support artistic excellence and cultural diversity through the provision of services and programming in dance, music, theater, media, digital, visual, literary, community arts, and festivals, while leveraging other government, corporate, and private spending on the arts in Oakland. The grant funds will support over 1,873 individual arts events and activities, most of them will provide free or low-cost to the public and will expose over 433,000 participants (80 percent Oakland-based) to cultural arts services and programming. This attendance figure includes active participants, on-site audiences, virtual programming, and estimated internet site visitors.
The Fundi
ng Advisory Committee (FAC) of the City’s Cultural Funding Program met virtually on September 7, 2022 via Zoom to review staff’s grant award recommendations.1 The FAC agreed to the staff’s recommendation on funding allocations and the grantee pool for these categories as Round One for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 Cultural Funding. The list of award recommendations and grant descriptions are included as Attachment A.
The pr
oposed resolution would adopt the recommended FY 2022-23 allocation to award the proposed grants for FY 2022-23 Round One Cultural Funding awards in the total amount of $1,185,350.00.
1 More information about the FAC is available on the City website:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/funding-advisory-committee Oct 12, 2022
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Fiscal Year 2022-23 Cultural Funding Grants - Round One Date: September 27, 2022 Page 2
Life Enrichment Committee
October 24, 2022
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Program Overview
The Cultural Funding Program (CFP) was established by the City Council (Council) in 1985 as the City of Oakland’s (City) mechanism to support Oakland-based nonprofit arts and cultural organizations through an annual competitive application process. These grants infuse Oakland’s neighborhoods with arts and cultural activities that increase exposure to, understanding of, and respect for diverse cultural heritages, support arts activities that engage the community, and support hands-on arts instruction in Oakland’s public schools. For FY 2022-23, the CFP will award two rounds of funding, providing grants in four categories: (1) Organizational Assistance, (2) Neighborhood Voices for Festivals, (3) Neighborhood Voices for Individual Artists, and (4) Neighborhood Voices for Organizations. These grant categories were created by staff with community input and the support of the Funding Advisory Committee and City Council.
Round One-To be considered at the October 24, 2022 City Council Life Enrichment Committee Meeting includes:
1. Neighborhood Voices for Festivals
2. Organizational Assistance (2nd year of two-year awards)
Round Two-To be approved at a future City Council Meeting in early 2023 includes:
3. Neighborhood Voices for Organization Projects
4. Neighborhood Voices for Individual Artist Projects
An overview of the CFP grant categories is included as Attachment B.
The program is managed by the Cultural Affairs staff within the Economic & Workforce Development Department (EWDD). To ensure transparency and public trust in the distribution of public funds for the arts in Oakland, the program has established policies, review procedures, and a panel system for evaluating applications, including review by the Funding Advisory Committee (FAC).
The FAC is a volunteer body responsible for providing input on matters relating to CFP policies and procedures. The FAC reviews scores established by the community peer reviewed panels, reviews staff allocation recommendations based on panel ranking, and hears applicant appeals, if any. The members of the FAC are recruited from the arts community and are elected by current FAC members. Oakland’s CFP is one of the only local grant-making agencies in the State that allows applicants to address the community peer reviewed panel during a three- minute discussion. The applicant’s three-minute address is used to clarify any questions or misinterpretations that the applicant may have heard during the panel discussion.
With Council support, the CFP grants have historically been funded from the General Purpose Fund. In FY 2009-2010, Oakland voters approved Measure C, implementing a Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) surcharge that supplements the CFP funding.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Fiscal Year 2022-23 Cultural Funding Grants - Round One Date: September 27, 2022 Page 3
Li
fe Enrichment Committee
October 24, 2022
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
G
rant Review Panel Process
D
uring the FY 2022-23 Neighborhood Voices for Festivals grant application period, the CFP received a total of 45 applications from Oakland-based nonprofit organizations. Staff reviewed the applications and passed along those that met eligibility requirements per the program guidelines to the grant review panelists. On August 29, 2022, the CFP review panel consisted of a total of 4 community/peer panelists, and they evaluated eligible applications from 37 organizations. Staff reviewed scores and ranking of the applicants, creating a list of recommended awards, which were then forwarded to the FAC for their review. The FAC met virtually on September 7, 2022 to review these recommendations. Staff determined grant awards based on applicant ranking by score and funds available and the FAC unanimously supported staff’s recommendation for Council consideration to approve funding for 26 organizations conducting Oakland festivals.
Fur
thermore, this is the 2nd year of the two-year grant cycle for the Organizational Assistance grant program. On November 16, 2021, 24 Organizational Assistance awards were previously approved by the City Council along with the recommendations for the FY2021-22 Individual Artist Project, and Organization Project categories. For FY22-23, only 23 Organizational Assistance applicants are being recommended for the second year of this two-year funding cycle funding, due to grantee AXIS Dance Company being ineligible since it is no longer based in Oakland. Each Organizational Assistance grant award is also being increased by $5,000 due to additional funding available and in consideration of high inflation costs impacting our cultural community. The FAC met virtually on September 7, 2022 via Zoom to review this recommendation for Organizational Assistance second-year funding, and have unanimously supported staff’s funding recommendations.
