Create & Connect

OVERVIEW

Create & Connect Fund is a community micro-grant fund that The LP launched in 2020. The Fund seeds and supports the creative ideas and civic actions of artists, cultural practitioners, community builders, organizers, and makers in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. During the 2023 cycle, we will provide $1000 grants towards each funded project, for a total of up to 20 proposals. We are looking for creative initiatives and projects that are rooted in community, foster connections, and ignite conversations and/or collaborations. In other words, we support community building amongst neighbors.

We encourage you to apply if you have a new creative project or an ongoing/long-term initiative that positively impacts and engages a group, audience, or community in Bed-Stuy. We are particularly interested in proposals that nurture creativity, uplift local legacies, and/or foster community wellness. Proposals can be for ideas that are virtual, in-person, or some combination of both.

The Summer 2022 cohort of Create & Connect recipients was selected by LP Staff in collaboration with Stefanie Siegel and Leah Asha Allen. The Fall 2021 cohort was selected by LP Staff in collaboration with Angeli Rasbury and Sabrina Brockman.

View the full micro-grant guidelines here.

Grant

$1,000

Applications Open

April 10

Applications Close

May 4

Apply to 2023 Create & Connect

Applications for 2023 Create & Connect are now open through May 4!

KEY DATES

Applications Open

Virtual Info Session

Application Support Session

Applications Close

Decision Notification

April 10

April 18

April 27

May 4

May 31

INFO & APPLICATION SUPPORT

Info Session

Learn more about 2023 Create & Connect from LP staff through this general info session held on April 18th. You can access the recording’s transcript here.

Application Support Session

Application Support Session

5:00–7:00pm EDT, April 27, 2023

Need support with your application? On April 27th, LP staff will be available for individualized application support at the storefront located at 1476 Fulton St, Brooklyn.

During the session, LP staff can answer any questions you have about the application process, provide tech support or troubleshooting with the Submittable platform, review your draft application responses for clarity, and/or provide feedback on your proposal.

Registration is encouraged to guarantee staff availability. Once you have registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a personalized time slot for you and/or your group.

If none of the dates or times above work for your schedule or you’d like to send a question electronically, you can reach out to the Programs Team at [email protected].

ELIGIBILITY

Self-organized groups or collectives (i.e. sewing club, writers group); formal organizations (i.e. block associations, tenant associations); and individuals (at least 18 years of age) living, working, or otherwise committed to and invested in Bed-Stuy are eligible to apply. Please note the legacy of place is a core value of this fund, so proposals must be responsive to or centered within the Bed-Stuy neighborhoods and communities. We also see the allocation of this fund as a way to help counter structural, systemic injustices in Bed-Stuy. Therefore, we will prioritize:

Types of Eligible Proposals

Eligible proposals may include, but are not limited to:

Types of Ineligible Proposals

View the full micro-grant guidelines here.

DEFINING ART

At The Laundromat Project, we define art as visual, media, literary, and performing arts as well as curation, scholarship, education, healing, community organizing, and other cultural traditions, productions, and practices. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to apply.

Below is a list of the types of art we consider. Categories and language adapted from Leeway Foundation’s Art and Change Grant.

Craft & Textiles

Book art
Costume design
Crocheting
Doll making
Fashion design
Furniture making
Knitting
Puppetry
Quilting
Weaving
Woodworking
Zines

Folk Arts

Cooking or baking
Hair braiding
Gardening
Storytelling
Traditional dance
Traditional music

Literary Arts

Creative writing
Playwriting
Poetry & Prose
Short Stories

Media Arts

Animation
Audio
Film
Interactive design
Podcast
Sound art
Video
Web-based work

Music

Composition
Deejaying
Hip-hop
Instrumental performance
Jazz
Opera
Producing
Rapping
Singing
Songwriting

Performance

Acting
Dance
Movement
Oral history
Performance art
Spoken word
Theater

Visual Arts

Comics/cartoons
Digital art
Drawing
Graphic design
Illustration
Installation
Mixed media
Murals
Painting
Photography
Pottery
Printmaking
Screen printing
Sculpture

FAQs

We recommend all applicants review the program guidelines before submitting an application. View the full micro-grant guidelines here.

ELIGIBILITY

Do I have to be an artist to apply?

No, applicants do not need to identify as artists to be eligible. However, proposals must incorporate elements of art or creativity. At The Laundromat Project, we define art as visual, media, literary, and performing arts as well as curation, scholarship, education, healing, community organizing, and other cultural traditions, productions, and practices. You do not have to consider yourself an artist to apply.

Do I have to live in Bed-Stuy to apply?

No, you do not have to currently live in Bed-Stuy to apply, however applicants must be committed to and invested in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Proposals will be evaluated based on the project idea according to the criteria listed. The legacies embedded in place is a core value of this fund, so proposals must be responsive to or centered within Bed-Stuy and impact or engage a group, audience, or community in Bed-Stuy.

Can I apply on behalf of my organization, like a 501(c)3?

