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CAC - Consideration of (1) a Recommendation from the 2025 Performing Arts Grant Program Subcommittee Pertaining to the 2025 Performing Arts Grant Program Awards; and (2) Make a Recommendation to the City Council
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Meeting Date: November 19, 2024
Contact Person/Dept: Lee Lawlor / City Manager - Office of Economic & Cultural Development
Phone Number: (310) 253-5772
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - Cultural Affairs Commission
(11/14/24); Sony Pictures Entertainment (11/14/24); 2025 Performing Arts Grant Program Applicants (11/14/24)
Department Approval: Jesse Mays, Assistant City Manager (11/11/24)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Cultural Affairs Commission consider the recommendation of the 2025 Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program Subcommittee (Subcommittee) and approve a motion that (1) recommends the City Council approve the 2025 Performing Arts Grant Program awards, totaling $202,223 and related grantee contracts; and (2) recommend that the City Council designate the related performances as City-sponsored.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
Local arts agencies provide programs and services to strengthen the arts infrastructure across the United States, while cultural grants play a central role within an ecosystem of creative workers, residents, visitors, arts and cultural organizations, local municipalities, and other partners. Municipal arts agencies encourage accessible and relevant programming, subsidize free or reduced ticket prices, encourage public cultural participation, and are an investment in the overall well-being of a community.
The Cultural Affairs Commission and staff have implemented Culver City’s Performing Arts Grant Program (Program) since its inception in 1994. Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Section 15.06.160 stipulates that no more than 25% of the money deposited into the Cultural Trust Fund (CTF) in the prior fiscal year be allocated for performing arts in the subsequent year. $100,000 has been appropriated from the CTF for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 and is supplemented with anticipated carryover money from prior fiscal year CTF allocations (estimated to be $192,000). Sony Pictures Entertainment donated $30,000 designated in support of the 2025 Program.
The Subcommittee (Tania Fleischer and Damon Willick) propose total allocations of $202,223 in grant funding for the 2025 Program from all sources.
The Subcommittee met on August 1, 2024, determined that the grant request limit would be $12,000, and discussed the following topics: CTF allocations, role of the Subcommittee, feedback from Commissioners, recommendations for process improvement, deadlines, scoring criteria, new scoring rubric, recruitment, selection of independent panelists, and edits to the online application.
Staff published the 2025 Performing Arts Grant Program Application during the week of August 7, 2024 on the Arts & Culture page of the City’s public website. At that time, the application was open to the public, to be completed and submitted online. The City’s website was updated with current details of the eligibility, schedule, guidelines, deadline, requirements, and samples. The application guidelines stated that there was a grant limit of $12,000 per organization, and applicants must provide matching funds that are equal to, or greater than, their requested grant amount.
The Notice of Funding Availability was distributed by email newsletter on August 9, 2024. During the following weeks staff continued to promote and invite applications by email, social media, message groups, and other appropriate third-party sites, including the Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture. A copy of the Notice of Funding Availability is attached to this staff report. A list of potential performance venues in Culver City was posted on the City’s website. Staff provided multiple workshops, meetings with potential applicants, technical assistance, and venue referrals.
Thirty-three (33) performing arts organizations submitted signed applications electronically via the City’s website by the published deadline of September 12, 2024. Staff reviewed all applications to confirm eligibility criteria and requirements.
On September 23, 2024, the Subcommittee met to discuss the incoming applications and preliminary eligibility questions. The Subcommittee and staff determined that thirty-three (33) of the applications met the eligibility requirements and could be sent for review and scoring by independent Peer Review Panels.
One (1) additional application from a nonprofit organization was submitted by the deadline. Tibetan Association of Southern California applied for a grant to support their proposed event at the Culver City Senior Center in December 2025. Upon careful review of the organization’s mission statement, as well as the budget that was attached for the proposed project, the overall application was determined to be ineligible, and the primary contact for the organization was notified by email.
Due to the high number of applications, it was determined they should be reviewed at two separate meetings. They were sorted based on the artistic discipline selected on the application as follows: Ten (10) Dance; Thirteen (13) Music; Ten (10) Theatre.
On October 23, 2024 and October 24, 2024, the thirty-three (33) eligible applications were reviewed by members of a Peer Review Panel, who met virtually via WebEx webinar. The seven qualified panelists included people with expertise in music, dance, theatre, multidisciplinary performance, grantmaking, and non-profit management. Each individual application was scored and discussed by four out of the seven panelists listed below.
2025 Performing Arts Grant Peer Review Panelists
• Ricky Abilez, Director of Policy & Advocacy at Arts for LA; Actor, Arts Educator, Advocate; Board Member at Celebration Theatre
• Dorsay Dujon, Founder of Make Music LA; Arts Advocate and Neighborhood Organizer; Congress of Neighborhoods
• Kevin Eberle-Noel, Executive Director at Redlands Symphony; Board Member at Association of CA Symphony Orchestras
• Brittany A. Gash, Director of Marketing & Communications at BroadStage; Emerging Arts Leader; Strategist
• Mark Slavkin, Arts Education Leader and Coach; Board Member at Create CA; Former Director of Education at The Music Center and The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
• Parisa Zaeri, Pianist, Piano Instructor, Conductor; Executive Assistant, Office of the President at Colburn School; Formerly at Opera Colorado
• Sally Unsworth, Cultural Affairs Manager at City of Culver City
As a new transplant to California, without extensive knowledge of Culver City, or involvement with the grant applicants, Ms. Unsworth had an opportunity to serve as a scoring panelist without conflict.
