Town Meeting:
“The Impact of the Proposed FY2010-2011 County Budget on Cultural Programs”

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
4:30 pm – 6:00pm

Coral Gables Congregational Church
3010 DeSoto Boulevard, Coral Gables
Location Information

(Free parking available in the Church lot, perimeter street parking and in the West-End lot of the Biltmore Hotel)

Click here to RSVP or call: 305-375-4634

Please make every effort to attend this important meeting.

Click here to download the Report and Recommendations of the Task Force on the Performing and Visual Arts

Click here for additional conference information and to register

The Department of Cultural Affairs is offering scholarships of up to $1,000 per organization towards the cost of conference registration fees, hotel accommodations and airfare. Scholarships will be paid on a reimbursement basis for MCI, ADV and YAM Category A grantees attending the LEAD Conference. Scholarships will cover conference registration fees, hotel room + taxes, and airfare only. Other costs, including ground transportation, parking and meals are not included in the scholarship.

Scholarships are on a first come-first serve basis. Please let Francine Andersen fran@miamidade.gov know ASAP if you plan on taking advantage of this great opportunity! Note: You must register directly with the Kennedy Center to attend the conference.

Reimbursement requests for scholarships should be sent directly to Francine Andersen after attending the conference. Include proof of: conference registration/attendance, conference fee payment, paid hotel bill/receipt, and airline board pass showing cost of airfare.

Who Should Attend? The LEAD Conference provides professional development opportunities for:

* Accessibility Managers and Coordinators

* Box Office and House Managers

* Outreach and Education Coordinators

* Patron and Visitor Services Managers

* State and Local Government ADA/504 Coordinators

* University and College ADA/Accessibility Coordinators

* Marketing and Audience development Directors

* States Arts Commission/Council Accessibility Coordinators

* Volunteers and Board Members

Please refer to the L.E.A.D website for additional information. NOTE: Space is limited to approximately 200 LEAD Conference participants so respond immediately! Not all registrations will be accepted. Preference will be given to registrants who are directly responsible for making programs and facilities accessible to people with disabilities and are employed by cultural arts institutions or cultural arts service agencies.

The film, entitled Culture Shocked, was created by the organization with assistance from the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and its CultureShockMiami.com student ticketing program - which works in partnership with nearly 100 arts organizations, museums and more to provide students 13-22 performance information, discounted tickets for just $5, and special engagement announcements.

Culture Shocked is a great supplemental lesson plan tool for teachers seeking to promote an awareness and appreciation of the arts, as well as illustrate an awareness of the consequences associated with a lack of exposure to the arts.

The short film features characters such as “Texting Tyra” and “Emo Edward” - who don’t know how to enjoy a performance or what appropriate audience behavior is. Throughout the film, the audience follows the journey of protagonist “Slick Shawn” as he opens his eyes to new things, while a conscious voice narrator introduces him to the work, spirit and diversity that create art, music, dance and theater.

An excerpt from Culture Shocked entitled “Top 10 Rudest Things NOT to Do at a Cultural Event” can be viewed online. For a copy of the film, please contact Gerry Landreth at (305) 375-4987.

This year we will usher in a new era of grant making for our Department - eGrants! We are putting the finishing touches on our new web-based grant application, management and award system that will transform the way we work - and the way grantees apply. As with any new system, we are anxious with excitement and understand that there will be much to learn. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring that this transition be a smooth as possible. Look for further instructions next week on how to access the system.

To help with this process, we have organized an overview workshop that each grantee must attend. Organizations must have a representative attend one of these workshops in order to access the application. Please RSVP soon, as these mandatory sessions will fill up fast. In addition, grant administrators will be scheduling consultations with grantees to ensure the specifics of each grant program are adequately addressed.

eGrant System Basics Workshops (RSVP to 305-375-4634)

Session 1: 2/11/2010 (10am to 12pm) at Miami Art Museum (Limit 70)
Session 2: 2/11/2010 (2pm to 4pm) at Cultural Affairs Office (Limit 40)
Session 3: 2/12/2010 (10am to 12noon) at Miami Art Museum (Limit 70)
Session 4: 2/12/2010 (2pm to 4pm) at Miami Art Museum (Limit 70)
Session 5: 2/18/2010 (10am to 12pm) at Cultural Affairs Office (Limit 40)
Session 6: 2/18/2010 (2pm to 4pm) at Cultural Affairs Office (Limit 40)
Session 7: 2/23/2010 (10am to 12pm) at Miami Art Museum (Limit 70)
Session 8: 2/23/2010 (2pm to 4pm) at Miami Art Museum (Limit 70)