P
anelists thoroughly discussed, evaluated and scored each proposal based on established criteria. In broad terms, the criteria for the panel review are: (1) soundness of applicant’s plan for artistic/cultural services and quality of the artistic product; (2) management ability of personnel and the fiscal soundness of the program or project; (3) the applicant’s ability to implement the proposed activities; identify and market services to potential audiences; and (4) the extent to which the applicant’s activities fulfill the goals of the CFP. The application criteria also included a section that addressed cultural and racial equity. Applicants were asked to address racial disparities and how their programming closes the gap for impacted communities by creating opportunities for them to engage with the cultural programming. Upon completion of the review process and ranking of the applications, staff determined a cut-off for grant awards and the allocation of funds, which was reviewed by the FAC. Applicants receiving an average score lower than 70 (from a possible 100 points) were automatically disqualified from funding.
These funding allocations consider the applicants’ score, request amount, and budget size.
Round One application statistics are included in Attachment C.
A
pproval of these cultural funding grants will continue to help advance the citywide priority of housing, economic and cultural security.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Fiscal Year 2022-23 Cultural Funding Grants - Round One Date: September 27, 2022 Page 4
Li
fe Enrichment Committee
October 24, 2022
R
eview Panel Recommendations and Statistics
T
able 1 below shows the total number of applications received, reviewed and recommended by the review panel for each of the 2 categories for this Round One of funding.
T
able 1. Application Statistics
Round One (FY21-22)
Grant Categories
No. of
Applications
Received
Total
Awards
Award
Rate
Total Amount
Awarded
Average
Award
Amount*
Neighborhood Voices
for Festivals 45 26 57% $435,350.00 $16,744.00
Organizational
Assistance (2nd year of
Two-year award) 31 23 74% $750,000.00 $32,609.00
TOTALS 115 69 60% $1,185,350.00
*
For a complete list of grantee award amounts, please see Attachment A.
FISCAL IMPACT
The c
ost to support these Cultural Funding Grants for Round One will be $1,185,350.00, which was included in the FY 2021-23 budget and will be drawn from FY 2022-23 funds available in:
$1,185,350.00 General Purpose Fund (1010), Cultural Arts & Marketing Org (85511), City Promotion Account (53311), Cultural Arts Grant Fund Project (1000166), Citywide Activities Program (IP50).
T
able 2 provides a breakdown of the project cost summary, and the appropriated project funding sources are included in Table 3.
T
able 2: Project Cost Summary
Cost Category Description Amount
Grant
Disbursements
Grant disbursements to FY2022-23
Round One, Cultural Funding grantees $1,185,350.00
Total Project: $1,185,350.00
T
able 3: Project Funding Sources
Funding Source Organization Account Project Program Amount General Purpose
Fund 1010 85511 53311 1000166 IP50 $1,185,350.00
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Fiscal Year 2022-23 Cultural Funding Grants - Round One Date: September 27, 2022 Page 5
Li
fe Enrichment Committee
October 24, 2022
Total Project: $1, 185,350.00
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
The av
ailability and open application period for the FY 2022-23 Neighborhood Voices for Festivals grants were announced on May 4, 2022. Application guidelines and grant category descriptions were widely publicized for eight weeks. Outreach included posting on the City website, social media sites and publications featuring cultural grant opportunities. Email notices were sent to interested groups including past grant applicants and all parties that contacted CFP staff for arts funding opportunities. CFP staff conducted public workshops and one-on-one technical assistance meetings for prospective applicants from May 2022 through the application deadline. A total of 48 people attended the public workshops via Zoom, and 12 prospective applicants received one-on-on technical assistance from CFP staff.
The
availability and open application period for the FY 2021-23 Organizational Assistance grants were announced on June 15, 2021. Application guidelines and grant category descriptions were widely publicized for four weeks. Outreach included posting on the City website, social media sites and publications featuring cultural grant opportunities. Email notices were sent to interested groups including past grant applicants and all parties that contacted CFP staff for arts funding opportunities. CFP staff conducted public workshops and one-on-one technical assistance meetings for prospective applicants from July 2021 through the application deadline.
E
ach Spring, an Open Call for qualifications is posted on the City’s website inviting community members to serve on peer review panels. Grant Review Panels convened to discuss and evaluate applications in open meetings, where applicants had the opportunity to attend and address the panel with a three-minute statement via Zoom. Grant Review Panels were open to the public and accessible through a public Zoom link.
COORDINATION
The C
ity Attorney's Office and the Budget Bureau have been consulted in the preparation of this report and resolution. The FAC has also been consulted and reviewed the award recommendations herein presented to the City Council.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
E
conomic: Community-oriented arts activities bolster the cultural arts identity of Oakland, fortifying the City as a destination, bolstering the creative economy and creating positive publicity resulting in economic benefit. In this first round of funding for FY 2022-23, the CFP grantees will employ over 1,200 Oakland-based artists and staff. Their activities generate local sales taxes and revenues for the City and local businesses. Many Oakland grantee organizations have received international notoriety and draw large crowds for their performances or artwork.
