Aquí y Allá. No llegamos ayer, ni nos vamos mañana. Back and Forth. People move. Cultures flow. Las remesas no son tan solamente económicas. La cultura también transita de un lugar a otro. Traditions are reaffirmed. New expressions of solidarity are invented. Arte es vida. Art shines the light on new possibilities. Diálogo. Intercambio. Dialogue. Exchange. |
Overview The Transnational Cultural Remittances (TCR) program is designed to strengthen the exchange of art and culture between communities linked by people’s migration from one country to another. Through the TCR, NALAC and the Ford Foundation seek to identify exemplary cultural exchange projects that support grassroots artistic and cultural practices and strengthen social networks across national boundaries in migrant communities. Projects demonstrating an ongoing connection between two or more of the following countries will be eligible for consideration to receive a competitive TCR grant in 2010: Belize
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
United States Artists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in any of these countries may apply. Applicants do not have to include the United States to be considered. Unlike international and binational exchange projects based on the “artist-in-residence” model in which an artist or group from one location works in another for specified period of time, NALAC’s Transnational Cultural Remittances (TCR) program focuses on continuous exchange whereby ongoing social activity in one place affects the cultural practices of a distant, corresponding community. Just as there are systems in place to transmit financial remittances, immigrants have developed creative ways—cultural markets, if you will—in which parallel cultural and social remittances are exchanged between sending and receiving communities and vice-versa. This pilot grant program aims to identify established and emerging examples of these cultural markets. NALAC through the TCR initiative encourages groups and individuals working for human rights, social justice and economic empowerment to identify those aspects of their work that result in the exchange of culture as broadly defined below. How is your work influenced by and how do you negotiate between the folkways and traditional practices of your constituents and the contemporary, popular culture or foreign environment they may find themselves in? TCR 2010 Timeline April 1 - August 7, 2010 | Technical assistance period | August 31, 2010 | Deadline for submitting on-line application forms | August 31, 2010 | Postmark deadline for mailing support materials | After October 18, 2010 | Notification of TCR grant awards |
Frequently used terms
Central America | The geographic area consisting of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama | cultural workers | Individuals engaged in the production, development and/or promotion of arts and culture | culture | Referring not only to music, dance, theatre, visual arts and literature, but also to common practices and forms of expression within specific groups; e.g., oral traditions such as storytelling, regional dialects and languages, customary dress, traditional dishes and food preparation, and social or religious rituals | culture bearers | Individuals recognized within their community for their authentic knowledge of local customs and traditions, as well as transmitters of cultural and societal knowledge to outsiders (i.e., cultural ambassadors); may include elders as well as emergent leaders | ethnicity | Belonging to a group that shares the same characteristics, such as country of origin, language, religion, ancestry and culture | pilot program | A new program undergoing development and evaluation in order to determine if and how it should be continued beyond the trial period | remittance | Something of value sent or transmitted from one place to another | transnational | Relating to movement across national borders |
partnerships
| Relationships developed or existing between individuals, groups or organization in one country working with a similar entity in another country for the purpose of
carrying out an exchange | exchange | The act of transmitting communication, cultural knowledge, art and/or commerce between related people (related by blood,common interest or cause) in two different countries | outcome | The measurable effect of a project on the community involved This is something that would be documented for intermittant and final project evaluations |
Program Description What will the TCR fund? | Types of Grant: · Project grant | Range of Grants: · $2,000 minimum · $20,000 maximum | Grant Period:
December 15, 2010 - December 15, 2011 · |
The Transnational Cultural Remittances (TCR) program is a competitive grant program available to individuals, collectives and community-based organizations in the United States, Mexico and Central America that are engaged in the practical exchange of culture through transnational community connections developed and maintained by border crossers. [See “How to Apply” for timeframe and deadlines.] Cultural remittances can take different forms and may be transmitted through direct personal contact or electronic means. The most important thing to the TCR, however, is that these exchanges be rooted in everyday life and demonstrate reciprocal or two-way impact. In other words, we are looking for activities that build upon and extend cultural knowledge across borders through community members’ migration and the resulting exchange of cultural knowledge from one country to another. To get a sense of the wide range of activities eligible for TCR support, consider the following examples: Using traditional art forms such as storytelling, music, painting or dramatization to rebuild communities or address human rights issues Utilizing technology for visual and written communication to maintain transnational community ties or market culturally significant products Culturally-based economic ventures operated by hometown associations and other mutual support groups for the purpose of benefitting their communities of origin
Mission of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture The National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to the promotion, advancement, development, and cultivation of the Latino arts field. In this capacity, NALAC stimulates, facilitates intergenerational dialogues among disciplines, languages, and traditional and contemporary expressions. |
Background NALAC is an arts service organization addressing the needs and concerns of the diverse Latino arts and cultural communities in the United States, with an emphasis on supporting artistic work that promotes social justice, cultural transmission and economic empowerment. Founded in 1989, NALAC has contributed to the vitality of cultural and artistic creation in this country by advocating for and providing informational, training and support services to Latino artists and arts and cultural organizations. NALAC Fund for the Arts In 2005 NALAC launched the NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA) with major support from the Ford Foundation. The NFA is the only national grant program that provides financial support specifically for Latino artists and Latino arts organizations in the United States. In its first five years, the NFA has made 186 grants totaling $624,000 and has become an important component of the services NALAC offers its members and the Latino arts field as a whole. The Transnational Cultural Remittances program builds on this success. Preparing for the Next Generation In a report released in August 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau predicted that by the year 2042 non-Hispanic whites will cease to be the majority of the U.S. population. The report estimates that Hispanics will grow from 15% of the total U.S. population in 2008, to 30% by 2050. The projected increase in the number of Hispanic children is even more dramatic. In 2008, 22% of the nation's children were Hispanic, accounting for about half of all minority children. In 2050, when 62% of all U.S. children are predicted to be of minority ethnicity, the largest subgroup will be Hispanic accounting for 39% of all U.S. children according to Census Bureau estimates. The Transnational Cultural Remittances program is designed to increase understanding, support and recognition of the cultural impact of continued migration and connection between Mexico, Central America and the United States. According to a 2007 study by the Pew Hispanic Center, 63% of Latino immigrants in the U.S. less than 10 years sent a portion of their earnings to their home countries. Constituting about 8% of the total U.S. labor force, Latino immigrants in 2006 sent more than 32 billion dollars in remittances to Mexico and Central America. The average remittance was $2,500. While financial remittances tend to flow from North to South, this is not the case with other valuables exchanged across borders. As people emigrate from one country to another, they bring with them food products and customs, trade skills, and social and family relations. The hometown associations they create and the continuing contact they have with their towns of origin not only connect but influence entire communities hundreds if not thousands of miles apart. Through the TCR we aim to increase understanding of how these “paisano” networks influence arts and culture by raising the following questions: What are examples of “cultural remittances” in everyday life? How exactly does cultural knowledge travel back and forth? Through whom and by what means? What are some of the mixed identities or cultural hybrids that have emerged as a result of the continuing influence of old and new cultural practices? What kinds of cultural practices are accessible or easy to maintain? Which are less obvious or more difficult to document and share? How are artists, artisans and cultural workers involved in making these exchanges possible?
