Missed Leeway’s Grant Information Session?

Missed Leeway’s Grant Information Session? No worries! We collected all the questions that were asked with answers for your consideration.  

The full online info session is available here, where you can view Leeway’s Program Director, Melissa Hamilton reviewing the application and best practices. You can find more information about the Transformation Award and the Art and Change Grant, along with the application by visiting leeway.org/grants.  

Interested in learning more about the artists and cultural producers Leeway has already funded? Find them here with links to profiles and project descriptions. 

Questions and Answers from the Facebook Live Grant Information Session: 

Q: Are there word count limits on these 6 questions?
A: There's a 1,400-character count for each question. 
 

Q: Does this mean that the grant only applies to individuals and not Limited Liability Company’s (LLC) through which the work is produced?
A: You cannot apply as an LLC but if you are to receive the award you CAN have the funds sent through your LLC. 

Q: Does digital/virtual work during this time due to COVID19 count as a plus in the application?
A: Virtual/digital work can always count in your application if you can show how your communities do/have accessed your work and how it's support or created social change. 

Q: Can you give us a list of what disciplines you consider art for change?
A: Disciplines include: Craft & Textiles, Folk Arts, Literary Arts, Media Arts, Music, Performance, Visual Arts, and Multidisciplinary. For a list of examples of these discipline categories review Page 6 of our guidelines. 

For more information on how Leeway defines art for social change visit our website here: https://www.leeway.org/grants/how_does_leeway_define_art_for_social_change 

Q: Are these awarded every year?
A: Applications are open every year for the Transformation Award. However, you can only receive the Transformation Award once. So, once awarded, you are no longer eligible. Deadline is May 15 of every year. 

The Art and Change Grant is awarded twice a year. Deadlines are March 1 and August 1 of every year.


Q: I understood Transformation Award is about a long-term Social Change Artist and not about a project specifically. But what if I’m working on a new artistic work and this work comprehends more than three social change categories. How should I prioritize the categories to the award
A: We recommend choosing the three social change intents that align most closely with your practice as a whole.  

For more specifics about how this could apply to your application we recommend you sign up for an Applicant Support Session, where you can receive direct one-on-one support from Leeway staff. Upcoming times and dates will be announced soon, please follow us on social media and check our website calendar. 

Q: With 2020 being so limited by the virus, will a lack of activity now influence the 5-year historical journey?
A: No, this will not affect 5 or more years of practicing art for social change. 

Q: I've used gardening as a visual tool in some of my projects, what artistic discipline would that fall into? do I still fall into visual arts?
A: It could fall into a range of artistic disciplines depending on what exactly you are doing with gardening. We recommend reviewing Page 6 of our guidelines. For example, “heritage gardening” is listed as an example of Folk Arts.  

For specifics related to your application we recommend signing up for an Applicant Support Session, where you can receive direct one-on-one support from Leeway staff. Upcoming times and dates will be announced soon, please follow us on social media and check our website calendar. 

Q: Does the Change Partner need to be from the United States?
A: For the Art and Change Grant, the Change Partner does NOT need to be from the U.S. -- they only need to be the best person or organization to support your work. 

As for the Transformation Award, you don't need a Change Partner, since it's an award recognizing work you've already done! 

Q: How do I get a copy of the guidelines?
A: Our applications and guidelines are available on our website at leeway.org/grants. 

PRO TIPS: 

• What is at the core of what you are doing and how are you bringing vision, intentionality and passion and how does that work create change? Center this over the idea of scale and accolades. 
• Write your application as if the person reading knows nothing about you or your work. Leeway staff has NO input or decision-making power for your application