E
nvironmental: There are no environmental opportunities or benefits resulting from any action Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Fiscal Year 2022-23 Cultural Funding Grants - Round One Date: September 27, 2022 Page 6
Li
fe Enrichment Committee
October 24, 2022
outlined in this report.
R
ace & Equity: These grant recommendations offered an open, competitive process for applicants, resulting in awards to non-profit organizations that represent all seven City Council Districts. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation was available for deaf and hearing impaired applicants, language translation services are provided through the City’s Equal Access Program, and staff performed outreach in communities with significant African-descent, Latinx, Asian and immigrant populations. Outreach activities include Informational Webinars, one-on- one technical assistance, and the recruitment of grant review panelists that represent Oakland’s diverse community. These grant recommendations provide support to artists and organizations that serve low-income, culturally-specific, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer (LGBTQ), youth, disabled, and senior communities.
Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Fiscal Year 2022-23 Cultural Funding Grants - Round One Date: September 27, 2022 Page 7
Li
fe Enrichment Committee
October 24, 2022
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
S
taff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Awarding Grants to Forty-Nine (49) O
akland-based Nonprofit Organizations Providing Arts And Cultural Services In Oakland For
Fiscal Year 2022-2023 (Round One), In A Total Amount Not To Exceed One Million One Hundred Eight Five-Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Dollars ($1,185,350).
Fo
r questions regarding this report, please contact Roberto Bedoya, Cultural Affairs Manager, at (510) 238
-2136.
R
espectfully submitted,
AL
EXA JEFFRESS
Director, Economic & Workforce Development
R
eviewed by:
Roberto Bedoya, Cultural Affairs Manager
P
repared by:
Raquel Iglesias, Program Analyst II
Cultural Funding Program
A
ttachments (3):
A: FY 2022-23 Round One-Grant Award Recommendations and Project Descriptions B: FY 2022-23 Description of Cultural Funding Program Grant Categories C: FY 2022-23 Round One-Application Statistics
ORGANIZATION NAMES Recommended Total Not to
Exceed Grant Amount
(Funding Source) General
Fund-City Promotions
53311
Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation
for Afrocentric Oakland $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Brava! For Women in the Arts for Afro-
Peruvian Fest $10,000.00 $10,000.00
Alkebulan Fiscal Sponsors $20,000.00 $20,000.00
FY22-23 NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES FOR FESTIVALS
American Indian Child Resource Center $10,000.00 $10,000.00 API Cultural Center, Inc. $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Art & Soul Oakland $20,000.00 $20,000.00
ARTogether $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Asian Pacific Environmental Network for
AYPAL: Building API Community Power $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Black Arts Movement and Business District
Community Development Corporation of
Oakland
$10,000.00 $10,000.00
Black Cultural Zone Community
Development Corporation $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Black Joy Parade $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Intersection for BoomShake Music $20,000.00 $20,000.00
The Center for Independent Living, Inc. $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Chapter 510 INK $10,000.00 $10,000.00
Philanthropic Ventures Foundation for Civic
Design Studio $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Communities United for Restorative Youth
Justice $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Creative Growth Art Center, Inc. $20,000.00 $20,000.00
East Bay Asian Local Development
Corporation $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Independent Arts & Media for East Bay
Queer Healing Arts Center $10,350.00 $10,350.00
First Presbyterian Church of Oakland $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Laurel District Association $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Oakland Communities United for Equity and
Justice $5,000.00 $5,000.00
Oakland Technology & Education Center $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Peacemakers, Inc. for OaklandVR $10,000.00 $10,000.00
Intersection for School of the Getdown $20,000.00 $20,000.00 Spanish Speaking Unity Council of Alameda
County, Inc. $20,000.00 $20,000.00
FY22-23 FESTIVAL TOTAL $435,350.00 $435,350.00
ORGANIZATION NAMES Recommended Total Not to
Exceed Grant Amount
(Funding Source) General
Fund-City Promotions
53311
API Cultural Center, Inc. $30,000.00 $30,000.00
FY22-23 ORGANIZATIONAL ASSISTANCE (YEAR 2)
Attitudinal Healing Connection, Inc. $40,000.00 $40,000.00 Chapter 510 INK $40,000.00 $40,000.00
DANCE ELIXIR $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Destiny Arts Center $40,000.00 $40,000.00
Diamano Coura West African Dance
Company $25,000.00 $25,000.00
Dimensions Dance Theater $35,000.00 $35,000.00
East Bay Performing Arts $40,000.00 $40,000.00
EastSide Arts Alliance $40,000.00 $40,000.00
Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park $40,000.00 $40,000.00 HipHopforChange, Inc. $35,000.00 $35,000.00
Independent Arts & Media for The Crucible $40,000.00 $40,000.00 Kitka, Inc. $30,000.00 $30,000.00
Living Jazz $35,000.00 $35,000.00
Music is Extraordinary, Inc. $30,000.00 $30,000.00
Oakland Ballet Company $35,000.00 $35,000.00
Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Inc. $35,000.00 $35,000.00 Oaktown Jazz Workshops $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Prescott Circus Theatre $30,000.00 $30,000.00
Project Bandaloop $40,000.00 $40,000.00
Purple Silk Music Education Foundation,
Inc. $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Sarah Webster Fabio Center for Social
Justice $20,000.00 $20,000.00
Ubuntu Theater Project, Inc. $30,000.00 $30,000.00
ORG ASSISTANCE YEAR 2 TOTAL $750,000.00 $750,000.00
FY22-23 Round One TOTAL $1,185,350.00 $1,185,350.00
Description
AfroCentric Oakland presents "The PanAfrican Market Place Festival," in September 2022. This festival is designed to support Black artistic vendors and provide cultural activities for all age groups. Held at Lake Merritt Splash Pad park, this event will provide a key opportunity for Black artistic vendors to showcase their products-- such as jewelry, clothing, visual art, home decor such as vases and wall art, rugs, mudcloth, educational and cultural books, and homeopathic products. Residents of Oakland will be able to explore the cultural products of vendors as well as engage in a live mural creation, music, dance, and food. AfroCentric Oakland requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, outreach, and production costs.
