Community Partners grants support composer residencies with a wide range of community, cultural and educational organizations. The residencies challenge composers to create and perform new works that respond to the heritage, culture, and interests of the community, while engaging communities in the creative process of composition. The “community” in the project could range from residents of a neighborhood to students in a public school to members of a community center or religious congregation. Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach “underserved” or “non-traditional” audiences for new music.
All projects should involve the creation and public performance of a new work and all projects should include some form of community engagement (educational workshops, lectures, etc.). There is no "typical" Community Partners project; each is tailored to the needs, interests and resources of the participating composer, the partner organizations, and their respective constituencies.
Composers are strongly encouraged to contact James Falconi, Program Manager, to discuss their project prior to submitting a proposal.
Eligibility
Individual composers in the Philadelphia region are eligible to apply. Applicants need not be members of the American Composers Forum to apply; however, artists whose projects are funded must become ACF members and remain ACF members for the duration of the project. To join ACF online, visit www.composersforum.org/join.cfm.
Composers are encouraged to work closely with community partner(s) in the project planning and application process. However, the composer must submit the application and if awarded, the composer, not the community partner, will receive the grant award.
In order to encourage greater access to and broader distribution of the resources available, ACF Philadelphia will fund only one Community Partners project per year for the same applicant.
Grants will be made for projects occurring in the following six counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia Counties in PA and Camden County in NJ.
Project Funding
The maximum grant award per project is $10,000. Applications that include financial support (cash and/or in-kind contributions) from the community partner, participating artists or ensembles, and/or other supporters, are strongly encouraged.
Criteria
An independent panel of local composers, accomplished instrumentalists, music educators, and/or other music industry-professionals will review and judge all eligible proposals on:
- Artistic merit
- Quality and depth of community engagement
- Degree to which underserved or nontraditional audiences for new music is included
- Demonstrated ability of the artist and partner organization(s) to carry out the project
- Ability to leverage other support, including new support for the composition of new music
- Degree to which the project is well planned and feasible
- Significance of the project to the applicant's career
- The clarity and persuasiveness of the application in supporting the criteria listed above.
Grantees should submit scores and audio samples of their work. Audio samples will be accepted on one CD only. Please include a detailed track listing and cues, if appropriate. MP3 files will not be accepted.
Evaluation
Grantees must submit a Final Report within six weeks of the project’s conclusion, to include: a narrative report documenting the experience, assessing whether goals were reached as intended, etc.; financial reports; and documentation of the project. ACF Philadelphia requires a Final Report from both the artist and the community partner in order for the artist to receive the final payment of funds awarded for the project. Composers with overdue Final Reports will not be eligible for additional grants until the Final Report is submitted.
Funding Credit
All publicity materials, programs and/or scores funded by this grant must credit the American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Chapter.
Deadline
Applications, including all required attachments, are due March 8, 2010 (postmark deadline). Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants will be notified of the grant decision approx. 4 to 6 weeks after the deadline.
The fall 2010 Community Partners deadline is September 13th 2010.
Questions? Contact:
James Falconi, Program Manager, 267-639-2518; james@acfphiladelphia.org
Composers are strongly encouraged to discuss their project with staff prior to submitting a proposal.
Community Partners is made possible with generous support from the William Penn Foundation.
Past Community Partners Projects
Past Community Partners projects have included performances of new works at local schools involving school children as performers, compositions that are presented by local performing organizations, and music workshops with local residents.
Allen Krantz, Daniel Dorff & Mimi Stillman: Masterman High School (2008)
In February 2008, composer/guitarist Allen Krantz and composer Daniel Dorff teamed up with flautist Mimi Stillman to engage two local community organizations: Masterman High School and Penn Alexander School. As composers and performers Krantz, Dorff, and Stillman engaged students and taught them about composing and performing. Daniel Dorff spoke about his life, music, and career as a composer. Allen Krantz discussed his own music and demonstrated techniques on the guitar. Mimi Stillman presented thoughts on the composer-performer relationship by leading a discussion on new music composition. In addition, she taught students about advanced flute technique in the context of contemporary music.
Here is what the collaborating organizations had to say about the events:
“Mimi Stillman’s partnership with the Penn Alexander School has been an unqualified success...there was a lively question and answer period between the students and the presenters.”
- Roberta Goren, Penn Alexander School
“She showed the students how different emotions and moods can be expressed by the music. Students were inspired to practice their instruments, and to go out and hear some new music. The program reached students from grades 5 through 12 of all financial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as all different musical backgrounds.”
- Kim Kelter Neu, Masterman High School