City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 12/06/10 Item Number: _C-5
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Allocation of Funds for the 2011 Performing Arts
Grant Program as Recommended by the Cultural Affairs Commission.
Contact Person/Dept.:
Susan Obrow / Community Development
Jeremy Green / Community Development
Todd Tipton/Community Development
Phone Number:
(310)253-5762
(310)253-5764
(310) 253-5783
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [X] No [] Date: 11/09/10
Cultural Affairs Commission
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas – City Council (12/02/10), 2011 Performing Arts
Grant Candidates (11/22/10), Cultural Affairs Commission (11/22/10), Cultural Affairs
Foundation Board (11/22/10), Sony Pictures Entertainment (11/22/10)
Department Approval:
Sol Blumenfeld: (11/24/10)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (12/01/10)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by N. Kimball) (12/01/10)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (12/02/10)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council consider the recommendation of the Cultural Affairs
Commission (CAC) and allocate funds for the 2011 Performing Arts Grant Program.
BACKGROUND:
Culver City’s Performing Arts Grant Program was established in 1994, and its revenues
are derived from the Culver City Art Fund and a donation from Sony Pictures
Entertainment. Art Fund revenues are derived from 1% of the building permit
valuation.
The Culver City Municipal Code stipulates that 25% of the money deposited into the Art
Fund in the prior fiscal year be appropriated for Performing Arts Grant Programs in the
current fiscal year. For Fiscal Year 2010/2011, $13,750 is budgeted, and there are
additional unused funds that have accumulated from prior years, which are usually
used for marketing the performances as well as for administrative costs associated with
the program. Additionally, $15,000 is expected to be allocated by the City Council from
Sony’s 2010 contribution.
On July 13, 2010, the CAC considered and approved the 2011 Notice of Funding
Availability (NOFA) for the 2011 Performing Arts Grant Program. On July 21, 2010, the
NOFA was posted on the City’s web site, and notices were distributed electronically to
former applicants as well as to networking organizations in the theatre, dance and
music communities. City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
On August 3, 2010, a workshop was held by staff in the Patacchia Room at City Hall
during which the grant guidelines and application were reviewed in detail. Staff also
reviewed the current list of possible performance venues in Culver City.
On September 7, 2010, a total of fourteen complete applications were received.
On October 21, 2010, the Peer Review Panel|1010| (Panel) session was held at City Hall from
9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
On November 9, 2010, the CAC recommended to the City Council that the Panel’s
recommendations be approved.
DISCUSSION:
Staff reviewed each application and then prepared a binder of applications for each
panelist, which was sent in advance of the Panel meeting. The panelists were also
provided a score sheet for each applicant. There were three scoring criteria identified in
the NOFA which are as follows:
• Artistic excellence of proposed project (50 points);
• Realistic budget and diversified funding base (25 points); and,
• Outreach programs to the Culver City community (25 points).
Each application was reviewed with its corresponding supplemental material in
alphabetical order. Staff provided updated information, and then the panelists rotated
in leading the discussion on the applications. Each panelist had the opportunity to ask
questions and then offer comments to the group. This was followed by each panelist
providing scores in each of the three categories, resulting in an overall average score
for that applicant.
Upon completing review of the individual applications, the fourteen applicants were
ranked from highest to lowest. Averaged total scores for all fourteen ranged from 97.2
to 67.8. Since there was a reduced amount of funding available for this year, grant
applicants were advised that awards would be in the $1,000 - $5,000 range. The panel
felt that those applicants with average scores of 95 and above should receive their full
request for funding. Applicants with scores from 90 to 94.99 received 75% of their
funding request and those from 80 to 89.99 received 30% of their funding request.
Applicants receiving a score below 80 were not recommended for funding this year. A
brief overview of the fourteen applicants (ranked from highest to lowest) is attached.
The total amount recommended by the Panel for award is $29,000. Of this, $28,750 will
be used from the available budget and the additional $250 are proposed to be awarded
from unused Performing Arts Grant Program funds, which have been carried over from
prior years. The Panel was satisfied with the scoring for this year’s applicants and City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
further recommended that $4,000 of the remaining carry over funds be applied towards
marketing the productions of the grant recipients, for a total expenditure of $33,000.