In June 2023 Afro-Peruvian Fest will host its fourth annual festival at Oakland’s EastSide Cultural Center. The festival will highlight Afro-Peruvian culture as seen through the lens of its people, music, and dance. The Festival’s program includes a performance by the Oakland-based Afro-Peruvian dance company, Cunamacué; a screening of the award-winning dance documentary “Herencia de un Pueblo (Inheriting a Legacy)” by Carmen Roman; and a photo exhibit by Milena Carranza. Afro-Peruvian Fest is requesting $10,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities and outreach.
In June 2023, Alkebulan Fiscal Sponsors DBAThe West Oakland Cultural Action Network will host its 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration - celebrating the health, pride, culture, art, history, resistance, activism and joy of the Hoover-Foster and West Oakland Black communities. This annual Juneteenth festival spotlights the people, places and history in the Hoover-Foster Black Liberation Walking Tour (BLWT), and is a community celebration of Freedom Day featuring music, dance, spoken word, visual public art, food, community partners and vendors.
The festival will also engage attendees in the unveiling of a new public work of art, designed with the input of local residents of the community. West Oakland Cultural Action Network requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, outreach and production costs.
FY22-23 NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES FOR FESTIVALS
American Indian Child Resource Center presents, "Many Nations on One Land," a Native American music, dance, comedy, and cultural arts and crafts presentation festival. Held in May 2023, this event is a collaborative between American Indian Child Resource Center (AICRC) and Sogorea Te Land Trust (STLT), two Oakland- based Native nonprofit organizations who will present a community festival that honors the history, traditions, and arts of the indigenous people who have lived on this land forever and for other Native people from hundreds of tribal nations who call Oakland home. The American Indian Child Resource Center requests $10,000 in grant support for artistic personnel.
The Oakland Asian Cultural Center's “Lunar New Year x Black History Month Celebration” is a festival under OACC’s Open E.A.R.S. for Change program series that centers art, culture, and humanities to highlight systemic/structural racism and engage audiences at varying stages of understanding racism and Black-Asian community relations. OACC will collaborate with the Malonga Arts Residents Association (MARA), to develop a joint community festival that celebrates Lunar New Year and Black History Month in February 2023. The event will include multi-cultural demonstrations, performances, and children’s storytime with family-friendly programming. OACC requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, outreach/marketing and production costs.
Art + Soul Oakland returns to Frank Ogawa Plaza after a two-year hiatus with with its free 20th Anniversary celebration showcasing Oakland artists and the world-premiere of “Blues, Baroque, and Bars: From The Streets To The Symphony,” a new musical suite from legendary vocalist The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol. This powerful new work traces the story of Black people in America through the blues - the story of a people and an art form holding the history of Black America from the slave ships to the cotton fields to segregation to the present day.
The celebration will also include an array of food vendors, artisans, community booths, and children's arts activities. Art + Soul Oakland requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, outreach and production costs.
ARTogether presents the "World Refugee and Immigrant Day Festival," an inclusive celebration to raise awareness and celebrate the contributions of refugees and immigrants to Oakland and around the world. Free to the public, the Festival will feature interactive arts and performances by Oakland-based refugee and immigrant artists and arts groups. The Festival will be hosted in Oakland’s Clinton Park on June 17, 2023, and will include free halal food, storytelling, cultural performances, social, health, and wellness resources, and interactive activities led by artists and leaders of Oakland’s refugee and immigrant communities. ARTogether requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, outreach, and production costs.
AYPAL presents its 25th annual "May Arts Festival," occuring in May 2023, and coinciding with Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month (APIMH). The May Arts Festival is a youth lead and designed performance and visual arts festival that connects young people to their cultural and ethnic identities. The event amplifies youth voices and storytelling, and uplifts the experiences, issues, and joys of API youth in Oakland. The intention and goals for this event are to develop youth leaders and foster connections to Asian Pacific Islander (API) history and culture through art. AYPAL requests $20,000 in grant support for artistic personnel and production costs.
Black Arts Movement and Business District Community Development Corporation of Oakland (BAMBD, CDC) presents the "Black Arts Movement Black Lit Affair" - A month of literary expression in celebration of the life and work of Dingane Joe Goncalves, Civil Rights Activist and founder of the Journal of Black Poetry - a flagship journal of the Black Arts Movement - and in recognition of Oakland’s first Poet Laureate, Dr. Ayodele Nzinga.