Yes, any group, organization, or individual committed to or invested in Bed-Stuy is eligible to apply, however priority will be given to informal groups with less access to funding sources.

I’m a small business owner, can I apply with a project idea that has to do with my business?

Yes, any group, organization, or individual committed to or invested in Bed-Stuy is eligible to apply, however eligible proposals must focus on the theme of community building, collective recovery, or community wellness and must be free for participants. We are looking for new creative projects or ongoing/long-term initiatives that positively impacts and engages a group, audience, or community in Bed-Stuy.

May I apply with an existing/ongoing project or initiative?

Yes.

If I applied for Create & Connect last year and was awarded funding can I re-apply?

Previous Create & Connect awardees cannot receive funding from Create & Connect again, unless applying as a part of a new collective undertaking a new project.

We welcome all past LP Program participants, including previous Create & Connect Fund recipients, to apply for Create & (Re)Connect to complete a new project or event.

APPLICATION SUPPORT QUESTIONS

Why should I attend an application support session?

These sessions are designed to provide support on whatever might be most useful to you as you complete your application. The LP team can act as a thought partner or sounding board as you form your project idea and can review your application responses for clarity. We encourage you to sign up for a session if you want to know if your idea is eligible, what part of your proposal to emphasize, if your response to an application question is clear, or if you have questions about parts of the application or the application process.

What is the format of the sessions?

These sessions are casual walk-in sessions during which you should bring specific questions for The LP staff to help answer. Questions can be sent electronically by emailing [email protected].

If I am applying on behalf of a group, does my entire group need to be in attendance for the application support session?

No. Anyone who is available is welcome.

None of the dates and times listed work with my schedule. Can I receive application support outside of these sessions?

Yes! Questions can be sent electronically and appointments can be made in advance by emailing [email protected].

SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION

What does rolling application submissions mean?

Applications will be accepted on a continuing basis from April 10, 2023 until 11:59PM EDT on May 4, 2023 or until 20 proposals have been selected. We are accepting applications on a rolling basis to provide more flexibility for applicants to submit proposal ideas based on their project timelines. Applications will be periodically reviewed throughout the open call to ensure that applicants are notified in a timely manner. Because we can only fund up to 20 proposals, we will share widely if we are close to nearing our maximum recipients prior to the deadline, via social media, this webpage, email, and directly to all applicants who have an application draft started on Submittable.

Can I submit more than one application?

Applicants may submit only one application per project idea. If you have more than one proposal, please choose the one you feel is the strongest.

Applicants for collaborative works or applicants applying on behalf of a group or organized body should select one member to submit an application for review.

If you are the project lead applying on behalf of a group, you may also apply with another, unrelated project idea as an individual.

Can I assist someone in the completion of their application?

Yes. Please be aware that communications regarding the status of the application will be sent to the email address associated with the Submittable account. Please make sure to create a Submittable account for the individual you are assisting.

I am a professional grant writer. Can I submit an application on behalf of an organization I am working for?

A grant-writer can assist with the application process in collaboration with the organization they are working for, but the contact information (including email and phone number) listed on the application and the Submittable account associated with the application must belong to the organization representative that will be carrying out the proposal if funded.The grant writer cannot be the main contact person for the application. The LP may reach out to the organization to confirm application details.

Notifications

How long will the online application process remain open?

The application opens Monday, April 10, and closes Thursday, May 4 at 11:59 pm EDT.

When will I receive confirmation that my application was received?

You will receive an automated email response from Submittable confirming your application was received.

If I start an online application through the LP Submission manager (Submittable), can I save it and submit it later?

Yes, but we encourage you to save it often in case of any internet or technical difficulties. You can also draft your responses on a separate document, and copy and paste them onto Submittable when you are ready to submit.

How will I be notified?

You will be notified via the email you provided in your application.

When will I be notified?

We will send notifications no later than June 1, 2023.

DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS

How will applications be selected for funding?

LP staff members across departments will evaluate projects by their alignment with the goals of the Fund to foster community, relationship building, and collaboration in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood through creativity and community wellness. Projects and activities must be able to be developed, installed/performed by the applicant independently without production support from the The Laundromat Project, while taking into consideration current CDC and New York City health and safety guidelines.

How will funds be disbursed?

Award amounts are $1,000 USD each, payable by check or PayPal or Zelle electronic transfer.

How long will it take for me to receive the funds after I’ve been notified I am a recipient of the award?

Funds can take up to one month to be received following notification that you have been selected. Please take this timeline into consideration as you plan your project.

How can the funds be used?

The funds can be used for any aspect of the proposal, including commission or compensation fees for the project lead (applicant) and/or additional artists/collaborators.

Do I have to pay tax on the funds received?

Yes. This is considered taxable income, please consult with a tax professional if you need guidance through this process. 

FURTHER QUESTIONS

If you have further questions, you can contact the LP community engagement team by email at [email protected] or by phone and leave a voicemail at 718-574-0798.

PAST RECIPIENTS