Denver Arts & Venues Announces $800,000 In Cultural Partner Activation Program Funding

As recovery from the pandemic continues, Denver Arts & Venues (DAV) will use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to offer a reduction in program costs to organizations and individuals who hold performances or events in a DAV facility between June 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024. Through this program, Denver Arts & Venues will support music, visual arts, dance, film, theatre, educational activities and more.

Applications will be accepted through June 1, 2023.

"The purpose of this funding is two-fold," explained Ginger White, Denver Arts & Venues executive director. "Through the ARPA Cultural Partner Activation program, Denver Arts & Venues is using ARPA funding to reinvest in and reinvigorate Denver's cultural economy by reducing the costs of producing an event or program at a DAV venue. We have also designed this program to diversify the types of events found at our venues, filling programming and cultural gaps."

The funds utilize $800,000 from the city's ARPA allocation. At least 20% of the funding will be reserved for small businesses and organizations or individuals with annual revenues of $1,000,000 or less during 2021.

The ARPA Cultural Partner Activation Program is intended to support arts and cultural events at DAV venues, combat the financial impacts of COVID-19, and advance the DAV mission to enrich and advance Denver's quality of life and economic vitality through the advancement of arts, cultural and entertainment opportunities for all. These funds (which will come from DAV's second round of ARPA funding) will be used to subsidize the costs of producing events at City of Denver-owned venues operated by Denver Arts & Venues. ARPA funding will be applied directly against costs typically billed back to the event or program organizer such as security, ushers, janitorial services, stagehands, on-site ticketing staff, etc. Additionally, DAV may reduce some rent costs for these events and programs.

The Cultural Partner Activation Program piggybacks on two different past DAV programs. Since 2012, DAV has offered waived and reduced rent and additional financial support for events at McNichols Building and Denver Performing Arts Complex through our cultural partner program. Through the ARPA Venue Reactivation Program, DAV utilized $1.2M of ARPA funding to provide financial support for events at Denver Coliseum, Arts Complex and Red Rocks by paying for hard costs such as security, janitorial and third-party equipment rentals through the DAV ARPA Venue Reactivation Program.

A virtual pre-application meeting will be hosted on April 19, 11:30 a.m. The meeting will cover the fund background and goals, and the application process for this program. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the DAV-operated venues where programming and events can take place. This event will be hosted on Microsoft Teams. Interested applicants are asked to register on Eventbrite to get information on how to join prior to the event.

ARPA Cultural Partner Activation Programs must:

• Be held at a venue operated by DAV (Denver Coliseum, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, McNichols Civic Center Building) between June 1, 2023 and December 31, 2024
• Be open to the public, free or ticketed
• Be a performance, program or event of a cultural or artistic nature such as, but not limited to, performing arts, dance, music, theatre, literary, comedy, visual and fine arts, education, health and wellness, or film

Event organizers must:

• Have been fully operational on or before January 1, 2020

• Have 2020 revenues that did not exceed $45M
• Be able to show loss of income and/or increased costs directly due to COVID-19
• Have experience producing live programming or events such as music, dance, theatre, comedy, film screenings, fashion, cultural advocacy, fine arts, education activities, or material of a similar nature

Materials and Guidelines

• Application and Guidelines
• The total amount of assistance will not exceed $75,000 per organization or individual for the 19-month period from June 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024, and may be applied across multiple performances or events
• Entities that have already booked events falling within the active grant window may apply for assistance
• Applications will be accepted from April 7-June 1, 2023
• A second round of applications will open later this year, if the funds are not exhausted

More information can be found at www.ArtsandVenues.com/ARPA-CPAP.

Denver's plan for recovery includes direct distribution of $308 million in ARPA Local Relief Funds. Denver solicited and received feedback from over 12,000 residents, Denver City Council, city agencies, the Mayor's Stimulus Advisory Committee, and the Mayor's Economic Recovery Council to inform the use of the city's ARPA funds. Federal law requires distribution of the funds by 2026.

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