Activities will take place in the Black Arts District, which includes West Oakland and crosses the invisible border of Martin Luther King into the heart of downtown Oakland. BAMBD, CDC requests $10,000 in grant support for the festival.
The Black Cultural Zone presents "Liberation Month: A Juneteenth Emancipation Celebration," a multi-site and multi-day festival taking place in June 2023 across East Oakland, celebrating our community’s past, present, and future. The Liberation Month Events and Festival directly responds to the impact of displacement by celebrating the character of East Oakland and its community (current residents and those now living elsewhere), while accelerating revenue generation for Black and Brown cultural businesses. The Black Cultural Zone is requesting $20,000 in grant support for the festival.
On February 26, 2023, The Black Joy Parade will present its 6th Annual Parade to celebrate the Black experience and Black cultural contributions to Oakland. The purpose is to inspire positivity, joy, and artistic expression within Oakland's Black community. This cultural event is open to all ages and includes a parade, festival, artist showcase, marketplace, and spaces to build community. The Black Joy Parade requests $20,000 in grant support for artistic personnel expenses.
BoomShake Music presents it's second annual "Mo’ Roots Festival," taking place in East Oakland in June 2023.
Building on the legacy of Oakland percussionist and teaching artist Monica Hastings Smith, the festival will bring together diverse Oakland artists, youth, and community members to create and share new works in all media. The festival will center the voices of Black, immigrant, female, queer, trans, and gender nonconforming artists, and will support artists of all ages and levels to create works exploring Oakland’s cultures, movements, history, and nature. BoomShake requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities, and production costs.
The Center for Independent Living, Inc. is celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2022, and is the founding organization of the world-wide Independent Living Movement. In October 2022, the organization will hold “Independencia Discapacidad”, a block-party festival in the Fruitvale District that celebrates intersectional social justice, their service history, and showcases the culture of the local community, while engaging neighborhood community partners to build capacity for lasting relationships. The Center for Independent Living requests $10,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities, outreach/marketing and food & drink.
Chapter 510 is a made-in-Oakland youth writing, bookmaking, and publishing center for BIPOC and queer youth.
They are seeking support for their fourth annual Write Your Roots All-Town Epic Poetry Festival. This free, multigenerational literary festival will take place on April 28, 2023 in and around Swan’s Market in historic Old Oakland. Write Your Roots invites the entire city of Oakland to collaborate on a poem based on a different theme each year. Next year’s theme is “narrative,” which will use poetry as a way for Oaklanders to say: “I am here, and I matter” in rapidly gentrifying Oakland. Chapter 510 requests $10,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities, outreach/marketing and production costs.
Civic Design Studio presents "Old Oakland Celebrates: Youth, Creativity, and Community Block Party," an all ages event located in Old Oakland District to promote and elevate Oakland youth, arts & culture, and community resilience in April 2023. They will work closely with small businesses, community partners, local organizations, and Oakland Unified School District’s (OUSD) students to establish and execute this event. This will be an opportunity for all of Oakland creatives, entrepreneurs, artists’, youth, community members, makers, and small businesses to convene and be part of a community-led art and cultural event. Civic Design Studio requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities, outreach and production costs.
Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice presents the "Town Nights Festival" at Josie de la Cruz park in the Fruitvale District in Summer 2023. This festival features cultural arts performances by local artists, free food and giveaways, highlights the vibrancy and diversity of our community, creates a safe and celebratory space for local families, and builds a sense of belonging and togetherness. Each Town Nights festival showcases cultural arts performances by local Oakland artists - including dance, music, DJing and MCing, graffiti art battles, and comedy - and ceremonies by cultural healers. CURYJ requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses.
Creative Growth Art Center's "The Home Is Where the Art Is Festival," presented in March 2023, amplifies the cultural heritages of local artists with developmental disabilities, an important but under-recognized constituency in the rapidly changing Lake Merritt + Uptown + Downtown Oakland neighborhood, where the art center has thrived since 1974. A two-day gallery opening and interactive poster launch party with special guests and partners selected by Creative Growth artists will kick off a month-long poster installation across the Lake Merritt, Uptown and Downtown areas of Oakland. Creative Growth requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel costs, facilties, outreach, and production costs.
East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation presents "The Moving for Peace Block Party," an event empowering East Oakland youth to embrace art and creativity as an essential placekeeping tool, building pride and unity in East Oakland to combat displacement. This event is in-person at Coliseum BART station with live performances, food trucks, vendors, bike rodeo, and roller-skating, being held in May 2023. East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities, outreach and production costs.
The East Bay Queer Healing Arts Center presents the "Oakland Pride Creative Arts & Film Fest," a six-day artistic and cinematic celebration of our lives, our loves, our spirit, our families, our community, our LGBTQIA Pride, and our identity. Activities include an art exhibit featuring LGBTQIA artists, a writing workshop, readings by the writing workshop participants, the QTPOC Open Mic (for sharing poetry, visual art, film, dance, music, comedy, etc.), a book fair with readings by LGBTQIA authors, and screenings of four LGBTQIA feature films and 10 film shorts. East Bay Queer Healing Arts Center requests $10,350 in grant support for personnel expenses, outreach, and production costs.
