Festivals Grants

Overview

The South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) aims to expand access to the arts and foster creativity for all South Carolinians. For over 50 years, SCAC has built a thriving arts environment across the state, helping artists and arts providers offer unique arts experiences to residents and visitors. Since 1967, SCAC has awarded more than $132 million in grants.

Festivals Grants Purpose

These grants provide support for a broad range of arts activities at festivals that take place in—and have an impact on—S.C. communities, increasing opportunities for public engagement and participation in arts and culture.

What Qualifies as a Festival

A festival is a day or period of celebration or gathering of people that happens in a condensed period of time (i.e., an annual celebration or anniversary or an organized series of concerts, plays, movies, or performances held in the same place) and has an easily identifiable or unifying theme or specified focus.

Restrictions

• The festival cannot span the duration of more than two (2) consecutive weekends (no more than 14 consecutive days).
• Seasonal series of presented works, as well as freestanding installations, productions or exhibitions, are ineligible activities for this program.
• Applicants may submit only one (1) application per deadline.

Requirements

• The festival must be held in South Carolina.
• The festival must have identifiable arts activities (visual, media, performing, literary, and/or folk and traditional arts).
• The festival must compensate visual, media, performing, literary, and/or folk and traditional artists.
• The festival must be open to the public and include some aspect of free arts programming.

Funding Details

• Matching Requirements: 1:1 (grantee:SCAC). Up to 50% of the grantee’s match may be through an in-kind donation of materials and/or contracted services. Another SCAC grant and/or federal funds may not be used to match your award.