Cultural Exchange Fund Travel Awards

The Cultural Exchange Fund, a travel subsidy program supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, assists United States-based presenters in building partnerships and collaborations with international touring artists, companies, and their collaborators and in seeing the work of artists from around the world in its appropriate cultural context.

Arts Presenters will award travel subsidies to individual presenters, presenting organizations, and to groups of presenters traveling to see the work of artists, companies, and/or to develop and advance projects with international artists and their collaborators. All applicants must be active members of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. In promoting cross-cultural arts programming, Arts Presenters strongly encourages travel to locations including, but not limited to, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

Arts Presenters will fund individual travel subsidies as well as group travel subsidies. The maximum amount awarded per individual organization, inclusive of travel costs and per diem, is $2,000 each. Group travel subsidies will be awarded only to groups of three or more presenters from different member presenting organizations. The maximum award for a group is $10,000 each, with no more than $2,000 awarded per organization.

Date due: May 14, 2010

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Arts in Education Model Development

The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination (AEMDD) Program supports the enhancement, expansion, documentation, evaluation, and dissemination of innovative, cohesive models that are based on research and have demonstrated that they effectively--(1) Integrate standards-based arts education into the core elementary and middle school curriculum; (2) strengthen standards-based arts instruction in these grades; and (3) improve students' academic performance, including their skills in creating, performing, and responding to the arts. Projects funded through the AEMDD Program are intended to increase the amount of nationally available information on effective models for arts education that integrate the arts with standards-based education programs.

Amount: $250,000

Date due: March 16, 2010

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U.S. -- Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program

The Department of Education announces the U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program to support the formation of educational consortia of U.S. and Brazilian institutions. To meet this priority, the applicant must propose a project that supports cooperation in the coordination of curricula; the exchange of students, if pertinent to grant activities; and the opening of educational opportunities between the U.S. and Brazil. In order to be eligible for an award under this priority, the applicant in the U.S. must be a U.S. institution and the applicant in Brazil must be a Brazilian institution. The focus of the consortium can be an discipline.

The purpose of this grant program is to promote more than student exchange, it is also curriculum development as well as language and cultural preparation to promote student mobility. Students should be exchanged in the context of a common program of study or curriculum and should draw benefits from the added value of spending time abroad. The time abroad should count for their study within their academic major at their home institution and should not significantly increase their time to degree completion.

Amount: $240,000 (spread across four years)

Due date: March 25, 2010

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Regional Arts & Culture Council General Support Grant Program (Portland)

The RACC General Support Grant Program aims to provide general financial support to arts organizations in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties, based on their artistic excellence, proven service to the community, administrative and fiscal competence and RACC grant compliance. The General Support Grant Program seeks to fund arts organizations and help provide a wide range of quality arts programming made available to the public. The minimum General Support Grant award is $7,000 for each year of the grant cycle.

Amount: $7,000

Date due: March 3, 2010

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Professional Development Grant Program (Portland)

The Professional Development Grant Program assists artists or representatives of arts organizations with opportunities that specifically improve their business management skills and/or help advance the careers of the individual artist or the arts administrator by supporting expenses related to specific, unique opportunities that have potential to significantly impact an individual’s work and professional development. An opportunity may be one of many things, but it must clearly demonstrate how the proposal will benefit the organization or individual long-term.

Unlike grant programs that support the creation of new work, this program does not ask panelists to critique the applicant’s previous work. Instead, reviewers must determine from the application: (1) whether the opportunity is unique, and not a repetition of the applicant’s similar, previous experiences; (2) whether the applicant has made the case that this opportunity is timely and has true potential to positively impact their career or organization.

Artists who are current residents of Clackamas, Multnomah, or Washington counties and who meet the eligibility criteria are eligible to apply.

Date due: April 14, 2010

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Portland Regional Arts & Culture Council Artist Fellowship

The Regional Arts & Culture Council of Portland, Oregon, is restoring its Artist Fellowship program and will honor one extraordinary artist in the performing arts (dance, movement, music, or theater) with a $20,000 fellowship this spring.

RACC established the Artist Fellowship program in 1999 to honor and support uniquely talented local artists who have contributed to the community in meaningful ways. The accompanying cash award allows the selected artist to explore a particular project or enhance his or her artistic process. Fellowships are awarded annually in rotating disciplines that include performing arts, visual arts, media arts, and literature. RACC did not award a fellowship in 2009 because of the unstable economic climate.

Review criteria include proof of sustained high artistic quality in the applicant's work as well as evidence of the applicant's involvement in the community and the importance of his or her work to the local culture. Artists who are current residents of Clackamas, Multnomah, or Washington counties and who meet the eligibility criteria are eligible to apply.

Date due: March 31, 2010

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International Ibsen Scholarships

Initiated by the Norwegian government, the International Ibsen Scholarships will be awarded for a third time in 2010. The scholarships are designed to encourage critical discourse in regards to existential and society-related subject matters concerning Henrik Ibsen. Scholarship funds are available to individuals, organizations, or institutions within the artistic and cultural communities around the world.

Amount: Varies

Date due: April 15, 2010

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