First Presbyterian Church of Oakland will present the "Compassion in Action Festival," tentatively scheduled for April 2023 at Mosswood Park. This free festival will target Oakland's unhoused population and serve the community through entertainment from performing acts representing blues, hip-hop, and jazz, as well as through giveaways and essential services. This festival is specifically designed to create a space where the unhoused community is welcomed, seen, cared for, and fed with inspiration and entertainment. The First Presbyterian Church of Oakland requests $20,000 in support for personnel expenses, facilities and production costs.
The Laurel District Association presents The Laurel StreetFair World Music Festival, an event committed to honoring the diversity and unapologetic creativity that dwells within Oakland. This admission-free, family- friendly public event is a thoughtful curation of live music, dance, cuisine, and art that represents and celebrates traditional & folkloric practices from the African, Latin/x, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander diasporas. The Laurel District Association requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities, outreach and production costs.
The Oakland Communities United for Equity & Justice presents the ʻEvery Day Is Black History Monthʼ festival in May 2023. Through performances, poetry, cultural presentations, childrens activities and workshops, this festival draws the full spectrum of North Oakland residents, artists, vendors, allies and community leaders, building bridges between disparate facets of our community. Recognition of local culture-bearers, breakdown of social barriers, tangible mutual understanding, and unity of purpose are some of the benefits emerging from the Every Day Is Black History Month festival. Oakland Communities United for Equity & Justice requests $5,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities, outreach, production costs.
AfroComicCon presents the "Afro ComicCon’s Film Festival," highlighting filmmakers of color in October 2022.
The festival will have various lead-up events in Oakland, such as screenings, and workshops culminating with the final awards ceremony. This year’s film festival presents an opportunity for emerging local filmmakers to have their work recognized by industry professionals, to network, and receive prizes. The Festival also provides inspiration to the greater community of people of color, in particular for African Americans, who benefit by enjoying the entertainment with representation, as well as the encouragement to pursue their dreams in filmmaking. AfroComicCon requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities, outreach and production costs.
OaklandVR presents the "2023 All Power to the People Book Festival," - a celebration of authors and their books about the Black Panther Party. While Oakland is the birthplace of the Black Panther Party (BPP) there has not been a literary festival recognizing its contributions, particularly since reading was an integral part of its membership. This festival will highlight Oakland authors and others from across the country who have used fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, and comic books to tell the story of the Black Panther Party's origins and programs. The target audience will be young people, adults, parents, and, or anyone interested in the Black Panther Party and its impact on Oakland and the nation. OaklandVR requests $10,000 in grant support for personnel expenses, facilities, outreach, and production costs.
School of the Getdown presents the second annual "Black Music Month Festival," featuring a multigenerational, cross-genre array of Black Oakland musical acts. Held at Oakland Technical High School Auditorium for an audience of 1000, this free community program will celebrate the month of June as Black Music Month, showcasing Black Oakland artists of several generations - from youth to senior citizens - from the genres of jazz, gospel, blues, hip-hop, R&B, dance, spoken word, and more. School of the Getdown requests $20,000 in grant support for personnel, facilities and fiscal sponsorship expenses.
The Unity Council is requesting funding to support the arts and cultural activities at the Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in October 2022. For 26 years, the Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to the vibrant, culturally rich Fruitvale District for a free, outdoor, family-friendly event taking place to commemorate the Dia traditions. Festival attendees enjoy world-class live music, family-friendly games, rides and activities, traditional Latin American artisans, and the stunning ofrendas created by community members paying homage to los Muertos. The primary goal for Día 2022 is to use art and culture as a tool for healing. The theme for the 2022 Día de los Muertos Festival— “Honoring Essential Workers”— is related to pandemic recovery efforts. The Unity Council requests $20,000 in grant support for artistic personnel.
Description
The Oakland Asian Cultural Center’s (OACC) mission is to build vibrant communities through API arts and cultural programs by fostering inter-generational and cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, community collaboration, and social impact. We have three pillars of programming: (1) Cultural Identity, Festivals, and Special Events; (2) Performing and Visual Arts; (3) Social Justice and Community.
FY22-23 ORGANIZATIONAL ASSISTANCE (YEAR 2)
Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC) began in 1989, defining racism as a life-threatening illness. Equity and community engagement are essential and the core of AHC’s mission, which is to empower individuals to be self- aware and inspired through art, creativity and education, making positive choices to break the cycle of violence for themselves and their communities.
Chapter 510 is a made-in-Oakland youth writing, bookmaking, and publishing center. Our teaching artists and volunteers work side-by-side with educators to provide a safe space and supportive community for Black, brown, and queer youth ages 8-19 to bravely write. Our vision is that every young person in Oakland grows to write with confidence and joy.
