Program areas at South Arts
Southern circuit tour of independent filmmakers provides communities across the South with a tour of highly talented independent filmmakers. Twenty one partner communities presented 132 film screenings and engaged filmmakers in post-screening and classroom discussions across the southern united states. Southern circuit is the nation's first regional tour of independent filmmakers, providing communities with an interactive way of experiencing independent film. Over 5,800 individuals participated in southern circuit screenings including 18 filmmakers and audiences in 25 communities throughout the South Arts' nine-state region.
South Arts, with support from the national endowment for the Arts, offers grants and subsidies in an effort to strengthen presenters organizational capacity, and to sustain and expand markets for Arts organizations and artists. Through our touring funds, we support publicly accessible performances and programs that provide opportunities for artists to engage with underserved communities. This program contributes to the sustainability of Arts organizations and supports high artistic quality projects with strong educational and outreach components for the participants across the region. Included are training, education, technical assistance, film screenings, traditional Arts, and touring grants to performing and literary Arts organizations.
Service to the field includes the national coalition - South Arts co-chairs the steering committee of the national coalition for Arts' preparedness and emergency response and administered a grant from the national endowment for the Arts to support coalition activities. The coalition is a cross-disciplinary network of organizations and individuals and uses a combined strategy of resource development, educational empowerment and advocacy to strengthen disaster readiness and resilience within the Arts and culture sector. Activities included the continuation of a part time contract coordinator; creating a seven-year strategic business plan; conducting a webinar for grantmakers in the Arts members; supporting the development of an Arts responder network in new york following continuing to develop the Arts responder handbook; and supporting the development of the southern California Arts responder network.
Jazz road is an artist-centric touring and residency program that aims to ensure jazz is performed and presented throughout the country. The program ensures paid work opportunities for jazz artists, as well as bolsters deeper engagement between jazz musicians, presenters and communities. U.s.-based jazz artists who define themselves as emerging to more established along a career spectrum are eligible for grants and professional development. The program is intended to support jazz artists for which a grant would offer new and significant career impact. Jazz road is supported by the doris duke foundation with additional support from the mellon foundation.the nea arp sustainability program is designed to help organizations maintain their staff and keep their doors open. By working in coordination with our regional state Arts agencies as well as with film, literary, Arts access, and advocacy organizations, this South Arts program funded the nonprofit Arts sector to preserve jobs and maintain organizational operations to fuel the recovery of the region's Arts sector from the devastating economic and health effects of the covid-19.