2010-2011 Grants Programs - Spring Cycle

Major Cultural Institutions Grants Program (MCI)
Deadline: March 11, 2010

Cultural Advancement Grants Program (ADV)
Deadline: April 22, 2010

Festivals and Special Events Grants Program (FEST)
Deadline: April 22, 2010

Hannibal Cox, Jr. Cultural Grants Program (HCJ)
Deadline: April 20, 2010

Youth Arts Miami Grants Program (YAM)
*NEW* Deadline: March 11, 2010

Capital Development Grants Program (CAP)
Deadline: March 18, 2010

International Cultural Exchange Grants Program (ICE)
*NEW* Deadline: March 12, 2010

We look forward to working with you during the 2010-2011 funding cycle.

Click here to view the Media Advisory

Here a few ideas on how you can help:

• Include a note in Playbills and programs.
• Make announcements at curtain speeches and meetings with staff and board members.
• Post signs in the lobby before performances.
• Utilize e-blasts, website and social networking.
• The County can provide speakers to give a 10 minutes presentation at any gathering.

There are two fact sheets that can either be printed or e-mailed. Both provide excellent, concise and easy to understand information.

• The 2010 Census: A Snapshot - Why is the census important to you and your community and how your organization can help.
• The 2010 Census: What to Expect - Frequently asked questions about the census.
• Census Logo - "It's in Our Hand!" This can be added to your publications and e-mails to remind your constituents of the importance of being counted.
• Miami-Dade County Census 2010 - A resource page that includes detailed information on you you can help make the census a success.

This innovative funding partnership is enabling the Department of Cultural Affairs to elevate its level of support to cultural groups dedicated to year-round arts programs for kids; support more opportunities for kids and their families to experience the arts together, in places convenient to their homes and schools; provide summer arts and science camp scholarships for kids who otherwise would not have the opportunity to participate in such programs; give thousands of children the chance to participate in arts experiences in their schools, after care programs and in their neighborhood art centers; and inaugurate new inclusive arts programs for children with disabilities.

As a result of receiving this important grant from The Children’s Trust, the Department of Cultural Affairs has been able to implement the following arts education and outreach programs as outlined below:

1. YOUTH ARTS MIAMI (YAM)

As a recurring, core grants program of the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Youth Arts Miami Grants Program provides funding support to non-profit cultural organizations with a year-round presence in Miami-Dade County whose primary mission is to create, present or exhibit cultural programs for children and/or with children. The Children’s Trust funding has been used to strengthen the Department’s level of support available for this annual grants program.

2. YOUTH ARTS ENRICHMENT PROGRAM (YEP)

The objective of the YEP Grants Program is to enrich the lives of children through the arts by making the arts available to more children and families throughout Miami-Dade County, whereby, children are given opportunities to have positive live arts experiences through: Arts Instruction; Arts Intervention; Healing/Expressive Arts; In-school Performances; and/or Public Performances/Exhibitions.

This program provides project-based funding in three categories based on the size of non-profit organizations to underwrite the costs of producing cultural activities in these areas. Priority attention is given to projects that address children whose ability to participate in such programs may be limited by geography, economics or disability.

3. SUMMER ARTS & SCIENCE CAMPS FOR KIDS (SAS-C)

The objective of the SAS-C Program is to grant funding to non-profit organizations that will provide underserved children in Miami-Dade County with opportunities to attend high quality cultural arts or science summer camp programs at little or no cost. Funding through the SAS-C Grants Program is intended to augment existing summer arts and science camps programs, providing more children with the opportunity to participate in cultural arts and science summer camps. Priority attention is given to projects that address children whose ability to participate in such programs may be limited by geography, economics or disability.

4. ALL KIDS INCLUDED – ACCESSIBLE ARTS EXPERIENCES FOR KIDS (AKI)

All Kids Included – Accessible Arts Experiences for Kids Program (AKI) – focuses targeted funding to non-profit organizations to create ADA/Accessible arts experiences for children with disabilities, so that all children have the opportunity to participate in the arts. Project-based funding is currently being provided in two categories: demonstration projects to create high-profile, innovative, fully accessible arts experiences; and in-school programs using the arts as learning tools to help teach and include children with disabilities in the classroom.