Founded in 2003, DANCE ELIXIR supports and produces collaborative, multidisciplinary cultural projects with local and international reach, under the vision of artist Leyya Mona Tawil. Under Tawil’s leadership, ELIXIR has emerged as one of few US organizations that specifically presents experimental performance works from an Arab/MENASA perspective. DANCE ELIXIR produces work in the form of live trans-disciplinary performance, in a manner that supports creative discourse and cultural empowerment.
Destiny Arts Center’s mission is to inspire and ignite social change through the arts. At Destiny, we welcome young people into a community built on love, where they engage in creative and self-expression, and realize their own potential to create change in the world. Rooted in the values of love, respect, care, responsibility, honor, and peace, Destiny moves at the intersection of the arts, civic engagement, and social change.
The mission of Diamano Coura West African Dance Company is to provide audiences access to and education of indigenous African and African Diaspora arts and culture through community classes, professional development workshops, arts-in-schools and education programming, performance events and international cultural exchange residences. Diamano Coura strives to portray West African music and dance specifically as forms not simply for entertainment or exhibition, but rather, means by which communities educate, communicate, organize, and preserve their ancestral past. Diamano Coura, in the Senegalese Wolof language, means "those who bring the message."
Since its founding in 1972 and throughout its rich history, Dimensions Dance Theater (DDT) has been steadfast in creating, performing and teaching dance that is reflective of the historical African Diaspora experience through the lens of African Americans. DDT prides itself on its commitment to high artistic standards, diversity, inclusivity and performance excellence. Dimensions Dance Theater’s unique repertoire advocates cultural integrity, innovative dynamism, cultivates dialogue, new ways of thinking, while instilling hope for a better world.
The mission of Oakland Symphony is to bring together orchestral music, choral music and youth education to strengthen the Oakland/East Bay community by providing quality live performances, education for lifetime enrichment, and the perpetuation of the performing arts. Inspired by Oakland’s diverse and vibrant culture, Oakland Symphony celebrates our community’s values through programs highlighting diverse musical traditions and adventurous new works, in addition to classical masterworks performed by up-and-coming and ethnically diverse soloists.
EastSide Arts Alliance (ESAA) is a collective of cultural workers who live and work in East Oakland. Our mission is to unite art with activism to work for community empowerment and cultural development and to build bridges between the disenfranchised, racially divided communities we serve.
EastSide is committed to celebrating, strengthening, and growing Oakland’s cultural legacies. We focus our work on the Black, Indigenous/Raza, and South East Asian working-class communities of East Oakland.
Our mission is to move towards greater equity, environmental resilience and a sense of belonging for all, engaging Fruitvale and Oakland communities from the diverse cultures, races and ethnicities that have formed, and are still transforming California. Exhibits, events and youth and community programs centered at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park— community hub and nationally significant historic site in Oakland’s Fruitvale—bring people together to understand each other’s cultures and heal historical wounds, take care of the land we depend on, celebrate our rich and varied identities through culture and the arts, and engage in civic life, creating a model for communities nationwide.
Hip Hop for Change. Inc (HH4C) uses grassroots activism to educate people about socio-economic injustices and advocate solutions through Hip Hop culture. We raise funds for local causes that enrich marginalized and historically oppressed communities. Our Oakland California nonprofit’s mission is to restore Hip Hop as a vehicle for social change and to reclaim its historical legacy in cultural building, self-determination, and community empowerment.
The Crucible inspires creative exploration and expression through welcoming, hands-on arts education and experiences for people of diverse ages and backgrounds and makes the transformative experience of making art accessible to all. As an innovative arts and economic development hub built around the industrial arts, The Crucible is a catalyst for individual growth, vibrant community connections and workforce and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Dedicated to cultivating local and global community and cross-cultural understanding through the practice of harmony singing, Kitka is a professional women's vocal arts ensemble and institute that produces concerts, recordings, community participation, and cultural exchange projects that develop appreciation for music rooted in Eastern European and Eurasian polyphonic vocal traditions. Kitka also strives to expand the boundaries of this music as an expressive art form through the creation of new work.
The mission of Living Jazz is to transform lives through music. Their programs are known for their artistic quality and commitment to build community based on diversity, inclusion and accessibility; the distinctive way in which they encourage and support artists of all skill levels; and the artistic and personal growth they foster in participants of all ages.
Music is Extraordinary Inc DBA Oakland Public Conservatory of Music centers African American culture in the development of American musical culture and identity. Our programs celebrate, preserve, and extend the musical heritage of the people of Oakland and the broader Bay Area by providing affordable, music teaching and learning experiences for people of all ages in a nurturing environment. We value rigor and scholarship in our quest to preserve the musical traditions of Oakland.
Oakland Ballet Company is a non-profit, performing arts organization that reflects the diversity of Oakland and the greater East Bay. The mission of the Oakland Ballet Company is to provide accessible, relevant, and exciting dance that inspires and educates all ages of our diverse community. OBC is comprised of a diverse professional performing company, a comprehensive educational program, and a training academy. Our vision is much larger than our name might imply. Our reach is wider than Oakland – spanning much of the East Bay. While we embrace classical ballet at our core, OBC’s programs employ many dance styles, musical genres, and collaborations with a diverse roster of local artists.
