Supporting investments in technology for CultureSource member organizations
The Digital Access for the Arts Program, a programmatic initiative in partnership with the Gilbert Family Foundation, helps arts organizations harness transformational technology and prepare to thrive in blended in-person and online artistic environments. The program is comprised of research cohorts, convenings, virtual resources, and funding to support arts organizations in Southeast Michigan in embracing the online and digital futures of creative work.
In the program’s two year lifespan, 36 grants have been issued to CultureSource member organizations to fund their digital evolution, and transform their work in preparation for a sustainable future.
2022 Grantees
Sixteen (16) grants of $5,000 were awarded to CultureSource member organizations to support strategic investment in their digital infrastructure, and augment their programmatic work through emerging technology.
- Ann Arbor Film Festival
- Black & Brown Theatre
- Chaldean Cultural Center
- Detroit Public Theatre
- Detroit Puppet Company
- Detroit Sound Conservancy
- Girls Rock Detroit
- Live Coal
- Living Arts
- Michigan Arts Access
- Mint Artists Guild
- Motor City Street Dance Academy
- Sphinx Organization
- TéMaTé Institute for Black Dance & Culture
- The Carr Center
- Y Arts / YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit
2021 Grantees
Twenty (20) grants of $5,000 were awarded to CultureSource member organizations to support sustainable technology investments that enhance digital work. Members used their grants to fund the purchase of new equipment, explore digital content delivery, and support their organization’s evolving digital capacity needs.
- Black and Brown Theatre
- Mexicantown Community Development Corporation, Inc.
- Shua Group Arts
- Plowshares Theatre Company
- Poetic Societies
- The Arts League of Michigan (the Carr Center)
- We Are Culture Creators
- TeMaTe Institute for Black Dance and Culture
- Chamber Music Society of Detroit
- FAR Conservatory of Therapeutic and Performing Arts
- Y Arts (YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit)
- Motor City Street Dance Academy
- Paint A Miracle
- Sphinx Organization
- Sidewalk Detroit
- Garage Cultural
- Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society
- PuppetART
- Detroit Sound Conservancy
- The Scarab Club
Learning Experiences
Our seven-part workshop series is designed to help people working at arts and culture organizations question, challenge, and expand their knowledge on current trends in the online cultural space. Intended to be supportive and empowering, all workshops will be followed by 30-minute hack sessions, where participants will learn skills to enhance their work in the digital landscape.
Research
To assess the needs of CultureSource members, we commissioned 8 Bridges Workshop to discover how organizations use technology in their work. This research provides insight into how organizations used digital tools to adapt their work for virtual presentation, and makes recommendations as to how arts organizations can build their digital capacity.
Technologist-in-Residence
Our technologists-in-residence has complied a set of asynchronous resources for you to explore as you consider building your organization’s digital infrastructure, upgrading equipment, or infusing digital accessibility into a program. Beyond making routine investments in technology, allow these resources to help you imagine possibilities, explore resources, and plan next steps.
Early Iterations
From February through May 2021 and all of 2022, Technologist-in-Residence Jon Riley offered free consultations with DAAP participants and CultureSource members to provide individualized support in strategizing organization’s digital work. Jon synthesized common challenges and offered recommendations to combat them in a program report.
Stories
More Information
Questions?
For questions about the Digital Access for the Arts Program? Send us an email at grants@culturesource.org
In Collaboration With
About Gilbert Family Foundation
Founded by Dan and Jennifer Gilbert, the GFF works to build opportunity and equity for Detroit residents who have faced systemic barriers to economic and social mobility. This mission is rooted in the family’s love and long-time passion for their hometown. The Foundation’s $350 million, 10-year commitment supports investment in the Detroit community and funds research to find a cure for neurofibromatosis.