Who can apply for a TCR grant? Artists and artisans working alone or in collectives Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit corporations
Community-based volunteer organizations with arts or cultural components
Applicants must be based in the United States, Mexico or Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, Costa Rica and Panama). Eligible artists and organizations can have projects functioning across borders or sited in a single location as long as there is evidence of ongoing transnational exchange across communities from any of these regions. For example, eligible applicants could be Oaxacans engaged in cultural activities with Michoacanos in New York, or Salvadorans with Guatemalans in the Mexican state of Chiapas. What will the TCR fund? Project Grants Projects designed to teach, preserve or demonstrate the ways in which transnational cultural remittances occur and influence communities in the three regions could be considered for a project grant. For example: Intergenerational projects or apprenticeships with a master artist or craftsperson in an ethnically or culturally specific art form Media documentation of transnational art/cultural practices
Creation of new works reflecting transnational influences Capacity-building efforts aimed at strengthening exemplary transnational cultural activities Community-based festivals featuring transnational arts and culture Oral history and other auto-documentation projects that emphasize community participation
We do not fund:
Academic research projects
For-profit entities or activities Arts service organizations Fundraising events
Range of Grants TCR awards will be no smaller than $2,000 and no greater than $20,000. Project Dates One-year grants—cannot begin before December 15, 2010 and must end by December 15, 2011 Availability of Funds Awards will be sent no sooner than December 15, 2010. Application Review Process and Criteria Complete applications submitted by August 15, 2010 will be reviewed and evaluated by a diverse panel of representatives from the field. TCR Review Criteria Applications will be reviewed on the basis of the following criteria:
50% IMPACT Demonstration of two-way reciprocal transnational exchange
Evidence of community grassroots input and/or participation in project
Potential for enhancing or for creating long-term tangible benefit to target communitues
Equitable sharing of financial and human resources
Potential to broaden and/or deepen knowledge of art and culture, communication, social and/ or economic conditions
Evidence of sustainability of artistic and cultural assets in project design
25% MERIT
Artistic significance of the proposed activity
Cultural significance of the proposed activity
Economic significance of the proposed activity
25% CAPABILITY
Strength of partnership
Financial & administrative ability to carry out project
Appropriate budget for scope of project
Ability to effectively evaluate goals & outcomes
Example of successfulL grant application: CAPECAPE Applicant Information
CAPE Project narrative
CAPE Budget TCR 2010 Timeline April 1 - August 7, 2010 | Technical assistance period | August 15, 2010 | Deadline for submitting on-line application forms | August 15, 2010 | Postmark deadline for mailing support materials | After October 18, 2010 | Notification of TCR grant awards |
Reporting Requirements A mid-term report is due by July 15, 2011 and a final narrative and budget report are due no later than 90 days after the grant period ends. How to Apply Step 1—Prepare and submit TCR application forms on-line. The following TCR grant application forms are available on-line only and must be submitted electronically by the application deadline. a. | Lead Applicant Basic Information form | b. | Narrative form | c. | Budget Detail form |
Step 2—Send a complete application package by postal service or delivery. To complete your application, print and send the following materials by the postmark deadline to: NALAC/TCR Program1208 Buena VistaSan Antonio TX 78207 | Number of copies | a. | Lead Applicant Basic Information form | 1 | b. | Narrative form | 1 | c. | Budget Detail form | 1 | d. | Letter of agreement from each partner involved in the project | 2 | e. | Brief bios or resumes of key project staff | 2 | f. | Bios of featured artists/scholars (if applicable) | 2 | g. | Organizations only: IRS letter of 501(c)(3) designation | 2 | h. | Organizations only: current list of board of directors (form available) | 2 | i. | Letter of agreement with fiscal agent (if applicable) | 2 | j. | Letters confirming venues (if applicable) | 2 | k. | Work samples | 2 |
Optional materials The following materials are encouraged but not required. Organizational charts Relevant press clippings of your work (within the past 3 years) Relevant awards or recognition (within the past 3 years)
| 