Staff will work closely with the grant recipients on their marketing plans for their
performances. Marketing options provided by the City include:
• City Website Promotion
o Home Page
o Arts & Culture Page
o SWAMI
o Community Calendar
• Time Warner Cable Television Promotion
o Cable Slide created and posted for viewing by Culver City residents who
have a Time Warner Cable package
o Silent Crawler running under City Council, Redevelopment Agency and
Cultural Affairs Commission meetings
• Email Blasts
o City eblasts
o Sony Pictures Entertainment eblast
• Public Meeting Announcements
o Announcements by Mayor of Culver City
o Opportunities for organizations to announce performances
• Series Flyers
o Flyers created and locally distributed for each performing discipline
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The Fiscal Year 2010/2011 Adopted Capital Improvement Project budget includes an
allocation of $13,750 from the Art Fund for the 2011 Performing Arts Grant Program
(41300614), allocated pursuant to the CCMC. Additionally, $15,000 from Sony
Pictures Entertainment’s required contribution to the City (pursuant to a 2006
Development Agreement) is proposed to be used for the 2011 Performing Arts Grants
Program. There is also a total of $6,404 of unused Performing Arts Grant funds from
previous years, for a total of $35,154 available for the 2011 Grants. The total amount
recommended for the 2011 Performing Arts Grant awards and supplemental marketing
is $33,000.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Overview of 2011 Performing Arts Grant Requests
2. 2011 Grant Application, Score Sheet and 14 completed Performing Arts Grant
Applications City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
3. Overview of 2011 Performing Arts Grant Applications
MOTION:
That the City Council:
Allocate funds for the 2011 Performing Arts Grant Program as recommended by the
Cultural Affairs Commission and as outlined in the staff report.
Notes:
|1010| The 2011 Performing Arts Grant Review Panelists were:
• Arleen Chikami – Culver City resident and freelance grant writer
• Ernest Figueroa –Producer, Eli and Edith Broad Stage
• Laura Karlin –Artistic Director, Invertigo Dance Theatre
• Lani Monos – Director of Global Corporate Social Responsibility, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
• Sabrina Rodriguez Siegel – Assistant to the Music Director, Los Angeles Philharmonic.
MEETING DATE: December 6, 2010
AGENDA ITEM: Allocation of Funds for the 2011 Performing Arts Grant
Program as Recommended by the Cultural Affairs
Commission.
ATTACHMENTS
Pages
1. Overview of 2011 Performing Arts Grant 1
Requests.
2. 2011 Grant Application, Score Sheet, 2
and 14 completed Performing Arts Grant
Applications
3. Overview of 2011 Performing Arts Grant Applications 3-9
City of Culver City
Cultural Affairs
Performing Arts Grants Applications
2011 Grant Year
Previous Total 2011 2011 2011
Grants Previous 2011 2011 % of Panel Grant Amount Grant Amount
Received Cash Grant Grant Project Project Total Recommended Recommended
Applicant Discipline (# of Years) Rec'd Request Budget Budget Score by Panel by CAC
Benita Bike Dance 3 7,900.00 $ 3,325.00 $ 6,650.00 $ 50% 67.8 - $
Collage Dance Theatre Dance 9 24,529.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 10,000.00 $ 50% 90.6 3,750.00 $
Concert Singers, The Music 0 - $ 1,000.00 $ 3,375.00 $ 30% 70.4 - $
Culver City Public Theatre Theatre 8 25,429.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 13,800.00 $ 36% 83.4 1,500.00 $
CC Symphony Orchestra Music 11 39,234.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 21,500.00 $ 23% 91.6 3,750.00 $
Definiens Project Music 6 18,250.00 $ 3,000.00 $ 7,600.00 $ 39% 91 2,250.00 $
Donna Sternberg And Dancers (D Dance 3 8,600.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 13,350.00 $ 37% 87.2 1,500.00 $
Great Leap Theatre 2 7,500.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 10,000.00 $ 50% 79 - $
Keith Glassman Dance & Perf. Dance 1 1,500.00 $ 1,000.00 $ 2,885.00 $ 35% 74.4 - $
LA Doctors Symph. Music 15 18,729.00 $ 3,500.00 $ 8,188.00 $ 43% 94 2,625.00 $
LA Women's Theatre Festival Theatre 0 - $ 5,000.00 $ 10,000.00 $ 50% 81.2 1,500.00 $
SASSAS Music 0 - $ 5,000.00 $ 20,365.00 $ 25% 90.2 3,750.00 $
Vox Femina Music 8 21,700.00 $ 4,500.00 $ 10,055.00 $ 45% 90.8 3,375.00 $
We Tell Stories Theatre 12 48,608.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 9,000.00 $ 56% 97.2 5,000.00 $
TOTALS 221,979.00 $ 56,325.00 $ 29,000.00 $ - $
ATTACHMENT 1
Due to the nature of Attachment 2, a binder of completed Performing Arts Grant
applications is available at the City Clerk’s office or by contacting Jeremy Green
in Cultural Affairs: 310.253.5764 or jeremy.green@culvercity.org.
