OPPORTUNITIES!
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Funding Opportunity: Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
National Endowment for the Arts Deadline: July 14
Disaster preparedness, response, and recovery work in the arts can take many forms, from
readiness planning and training to community healing, memorial projects, technical assistance, and recovery support.
The National Endowment for the Arts supports arts projects related to disaster relief, emergency response, and preparedness for artists and arts organizations as one of the agency’s priorities.
Through Grants for Arts Projects, matching funds may be requested for planning projects, technical assistance, readiness training, community projects that help process and memorialize disaster events, recovery planning, and more.
Examples of supported work may include:
Healing-centered arts projects, such as The Uvalde Love Project,
which used art therapy and ceramic tile making through an eight-month series of workshops in Uvalde, Texas.
Oral history projects that collect and share the experiences of survivors and culture-bearers, such as this project following the 2016 wildfires in Tennessee.
Professional development and cohort-building for crisis readiness and response, such as this Artist Communities Alliance program.
Technical assistance for artists and craftspeople rebuilding their practice or business after disaster, such as the Waypoint Resilience Cohort led by Mountain BizWorks after Hurricane Helene.
What does your organization, network, or community need to be more prepared?
Potentially eligible projects could include:
Assessing risk and taking mitigation steps
Imagining how a community can rebuild after disaster
Convenings, workshops, and professional development for artists, arts organizations, and arts networks
Developing readiness plans for an arts organization, network, or community
Strengthening disaster response and recovery capacity across the arts sector
NCAPER can help you think through ideas, identify resources, brainstorm project concepts, and explore ways we might partner in providing services.
Contact us at info@ncaper.org.
The Endowment also offers a collection of disaster response and recovery information and resources for the arts and culture sector here.
Networking and Learning Opportunities
Arts emergency preparedness used to be an ‘accidental’ assignment with strictly on-the-job training. No more! This is a growing professional area with emerging best practices, new innovations, and an expanding network of colleagues to work with and learn with!
August 11-14 - Philadelphia, PA
The preconference “Centering Accessibility in Emergency Planning: A Drill-Based Learning Lab” is a full-day convening on Tuesday, August 11. This full-day, drill-based workshop reframes accessibility as the foundation of safety. Participants experience an emergency simulation, analyze real scenarios across arts sectors, and co-design inclusive response plans though a hackathon format. Leave with a ready-to-implement action plan and a new lens for resilience: access first, safety always. We will also prioritize emotional safety through Somatic work so participants can engage comfortably and without distress.
Speakers include:
Alexander Jones, Woodland Park Zoo
Jessica Wallach, Story Tapestries
Mollie Quinlan-Hayes, National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response
September 24-25 - Lexington, KY
It sold out in 2024 and is back for 2026. Thursday preconference tracks include arts and culture response networks and in-depth trainings; the full-day conference features keynote speakers from across the arts, emergency management, and philanthropy sectors; presentations and performances by artists engaged in community healing; and workshops and networking opportunities with arts leaders, funders, policymakers, and emergency management professionals.
Whether you are exploring a funding opportunity, joining a training, or simply beginning a conversation about readiness in your own studio, organization or community, each step helps strengthen the arts and culture sector before, during, and after disruption.
NCAPER is here to support this work. To learn more, explore resources, or connect with us, visit NCAPER.org or contact info@ncaper.org.
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