Collaboration Grants

Funding Collaborative Projects That Strengthen Wichita

The Arts Council Collaboration Grant supports creative partnerships that strengthen Wichita’s cultural ecosystem through collaboration, public engagement, and community impact. The program is designed to encourage artists and organizations to work together across disciplines and sectors to create projects that increase visibility, access, participation, and civic connection through the arts.

The grant supports innovative projects that demonstrate artistic merit, meaningful collaboration, and a clear benefit to the Wichita community and surrounding region.

Core Priorities

The Collaboration Grant prioritizes projects that:

Engage the public in meaningful ways
Foster partnerships across artistic disciplines or community sectors
Increase visibility, participation, and accessibility in the arts
Support underserved or underrepresented communities
Encourage innovation, experimentation, or Civic dialogue
Strengthen Wichita’s cultural identity and creative future

Eligible Collaboration Structure

Projects must include AT LEAST ONE of the following collaborative relationships:

Artist + Artist
Artist + Arts Organization
Artist + Neighborhood or Community Group
Artist + School, Civic, or Social Service Partner

Collaborative teams involving multiple sectors or community partners are strongly encouraged.

Eligible Project Examples

Examples of eligible projects may include:

Performances
Exhibitions
Community storytelling projects
Public art initiatives
Workshops or artist-led educational programs
Cross-disciplinary collaborations
Creative placemaking initiatives
Neighborhood-based arts projects
Civic engagement through the arts
Collaborative film, music, dance, theater, literary, or multimedia projects

Funding Restrictions

Grant funds may not be used for:

Projects already completed prior to funding notification
Debt retirement or deficit reduction
Political campaigns or partisan political activity
Routine operating expenses unrelated to the proposed project
Purely commercial ventures without public benefit or engagement

Review Process

Applications will be reviewed through a competitive peer-panel process by artists, arts professionals, and community members with relevant experience and knowledge of the arts sector. Final funding recommendations will be based on the published evaluation criteria.

Arts Council staff facilitate the application and administrative process but do not determine final panel scores or rankings.

Evaluation Criteria

Projects will be reviewed by a outside panel of peers using the following evaluation criteria to assess artistic quality, collaborative strength, community benefit, and overall project readiness.

Criteria Weight

Quality and clarity of the collaboration 25%

Community impact and public engagement 25%

Artistic merit, creativity, and innovation 20%

Feasibility, budget, and project planning 15%

Equity, accessibility, and inclusiveness 15%

Grant Application Dates

Collaboration grants are awarded once per year. The next application period will open in May 2027.

Questions or Assistance

For questions about the Collaboration Grant, eligibility requirements, or assistance with the application process, please contact executivedirector@wichitaarts.com.