The City of Evanston is now accepting applications from social service providers for its Community Resiliency Through the Arts Program.
The pilot program, developed by the City of Evanston Arts Council, aims to spark partnerships between existing social services organizations and arts organizations and artists in Evanston by funding five arts residencies with a budget of $10,000 each.
Recipients will be selected through a two-stage process.
First, beginning today, there will be an open call for social service organizations, both 501(c)(3) and community groups, to apply for an arts residency to further their mission. The Evanston Arts Council will select five organizations to participate in December.
Second, following selection of five social service organizations, the Evanston Arts Council will issue an open call for arts organizations or individual artists to apply for the residencies. The selected arts organizations or artists will be matched with the social service organizations, and the arts programs will commence in spring 2022.
Funding for this program was made possible through the Northwestern Good Neighbor Racial Equity Fund. In 2021, $50,000 was allocated to support Building Community Resiliency through the Arts.
Many Evanston social service providers have benefitted from arts programs that align with their mission, but always on an ad hoc basis and with little opportunity to compare notes on successes and lessons learned. This is the first time there has been a more structured and intentional effort to foster such partnerships.
“We believe the arts can be a great force to build community resiliency as we find our way in the new normal,” said Toby Sachs, Chair of the Evanston Arts Council.
Program details and the application form can be found at cityofevanston.org/resiliencythroughthearts. For more information, call or text 847-448-4311 or dial 311 in Evanston.