Got a big creative idea and need a support system to bring it to life?
Pitch it to Arts Tank Greater Palm Springs, an exciting new Shark Tank-like program powered by the nonprofit California Desert Arts Council to support innovative arts projects that attract tourism, address a concern of a particular community, and engage a cross-section of residents and visitors in the Coachella Valley.
The application deadline is August 15, 2018.
“Arts Tank GPS encourages innovation in the arts and ultimately benefits everybody who visits and lives in the Coachella Valley,” says Christi Salamone, CEO of CDAC, whose mission is to unify, empower, and promote the arts in the region. “This is the platform our creative community needs to take their ideas to great heights.”
Applicants can submit an arts-based project, product, event, or idea that is new, innovative, creative, and has a strategic purpose.
CDAC welcomes pitches from individuals and groups, as well as from the community’s nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) arts and culture organizations. Government and public agencies are not eligible.
After applications close August 15, judges representing local stakeholders will screen applicants and select finalists to participate in the live Arts Tank event in October 2018. Applicants will be notified of their application status on September 15, 2018. All finalists participate in a workshop to shape their spoken and visual presentation for the live Arts Tank event, where valuable funding is on the line.
CDAC has established an Arts Fund to sustain Arts Tank GPS, and is soliciting the support of stakeholders, philanthropists, and grant-giving organizations.
“It’s a compelling and engaging way to support the arts,” Salamone says. “And for CDAC, it’s a wonderfully multidimensional program that advances our objectives in advocacy, cultural tourism, business and professional development, and education.”
Before applying, please carefully read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
DEFINING THE TERMS
Arts-Based: A direct involvement in the arts or artistic process. The arts may include visual, performing, literary, architecture, heritage, and cultural experiences.
Cultural Tourism: Visitation for the purpose of engaging with a country or region’s culture, specifically the lifestyle and history of the people in those geographical areas, their art, architecture, religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life.
Event: A planned public or social occasion.
Idea: An intangible concept that can be realized to affect a new strategy, structure, outcome, or process.
Place-Based:A direct involvement in the place (Coachella Valley) in which the initiative is delivered. The place includes its history, communities, environment, and infrastructure.
Product: An article, service, or substance that is manufactured or refined for sale.
Project: an individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned and designed to achieve a particular objective.
