REENTRY THROUGH THE ARTS
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Reentry Through the Arts (RTA) is a new, two-year pilot grant program rooted in the California Arts Council’s (CAC) belief that the arts are a powerful vehicle for positive change in people, communities and society. RTA was initiated in response to the Senate Budget Act of 2016 that states “The Arts Council shall develop a reentry or bridging program to facilitate and expand arts programs designed to help inmates transition from incarceration back into their communities and prevent those on probation, parole, or post-release community supervision from being incarcerated.”
For this pilot program, RTA grants will support high quality arts programs for people who have been convicted of a criminal offense and have served time in correctional institutions. The proposed grant project must have the arts as a central component of a holistic and integrated approach to reentry that also identifies other community-based support services including but not limited to job skills training, job placement, mental health and wellness, drug treatment, and/or case management.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
– The applicant must be the arts partner if the partnership is composed of one arts nonprofit and multiple facilities/agencies.
– The applicant must be the social service partner if the partnership is composed of one social service facility/agency and multiple artists or arts nonprofits.
– The applicant must be the social service partner if the partnership is composed of one facility/agency and an individual artist or artists.
- California-based nonprofit organization, unit of government, education or social service agency with two years of arts programming history and continuous work with incarcerated and/or formerly incarcerated people.
- Applicant may be either the arts partner or social service or community-based facility/agency, except for the following scenarios:
- Applicants that are social service or community based facilities/agencies must submit an arts programming budget.
PROGRAM GOALS
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Support strategic partnerships that offer structured artistic interactions between formerly incarcerated individuals and their communities through a holistic and integrated approach, thereby reducing the community-to-prison divide. Develop an understanding of best practices for community engaged, creative strategies to support positive re-entry for formerly incarcerated individuals.
TRANSFORMATIVE ARTS EXPERIENCES
Provide transformative, meaningful, and high quality arts and cultural experiences for individuals who have been convicted of a criminal offense and have served time in correctional institutions.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
Demonstrate that a community participatory approach to restorative justice strategies and trauma-informed care in collaboration with the arts can have strong, positive and lasting impact on communities, as well as program participants.
STAFF CONTACT
Shelly Gilbride, Ph.D.
Programs Officer
shelly.gilbride@arts.ca.gov
(916) 324-0075
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APPLYING
- CAC FY17-18 Reentry Through the Arts Guidelines
- Application Instructions
- Apply Now
- Online Application System
DATES
Guidelines & Application Available:
December 12, 2017
Application Deadline:
March 22, 2018
Grant Activity Period:
June 30, 2018 – June 29, 2019