Members of the Subcommittee were invited to join the panel meetings as observers and were available as an added resource for questions and local information.
In advance of the group meetings, panelists were instructed to review electronic copies of the grant applications and to provide preliminary scores. Panelists viewed artistic video samples that were provided by applicants, and viewed budget documents, financial reports and artistic materials that were provided by applicants. The panelists were given a scoring template, scoring rubric, and criteria.
The following four scoring criteria, with a total possible score of 100 points, were included in the guidelines and provided to the panelists:
• Artistic excellence and cultural merit of project (45 points)
• Culver City outreach and engagement (20 points)
• Realistic project budget and funding (20 points)
• Contribution to cultural equity and inclusion (15 points)
Panelists alternated leading the discussion, sharing professional expertise, offering comments, and providing scores. An average score for each criterion and a total score for each applicant was determined. Only panelists provided scores during the meetings. Prior to reviewing applications, panelists signed an agreement and agreed to maintain confidentiality of personal scores and individual comments. Panelists stated whether they had any potential conflicts of interest with any of the applicants. In the event of a conflict of interest, that panelist was to leave the meeting during the discussion and would not score that application. For the 2025 grant program, one such conflict was identified in advance; that panelist did not discuss and did not score that application.
After discussion of the individual applications was completed, the panelists reviewed and discussed total scores for the complete list of applications from highest to lowest made final adjustments. Many factors were considered including allocation of resources, the scoring rubric, consistency in scoring, and public access to artistic disciplines.
On October 28, 2024, the Subcommittee met and reviewed the total panel scores and the requested grant amounts for all applicants. The Subcommittee recommended that the allocations and the application be determined separately within each of the artistic disciplines: Music, Theatre, and Dance. The Subcommittee considered several factors including the following: panelists differences during the two meetings, balance between the artistic disciplines, availability of venues, budget allocation decreases in FY 2024-25; increase in total number of submitted applications, performing arts priorities of the Cultural Affairs Commission, and the intention to support a full year of enriching, diverse, and accessible public performances.
The Subcommittee recommended that twenty-one (21) of the applications will receive 90% of their requested funding as follows:
Music: 13 total applications; 9 awards recommended, $82,580
Dance: 10 total applications; 6 awards recommended, $64,800
Theatre: 10 total applications; 6 awards recommended, $54,843
The Subcommittee further decided that the four (4) lowest scoring applications in each discipline would not be recommended for awards.
The Subcommittee encouraged the applicants that are not currently recommended for funding to apply again in future grant cycles and suggested that staff review their applications with a contact from each organization. Staff will continue to invite them to apply and will provide additional information and grant workshops as requested.
City Sponsorship
These events meet the criteria for City sponsorship. To be categorized as “City-sponsored,” an event or activity must meet the criteria set forth in Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Section 17.330.040.B.7.b.ii confirming that the City is (a) participating in an official capacity in the planning, preparation or promotion of the event or activity; and (b) contributing 25% of the total estimated costs of the civic event or activity or at least $1,000, whichever is less. This contribution may take the form of funds, labor, staff time, materials, a waiver of fees, or any combination of the foregoing. City Council Policy requires that in order for an event to be considered City-sponsored, the City Council determine, by specific action, that the above criteria have been met.
As a requirement of the grant contract, the performing arts organizations must identify the City of Culver City as a sponsor of the event in certain promotional materials.
The total amount recommended for all grant awards is $202,223. Staff will work closely with the grant recipients throughout 2025 on the public outreach and promotional plans for their performances. The City will promote the sponsored performances via its website, email, and social media. Each organization will submit an invoice, audience estimate, and evaluation after their final sponsored performance.
Attached is a chart of the 33 submitted eligible applications sorted by artistic discipline. It includes requested grant amount, review panel total scores, recommended grant awards, and brief descriptions of proposed projects.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Subcommittee recommends that a total of $202,223 be allocated for the 2025 Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program. Twenty-one (21) grant contracts will be executed, with amounts ranging from $5,000 to $10,800. The contracts are funded from the Art in Public Places Program (Cultural Arts Fund - 41380000.730100 PZ614) Adopted Capital Improvement Program Budget. An additional $30,000 from the 2024 contribution from Sony Pictures Entertainment is also designated towards these grants.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 24-11-19_ATT 1_2025 Performing Arts Grant Notice of Funding Availability
2. 24-11-19_ATT 2_Applications and Scoring 2025 Performing Arts Grant Program
The electronic 2025 Performing Arts Grant Program applications are available for public review by sending a written request by email to cultural.affairs@culvercity.org
RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
That the Cultural Affairs Commission:
1. Consistent with the recommendation from the 2025 Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program Subcommittee, recommend that City Council approve the 2025 Performing Arts Grant Program awards and related grantee contracts as outlined in the staff report; and recommend that City Council designate the related performances as City-sponsored.
OR
2. Recommend to the City Council that 2025 Performing Arts Grant awards be allocated as amended.