ATTACHMENT 2
2OVERVIEW OF 2011 PERFORMING ARTS GRANT APPLICATIONS
We Tell Stories
Proposed Project: Seven performances of original 45-minute
story-plays for the Library’s free Summer
Reading Program
Performance Venue: Culver City Julian Dixon Library
Proposed Dates: June 29, July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and August 5,
2011
Panel Score: 97.2
Grant Request $5,000 Recommended Award $5,000
Panelists were impressed with the application and the location for the
performances. They felt that the organization had done an excellent job
targeting its audience of families with young children and providing
outreach and multiple cultural opportunities for them. The panel noted the
strong partnerships the organization had formed and found the proposed
work relevant and linked to the Visual And Performing Arts (VAPA)
Standards adopted by the California State Board of Education.
Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra
Proposed Project: Annual concert featuring winners of the
Robert Turner Piano Concerto Competition
Performance Venue: Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Proposed Date: March 6, 2011
Panel Score: 94
Grant Request $3,500 Recommended Award $2,625
Panelists remarked on the difficult repertoire and high quality of the
submitted artistic sample. The application was found to be proactive with
clearly stated goals for the orchestra’s future. The panel noted the
opportunity the concert presents for young musicians and encouraged the
organization to develop new outreach programs to the Culver City Unified
School District. Further, the panel supported the efforts of the
organization to reach a broader audience for this concert through social
networking and other electronic marketing techniques.
ATTACHMENT 3
3
Culver City Symphony Orchestra
Proposed Project: Concert titled The American Beat - Women
Composers
Performance Venue: Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Proposed Date: January 29, 2011
Panel Score: 91.6
Grant Request $5,000 Recommended Award $3,750
The panel agreed that the music on the artistic sample was excellent and
affirmed that this community orchestra is important to the city. The panel
commended the group on its proposal to present an ambitious concert
featuring the work of composers who are women. Further, they were
impressed with the concept of a business expo as an outreach idea. The
panel had questions concerning the budget supplied in the application and
more budget notes would have been beneficial.
The Definiens Project
Proposed Project: Musical Adventures series – four interactive,
musical stories for children
Performance Venue: Culver City Julian Dixon Library
Proposed Dates: March, April, May, August and November,
2011
Panel Score: 91
Grant Request $3,000 Recommended Award $2,250
Panelists supported the proposal for the Musical Adventures concerts.
They found this proposal to be creative and an example of high level
music-making and original story-telling. It was noted that the application
conveyed the passion of the organization’s mission to be experimental and
innovative. The panel encouraged the group to focus on audience
outreach for the program and promote to local schools. Further, the panel
felt that future applications would benefit from more explanation of the
performance content and by the inclusion of a DVD.
4Vox Femina Los Angeles
Proposed Project: Intercultural Conversations – a choral
performance to encourage the audience to
appreciate and see beyond our cultural
identities to our common humanity.
Performance Venue: Culver City Presbyterian Church
Proposed Date: April 30, 2011
Panel Score: 90.8
Grant Request $4,500 Recommended Award $3,375
Panelists noted the prominence of the group and the quality of its work.
The panel found its mission statement to be fulfilled in the work the
organization presents. The proposed choral concert would celebrate
diversity and bring different audiences together. The panel noted that the
application lacked marketing detail and encouraged the company to create
a targeted publicity plan to ensure that the concert was well attended.
Collage Dance Theatre
Proposed Project: In the Sect – a site-specific dance
performance created in collaboration with
SPF: architects Judit Meda Fekete and
Zoltan Pali
Performance Venue: SPF:a Gallery Space
Proposed Date: Open Rehearsals
Performance - February 12, 2011
Panel Score: 90.6
Grant Request $5,000 Recommended Award $3,750
The panel agreed that this long-standing, professional company’s work
was consistently strong and evolving with a dedicated audience. Panelists
found the proposed project regarding ecological awareness to be
interesting without being condescending. They praised the dance
company’s proposed effort to establish a connection with Culver City High
School Academy of Visual and Performing Arts. The panel supported the
intention to open the rehearsals to the public but encouraged the company
to make a concerted effort to market those rehearsals since the
culminating performance would be short in duration.
