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  5. Arts & Culture Fund - CLOSED

Arts & Culture Fund - CLOSED

Economic Support for Arts, Culture and Science Organizations, and Independent Music Venues and Independent Movie Theaters

RTT_color_orange_burst-thumbKing County is providing one-time grants from a $19.5-million Arts and Culture Fund to provide relief to the cultural organizations and businesses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, so they can prepare facilities for reopening, bring the people of King County together in a safe environment, and re-employ our cultural workers. By investing recovery funds into the arts and cultural sector, independent live music venues, and independent movie theaters, King County intends to support putting people back to work, attract tourism, create local economic growth opportunities, and revitalize the region.

Grants are available to these categories of cultural organizations:

  • Arts, Culture, and Heritage Organizations ($16.5 million available)
    Grants are available for arts, culture, and heritage organizations in King County with last full season pre-COVID-19 annual operating budgets of over $1 million. (Note: Organizations with pre-COVID-19 operating budgets under $1 million may apply for the 4Culture arts, culture, and heritage grants)

  • Science Organizations ($1.5 million available)
    Grants are available for organizations that promote science and nature conservation through education, exhibition, and other programs by public admission in King County.

  • Music Venues ($1 million available)
    Grants are available for independently owned and operated music venues that offered, on average, 3 live music shows per week in King County pre-pandemic.

  • Movie Theaters ($0.5 million available)
    Grants are available for independently owned and operated movie theaters in King County. Multinational corporations and adult theaters are not eligible to apply.

Grant sizes will vary. The funding amount of each award will be determined based on the total number of applications received, the total amount requested by applicants, and the applicant’s evaluation score.

Allowable Usage of Funds: Grants may be used to reimburse projected revenue loss from business interruption due to COVID-19 for expenditures incurred from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 that have not been previously satisfied by another funding source.

  • Applicants must provide documentation demonstrating projected revenue losses for the 2021-2022 season compared with the last full pre-COVID season (2018-2019). Awards will be made to help alleviate the projected gap.

  • Organizations that do not project a revenue loss for the 2021-2022 season but otherwise have incurred or plan to incur COVID-19 related expenditures to prepare and carry out the season program may receive an award for the expenses related to COVID-19.

  • These costs may include payroll and personnel costs necessary to ensure operational continuity, recruitment costs for hiring and training cultural and creative workers, costs of modifications for social distancing compliance, facility upgrades to adhere to public health guidance, (e.g., air filtration, plexiglass barriers), costs of marketing to publicize reopening and associated public health measures, costs of marketing of programs (e.g., performances, films, exhibits, and installations, discounted services), or costs of materials to facilitate safe opening (e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE), test kits, sanitation supplies, markers, signage).

 

View the list of 2021 awardees here. 

Dec. 13th Press Release

Need help filling out this application?






King County is providing one-time grants to support arts, culture, heritage, and science organizations; independently owned and operated live music venues; and independently owned and operated movie theaters, to assist these organizations in their recovery from the negative impacts of COVID-19. Grant sizes will vary and will be based on the applying organization’s loss of revenue projected for the 2021-2022 season compared to the last pre-pandemic full season (2018-2019). If you have questions or need help filling out this application, please call (206) 263-1966. An interpreter can be provided.

Reference Materials:

These documents are provided for illustrative purposes only and the County reserves the right to make changes prior to execution, depending on how the funds will be used and any changes in Treasury guidance.

1. Sample CLFR Agreement
2. Sample Grant Pre-Award Forms
3. Sample Grant Reporting Forms
Grant funds may not be used for any expenditures already covered by another federal funding source (e.g., federal grant, subsidized loan, insurance policies of any type of coverage, or any reimbursement or relief program related to or administered by the Small Business Administration “SBA”).

The application window is now CLOSED.

King County will notify you within five weeks (by November 23rd) after the application period ends about the status of your application.

Application Instructions:

If you are unsure if your organization or business is eligible for this funding,
please check here before filling out your application.

  1. The application window opens on September 13, 2021 and will remain open until October 18, 2021 11:59 PM PT.
  2. Complete the application via the links below:
  3. A preview of the full application is available here.  Review the full Arts and Culture Request for Applications package here.
  4. Email questions to creativeeconomy@kingcounty.gov
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