Slots: 1
Deadlines
Internal Deadline: Contact RII.
LOI: N/A
External Deadline: May 31, 2023
Award Information
Award Type: Cooperative Agreement
Estimated Number of Awards: 3
Anticipated Award Amount: $7,804,000
Who May Serve as PI: Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application.
Link to Award: https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/fy23_cae_nofo.pdf
Process for Limited Submissions
PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal: https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/. Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template
Materials to submit include:
- (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (0.5” margins; single-spaced; font type: Arial, Helvetica, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
- (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)
Note: The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#, Gender, and Ethnicity. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.
Purpose
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational Cultural Affairs announces the Creative Arts Exchange (CAE) open competition for up to three cooperative agreements to support thematic projects in film, music, and musical collaboration as civic engagement. Thematic projects under the Creative Arts Exchange (CAE) are arts-based, international people-to-people exchanges that create partnerships through artistic collaboration and professional development activities, encourage inclusive economic opportunities, demonstrate the power of free expression to strengthen democratic values, and support U.S. Department of State foreign policy objectives. Eligible themes and/or artistic genres under the CAE vary and are determined based on Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) strategic priorities.
Purpose: Cultural diplomacy enhances cross-cultural understanding and opens new avenues of dialogue and collaboration between individuals and nations. The Cultural Programs Division in the Office of Citizen Exchanges conducts global cultural exchanges with diverse artists and arts experts designed to engage communities at home and abroad; educate and share cultural and professional expertise; and elevate voices of emerging and established cultural leaders to build inclusive professional and social networks that position the United States as a partner for peace and prosperity. The goals of the CAE are to:
• Foster mutual understanding and deepen trust between the people of the U.S. and abroad to counter negative stereotypes and advance safety and security;
• Advance and complement U.S. foreign policy objectives; • Build the capacity of creative leaders and institutions to develop new skills, partnerships, and opportunities, which promote creative industries and entrepreneurship;
• Advance America’s global competitiveness and create networks and opportunities for artists and institutions that endure beyond the program duration;
• Provide unique opportunities for artistic collaboration and engagement between American artists, foreign artists, and audiences;
• Convey the diversity and high artistic merit of the arts in the U.S. and increase awareness and understanding of U.S. art, culture, values, and society among international participants and audiences; and
• Foster opportunities for educational outreach and community engagement with diverse and underserved communities, especially youth (ages 12-25), women, and persons with disabilities.
• Support and increase opportunities for diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility.
Theme 1: Film (American Film Showcase) The Bureau intends to award one Cooperative Agreement for approximately $3,550,000, to fund the FY 2023 American Film Showcase (AFS), a program which sends approximately 70-100 American envoys to approximately 35-50 ECA-designated countries worldwide to showcase approximately 35-45 relevant feature length and short documentaries, independent narrative films, television, and digital episodic programs organized by strategic themes to offer a broad overview of the best in current American independent filmmaking and content creation. Additionally, AFS will bring approximately 20-30 international participants to the United States for program activities. The program broadly encompasses the visual media arts such as documentary, animated, and feature films, as well as television programs, gaming, and digital content. Envoys will screen and discuss their films and to conduct lectures, workshops, and master classes on a variety of topics including, but not limited to, filmmaking, short-form media, storytelling, scriptwriting, cinematography, marketing, distribution and funding, animation techniques, computer animation, digital technology, cellphone and digital storytelling, other forms of emergent media, and the creative use of social media. AFS will also design programs for foreign content creators, including television writers/producers, filmmakers, or film/TV professionals to travel to the U.S. for engagement with the American entertainment industry, including, but not limited to, attending film festivals, workshops, meetings with industry leaders, and professional networking opportunities. AFS will continue to support professional development opportunities in the form of job shadows, short-form media workshops to take place in-country, regionally, and in the United States, and as well as to encourage more follow-on trips and alumni engagement. The FY 2023 AFS will include $300,000 in distinct funds for the development and implementation of activities in support of Ukraine’s creative community and economy. Proposals should outline activities that engage professionals to include cinematographers, directors, editors, producers, writers, and media and creative organizations from Ukraine and from Central and Eastern Europe who are connected to or in support of Ukraine. Participants will come from Ukraine, Eastern and Central Europe, or be those actively engaged in support of Ukraine. Special consideration should be reserved for Ukrainian creatives. These funds will support approximately 20-30 international participants. Activities can include, but are not limited to, professional collaboration and mentoring opportunities, microgrants, and workshops, in order to bolster professional skills and strengthen regional networks. These activities can take place in Central and Eastern Europe and in the U.S. In addition, the FY 2023 AFS will include $1,000,000 for the implementation of a programming initiative focused on the creative economy in Africa. In additional to its wider global engagement, AFS will offer focused programming in approximately four-to-six sub-Saharan African countries to support deeper engagement and enhance the creative economy sector in film and television through public diplomacy exchanges. This Africa-focused initiative seeks to elevate the creative and professional talent and wider entertainment industry and systems through holistic programmatic work that offers a whole of industry approach and supports professional pipelines. These funds will support approximately 40-60 participants.
Theme 2: Music (American Music Abroad) The Bureau intends to award one Cooperative Agreement for approximately $1,840,000 to fund the FY2023 season of American Music Abroad (AMA). AMA showcases the excellence and diversity of America and American music to audiences abroad in a way that supports the foreign policy objectives of U.S. embassies. The program will tour 10-15 American musical ensembles of three to five musicians (up to 70 participants) specializing in a wide variety of traditional U.S. musical forms, selected through open, U.S.-wide auditions, to approximately one-three countries each. Countries will be those of importance to the Department of State’s public diplomacy mission to build mutual understanding in the following world regions: Africa (AF), East Asia and the Pacific (EAP), Europe and Eurasia (EUR), the Middle East/ North Africa (NEA), South and Central Asia (SCA), and/or Western Hemisphere (WHA). The AMA program is designed to reach a range of foreign audiences, including but not limited to fellow musicians, underserved populations, people with little or no exposure to American cultural performances, and youth. AMA artists connect with participants through concerts, collaborations, workshops, master classes, and jam sessions, and encourage sustained relationships and collaboration through post-tour follow-on activities. AMA also hosts one to two alumni-led academies annually with 20-40 foreign participants each to receive mentorship in industry business practices and production.
Theme 3: Musical Collaboration as Civic Engagement (OneBeat) The Bureau intends to award one Cooperative Agreement for approximately $2,414,000 to fund the FY2023 cycle of OneBeat which will include virtual and in-person exchanges held in the United States and abroad, a micro-grant program and an alumni summit. OneBeat is a music-based initiative that will bring together up to 100 musicians (ages 19-35) from the United States and every world region to participate in multi-national musical collaborations, professional development workshops, youth educational classes, and public performances which engage diverse communities in the practice of musical collaboration as civic engagement. The collaborative music making activities will focus on key foreign policy priorities. Of the total award solicitation amount, $500,000 will be dedicated to support a three-to-four-day one-time alumni summit in the United States for up to 70 participants representing OneBeat alumni from every world region and the United States, private sector thought leaders, industry change makers, and NGOs dedicated to music as a social practice to share best practices, inspire artistic innovation, discover entrepreneurial opportunities, and position the United States as a key partner for peace and prosperity.
Visit our Institutionally Limited Submission webpage for more updates and other announcements.