5
The Society for the Activation of Social Space through Art and Sound
(SASSAS)
Proposed Project: Inuksuit – a music performance by Alaska-
based composer John Luther Adams
Performance Venue: Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
Proposed Date: September, 2011
Panel Score: 90.2
Grant Request $5,000 Recommended Award $3,750
The panel favorably regarded the concept of the proposed project which
features multiple percussionists performing outdoors and found it to be an
interesting exploration of sound and space. Panelists noted that the
organization has a following and is proficient at social networking. It was
suggested that SASSAS develop a more detailed marketing plan
specifically targeting the Culver City community.
Donna Sternberg & Dancers (Dancessence)
Proposed Project: A multimedia dance performance based on
The Botany of Desire
Performance Venue: Royal T
Proposed Dates: Open Rehearsals and Performance
Fall 2011 (Dates to be determined.)
Panel Score: 87.2
Grant Request $5,000 Recommended Award $1,500
The panel noted that the application was well-prepared and that the
concept was creative. The panel supported the proposed outreach effort to
the Culver City High School Academy of Visual and Performing Arts.
Panelists expressed interest in the company’s collaborative work with a
soundscaper and commended the company on its unique science focus
which might attract audiences other than dance enthusiasts. Additionally,
panelists encouraged the company to continue refreshing its artistic work.
6
Culver City Public Theatre
Proposed Project: Annual summer season of free theatre
performances in Carlson Park
Performance Venue: Dr. Paul Carlson Memorial Park
Proposed Dates: July 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31, 2011 and
August 1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 2011
Panel Score: 83.4
Grant Request $5,000 Recommended Award $1,500
The panel supported the efforts of this community-based theatre company
and its offering of free performances each summer. Panelists commended
the group on its endeavor to develop a diverse company of actors,
improve its production elements and initiate new marketing techniques.
Panelists were more favorably impressed with the DVD, featuring the
performance for children, than with the classic selection provided.
Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival
Proposed Project: Best of the Fest – performances of select
solo performers from their annual Theatre
Festival.
Performance Venue: The Ivy Substation
Proposed Dates: March 30, 2011
Panel Score: 81.2
Grant Request $5,000 Recommended Award $1,500
The quality of the application, proposed performance and artistic sample
were noted by the panel. The panelists were impressed by the variety of
the programming as well as the diversity and caliber of the performers.
Concerns were raised regarding the outreach and marketing plan and the
panel urged the company to develop a targeted publicity campaign for the
Culver City community.
7
Great Leap
Proposed Project: Multidisciplinary performance of Mottainai
(the Japanese word for “wasteful”)
Performance Venue: Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
Proposed Date: August, 2011 (Date to be determined)
Panel Score: 79
Grant Request $5,000 Recommended Award $0
Panelists noted the longevity of the organization, the talented artistic
director and the specific process that Great Leap implements. They found
the proposal to be creative and playful but considered the articulation of
the performance difficult to comprehend. It was also noted that the
application included budget errors and lacked a targeted marketing plan
for Culver City.
Keith Glassman Dance & Performance
Proposed Project: Coffeehouse Dances – Modern dance
solos and a duet presented in a cafe
Performance Venue: The Rumor Mill Coffeehouse
Proposed Date: September 30, 2011
Panel Score: 74.4
Grant Request $1,000 Recommended Award $0
The panel responded to the poetic, guerilla-style concept of patrons
encountering a dance performance in a neighborhood cafe; however, the
panelists felt that the performance would not create enough impact
because of the size of the café, the brevity of the performance and the fact
that all three proposed dances had previously been presented in Culver
City.
8The Concert Singers
Proposed Project: Love is in the Air - A summer choral concert
Performance Venue: Temple Akiba
Proposed Dates: June 25, 2011
Panel Score: 70.4
Grant Request $1,000 Recommended Award $0
The longevity of this Westchester-based community chorus and its recent
efforts to redevelop its business model as a non-profit organization were
noted by the panel. Panelists found the proposal modest and without an
articulated statement regarding the relevance of the performance or its
connection to the Culver City community. Additionally, the panel
encouraged the organization to continue to improve its work artistically.
Benita Bike’s DanceArt, Inc.
Proposed Project: Two dance performances with audience
interaction
Performance Venue: Culver City Senior Center
The Ivy Substation
Proposed Dates: January 20, 2011
March 9, 2011
Panel Score: 67.8
Grant Request $3,325 Recommended Award $0
The panel noted with interest the organization’s proposal to present a
performance at the Ivy Substation in collaboration with another dance
company and commended the company for consistently paying
performers. The panel did not find the budgeted marketing costs to be
realistic to attract audiences to both locations. Panelists noted that the
format was familiar, that some of the dances had been previously
performed in Culver City and that the choreography could be re-energized.