Overview
As public funding becomes increasingly strained, counties must search for and employ new strategies to improve their communities and make healthier, more equitable places for residents to live, work and play. The Creative Counties Placemaking Challenge invites counties with populations of less than 150,000 to form multidisciplinary teams to compete in a challenge competition to identify and strengthen ways to integrate arts into solutions to local challenges. Teams that submit winning applications will attend an in-person, one-day training and peer exchange workshop in July 2022, in Adams County, Colorado, in conjunction with NACo’s Annual Conference.
Program Information
Q | Who should apply? |
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A |
Counties with populations of less than 150,000—or county/local arts agencies located within counties with populations of less than 150,000—who are looking to address unique local challenges and bolster their ability to grow their economies and resilience by employing the arts as core to the solution. Note: Counties or county/local arts agencies must form multidisciplinary teams to apply. If a county does not have an official arts agency, a local arts nexus organization can apply. Multi-jurisdictional teams are permitted. |
Q | Are there any requirements for the teams? |
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Yes. Teams must:
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Q | Are teams encouraged to do anything? |
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Yes. Teams are encouraged to:
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Q | Does a county or county/local arts agency need to be a NACo or Americans for the Arts member to apply? |
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A |
No, counties or county/local arts agencies do not need to be members of NACo or Americans for the Arts respectively to apply for the Placemaking Challenge. |
Q | Where can I find examples of creative placemaking projects? |
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The National Endowment for the Arts has a great website called Exploring Our Town that highlights case study examples of successful creative placemaking projects here: Exploring Our Town | National Endowment for the Arts. You can explore NEA guidance on creative placemaking through the arts here: Creative Placemaking | National Endowment for the Arts. |
Q | Is there an application fee? |
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No. |
Q | How will applications be evaluated? |
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Applications will be evaluated and weighted based on:
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Q | Who will review the applications? |
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NACo and Americans for the Arts project staff will screen each application to ensure the key eligibility criteria are met, and a panel with issue-area and creative expertise will review applications. Final selections will take into account geographic and policy-focus diversity. |
Q | Will selected teams receive funding? |
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No, selected counties/regions will not receive a direct financial award. |
Q | What will teams receive? |
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Teams will be invited – and the team's Main Point of Contact expected – to attend the national team-based workshop in July 2022, and will receive pre- and post-workshop technical support and mentoring, via virtual webinars and individual team conference calls. |
Q | Will selected teams need to pay a registration fee to attend the workshop? |
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No. |
Q | Will there be travel funds for selected teams to attend the workshop? |
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Yes, NACo has limited funding available to partially offset team travel costs. |
Q | What costs should teams anticipate to attend the workshop? |
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A |
NACo has a limited budget to offset some transportation and lodging costs to attend the workshop. Teams should expect to cover a portion of their transportation/lodging costs. |
Q | Will meals be provided at the workshop? |
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A |
NACo will provide breakfast and lunch for each of the two full days of each workshop. Teams will be on their own for dinners. |
Questions?
If you have any questions about the application, eligibility or proposed project ideas, please contact CreativeCounties@naco.org.