The mission of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (OIGC) is to inspire joy and unity among all people through Black gospel and spiritual music traditions. OIGC models unity through its multiracial, multicultural, interfaith membership; touches hearts and minds through its joyful performances; educates the public about the cultural, historical, and political context of spirituals and gospel music; and seeks to foster a world in which people celebrate their differences harmoniously.
The mission of Oaktown Jazz Workshops is to promote, preserve, and perform jazz music so that Bay Area youth – particularly under-served youth – develop a sense of ownership and pride in jazz as a uniquely American cultural tradition. Oaktown Jazz Workshops is committed to giving young people opportunities to develop their musical abilities and connections to jazz through year-round instruction and presentations.
Through circus and theatre arts education, the Prescott Circus Theatre’s mission is to empower and engage youth as they develop confidence, teamwork, perseverance, artistic talent, and a dedication to working for success. By providing professional training, unique curriculum, and a safe environment for under-served youth, our Oakland- based non-profit youth development organization promotes skill mastery, physical activity, positive relationships with peers and adults, and opportunities to shine for the community.
BANDALOOP celebrates the human spirit, nature, and communities through dance that uses climbing technology to expand and challenge what is possible. Bandaloop lifts the power of radically accessible live public art to increase the health of individuals, communities and the world bringing people together to reimagine public space.
The mission of the Purple Silk Music Education Foundation (PSMEF), an Oakland-based nonprofit youth arts provider, is “to instill in young people an appreciation of music from different cultures through instruction in traditional Chinese Instruments, opera, and folk songs.” PSMEF provides music education to 400+ students (grades K-12) each year through its school residencies and weekend Chinese music program, offering underserved children and youth opportunities to train with professional musicians, increase their musical knowledge and proficiency, perform in community and educational venues, and tour regionally and nationally, bringing Chinese music and culture to diverse audiences.
The mission of the Sarah Webster Fabio Center for Social Justice is to support the needs of the traditionally underserved by providing opportunities for dialogue, art, social justice and community building. Our programming has a transformational emphasis and counters widespread anti-black narratives to inspire future change agents to thrive!
Oakland Theater Project’s mission is to create exquisite theatrical experiences to inspire compassion and forge bonds across socio-political and racial barriers. Oakland Theater Project tells underrepresented stories that matter and creates theatrical performances and trainings that intentionally bring diverse communities together. We produce works that seek to unite disparate groups, dismantle unconscious bias, and challenge oppressive cultural and institutional norms.
ATTACHMENT B
Fiscal Year (FY) 202 2-23 Cultural Funding Program (CFP)
GRANT CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS
Round One: September 2022
Organizational Assistance (Two Year Grant)
Provides general operating support to established, primary arts organizations. To be eligible, an organization must have received CFP funding in two of the past four consecutive funding cycles.
Neighborhood Voices – Festivals
Neighborhood Voices (VOICES-FEST) builds belonging within the dynamic neighborhoods of the City of Oakland by supporting culturally-engaging efforts to bring our city's community members together through festival culture. Festivals to be supported may include, but are not limited to: performances in poetry, dance, music or theater, visual art and public arts exhibitions/events, and literary presentations, that are rooted in a sense of place.
Round Two: January 2023
Neighborhood Voices – Individual Artists
Supports project offerings by Oakland-based individual artists that support arts-based civic engagement in communities. Examples include murals, creative placemaking, creative place keeping, and creative place knowing.
Neighborhood Voices – Organizations
Supports project offerings by Oakland-based non-profit organizations that support artist-based civic engagement in communities. Examples include parades, murals, creative placemaking, and arts-based civic engagement projects.
FY2022-23 Round One Cultural Funding Program Attachment C 1 of 1
FY2022-23 Round One Cultural Funding Program Statistics
▪ FY2022-23 Round One Cultural Funding Program (CFP) panels and staff reviewed, scored and ranked a total of 68 Applications. The Funding Advisory Committee (FAC) made a total of 49 Funding Recommendations
CATEGORIES Neighborhood
Festivals
Organizational
Assistance (Year
Two)
TOTAL
Applications
Received 45 31 76
Scores Eligible for
Funding 36 31 67
Recommendations 26 23 49
FY22-23 Round One funds available met 82% of the Total Requests Neighborhood
Voices for Festivals
Organizational
Assistance (Year Two) TOTALS
Total Grant Requests $ 615,350.00 $ 835,000.00 $ 1,450,350.00 Available Funds $ 435,350.00 $ 750,000.00 $ 1,185,350.00 Difference $ 180,000.00 $ 85,000.00 $ 265,000.00
▪ A total of 1,873 Events/Activities will be funded by the CFP through this funding. ▪ Of the 1,316 Events/Activities funded through the CFP in these categories most will be offered FREE to the public. ▪ Approximately 433,000 participants will be exposed to Oakland Arts Organizations and Festivals through these CFP events / activities and projects. This figure includes participants, on-site audiences, and estimated internet site visitors. ▪ Of the 433,000 participants, an estimated 80 percent will be Oakland-based, and an estimated 260,927 will creatively participate in the funded activities and projects.
▪ 1,200 Oakland-based artists will be employed as part of the activities funded by the FY2022-23 Round One funding.