Registration deadline: February 22, 2011
Application deadline: April 1, 2011

Folk Arts, in partnership with regional and local cultural organizations, supports folk arts programs which are regional and county-wide in scope. Our support for these programs is intended to generate field research and programming for diverse audiences on an ongoing basis, directed by qualified individuals with experience and expertise in the public folklore field. Support is available through this category towards the salaries of staff folklorists employed year-round and expenses associated with their production of public programs, field research on local traditions, and assistance to individual folk artists and other organizations interested in developing folk arts activities.

Organizations that are not principally devoted to folk arts but have developed a distinctive folk arts program that is consistent with their mission may apply through this category.

Prospective new applicants must consult with Folk Arts staff well in advance of the registration deadline, to determine whether an application to this funding category would be appropriate.

Prerequisites

Applicants must have received support from Folk Arts for the past three years.

A minimum of four significant public programs must be organized each year.

Programs should be based to a significant extent upon field research. Work plans must include sufficient time for field research.

Field Research materials collected must be maintained in a locally accessible archive.

Staff folklorists supported through this category must have experience organizing folk arts public programs and academic training in folklore or ethnomusicology. The staff folklorist must be employed for a minimum of three days each week.

Programming and documentation should deal with diverse traditions and multiple forms of folk art, and occur in multiple venues within the organization's service area. Staff folklorists are expected to directly assist individual folk artists through such activities as initiating apprenticeships and assistance with promotion and marketing.

Applicant organizations are expected to have a long-term commitment to folk arts services and programming. Program income should come from a variety of sources.

Application Instructions

Application Narrative Questions

Artistic/Programmatic

1. Overview
Describe ongoing public programs presented each year, providing specific examples of themes, programs and artists presented.

2. Changes/Developments
Describe, with specific examples, new programming, services and field research initiated during the past year and planned for the next three years. Indicate the relationship of this field research to the development of new programs.

3. Educational and Interpretive Programming
Provide an overview of your folk arts program's educational and interpretive programming, and the interpretive components typically used in its presentations to the public.

4. Collections of Field Research Materials
Describe the archive receiving field research materials, including materials in the collection, storage equipment, accessibility, location, description and cataloguing methods and policies pertaining to access to the public.

Managerial/Fiscal

5. Professional Direction
Who are the principal artistic and administrative staff responsible for planning and implementing your folk arts program? Describe their experience, training and qualifications in the folk arts and public folklore field.

6. Staff Folklorist
If you employ a staff folklorist, what are his/her qualifications and experience? Describe the responsibilities of the position. If the folklorist has additional, non-folk arts responsibilities, describe how the tasks relate, and how much time per week is devoted to them. If you are currently recruiting for a staff folklorist position, describe the recruitment process. Indicate how you have publicized the job opening and summarize the status of the search.

7. Changes/Developments
Indicate any significant changes in your folk arts program staffing and relevant changes in your organization as a whole since the program was last reviewed by the Council.

8. Organizational Context
How does the folk arts program relate to your organization's mission? Describe the relationship of the folk arts program to other programmatic areas in your organization. Indicate any relevant changes or developments in your organization's management, governance or programming since your last review by Folk Arts, and changes expected for the proposed grant period.

9. Finances
How is the current financial landscape affecting your folk arts program? What are your plans for meeting current and future expenses of your folk arts program, including any new fundraising projects and initiatives? Describe the organizational fundraising efforts undertaken on behalf of your folk arts program. Please utilize the Budget Notes section of the Project Budget to indicate sources of contributed income and to itemize principal expense items, including personnel (staff folklorist or folk arts program director salary and benefits), marketing and remaining operating expenses.

10. Facilities
Briefly describe the facilities used for folk arts programming and services.

Service to the Public

11. Services to Artists
Describe, with specific examples, any services provided to individual artists, such as the development of apprenticeships, assistance with marketing, facilitating presentations to new audiences, and the creation of promotional materials. Include both services currently provided and services planned for the coming three years.

12. Current Audience
Who are the audiences and communities served by your folk arts program? Describe the impact of your folk arts programs and services on the artists and communities you serve.

13. Expanding your Audience
Indicate the new communities you are planning to serve in the next three years. Summarize strategies to expand and diversify audiences for the folk arts program. Provide specific examples of audience development efforts, including promotion and marketing initiatives.

14. Assessment and Planning
Describe the involvement and role of your organization's board, folk arts advisory group (if any), and folk arts program staff in the planning and ongoing assessment of programs and services. If there is an advisory group, please list the members' names and their organizational affiliations. How is the folk arts program incorporated into your organization's long-range plan?

15. Community Context and Collaboration
How is your folk arts program providing assistance to other organizations in your community interested in developing folk arts programs? What other folk arts programs or organizations are providing similar or complementary folk arts programming in your community? How are you working in partnership with them?

16. Online Resources
How do you use the Internet and social media in your folk arts program? Include any current or projected digitization initiatives, and access through the Internet for field research materials collected by your folk arts program. Please include the URL for your folk arts program.

Support Materials

17. Support Materials
Please list all of the support materials and/or work samples you are submitting. These materials are critical to your application's assessment.

Support Material

Support material must be postmarked, hand-delivered or made available online by the deadline. Please direct them to your appropriate contact at: NYSCA, 175 Varick Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10014 or rbaron@nysca.org or rputnam@nysca.org.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Refer to the Instructions for Work Samples and Support Materials prior to submission.

NYSCA encourages the submission of Web-based Work Samples and Support Material whenever possible.

1. Audio and/or visual examples representing recent programs, provided on a Windows compatible CD, DVD, or reference to a website. Complete an eScript for Work Samples to accompany your audio or visual examples. Audio or video samples should be cued to the excerpts you would like the panel to see or hear. The total length of the samples may not exceed 5 minutes. See the Instructions for Work Samples & Support Materials for tips on providing support materials on CDs or DVDs.

2. Audio and/or visual examples representing recent documentation undertaken by the staff folklorist, on a Windows compatible CD, DVD, though audio cassette tape, or reference to a website. Complete a visual support materials script to accompany your audio or visual examples. Audio or video samples should be cued to the excerpts you would like the panel to see or hear. The total length of the samples may not exceed 5 minutes. See the NYSCA Digital Media/Work Samples Technical Instructions for tips on providing support materials on CDs or DVDs.

3. Résumé of the folk arts program director or staff folklorist. If you are currently selecting a new folk arts program director or staff folklorist, provide a job description.

4. Sample brochures or other printed materials used for public programs (1 copy per item).

5. Sample data sheets and release forms used for interviewees in field research projects.