Cultural Partner Activation Program:

PROJECT SUPPORT

Additional Information to Consider:

Venue & Date
Must occur on an available date at a DAV venue: Red Rocks, Denver Coliseum, Denver Performing Arts Complex or the McNichols Civic Center Building between June 1, 2023-Dec. 31, 2024.
Theme & Mission
The program or event complements Denver’s cultural programming, enhances the artistic disciplines presented by DAV, or fills a cultural gap at DAV venues within the community.
Program Type
Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Film, Class, Workshop, Design, Theatre, Exhibition, Seminar, Educational Activity, Health & Wellness, Fashion, Other Cultural Event, Culinary Arts
Admission
Must be open to the public, free or ticketed (using AXS platform).

Insurance, Business & Tax Information 

  • Denver imposes a ten percent (10%) facilities development admissions (FDA) tax upon the purchase price of each admission to any entertainment, amusement, or athletic event or other production or assembly staged, produced, convened or held in or on any City-owned property. This tax is commonly referred to as the “seat tax.”  Use the links below to learn more about the business tax and submit an FDA exemption form for review. 
  • The individual or organization must procure a certificate of insurance prior to the event or program. 
  • Businesses and organization applicants must have a current Certificate of Good Standing with the Secretary of State. 

Eligible/Ineligible Events

  • Organizations/individuals must have been fully operational on or before January 1, 2020.  
  • Organizations/individuals must have FY 2020 revenues that did not exceed $45,000,000.  
  • Organizations/individuals must be able to show loss of income and/or increased costs directly due to COVID-19. 
  • Organization/individual must 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. 
  • The organization/individual cannot be suspended, debarred or prohibited from doing business with the US government.

INELIGIBLE EVENTS

  • Graduations 
  • Private events      
  • Government or governmental operations 
  • Fundraising events or galas 
  • Events of a political nature, e.g. political rallies, political fundraisers, events promoting a specific candidate or endorsing a specific bill 
  • Any show or event meant to promote substances, use of substances, or activities considered illegal under Federal Law including, but not limited to, marijuana/cannabis and psilocybin.

Eligible/Ineligible Expenses

Eligible expenses through ARPA funds include, but are not necessarily limited to, COVID-19 safety protocols, security, ushering, box office expenses, janitorial services, third party equipment rentals procured by DAV, and similar costs normally billed back to clients as a production expense.  

Beneficiaries will be considered beneficiaries under the final U.S. Treasury Rule section “Distinguishing Subrecipients versus Beneficiaries” (Final Rule, page 208, section C (DISTINGUISHING SUBRECIPIENTS VERSUS BENEFICIARIES) and Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Final Rule (Frequently Asked Questions, question 1.8).

If the amount of assistance awarded exceeds the total amount of costs typically billed back to the tenant, DAV will retain the excess award for future program purposes. The beneficiary shall under no circumstances be eligible to receive a cash distribution for an unapplied balance. 

INELIGIBLE EXPENSES

Ineligible expenses include house equipment rentals and safety personnel (police and fire.) The total amount of assistance made available to an individual or organization will not exceed $75,000 for the period from June 1, 2023 – December 31, 2024. Rent expenses are ineligible for cost reduction via ARPA funding. However, DAV may reduce rent through other means. Please see “Eligible Expenses” section for a list of eligible expenses.

Reporting

Beneficiaries will be obligated to provide reporting information that may include, but is not limited to event dates, total ticket sales and total attendance per show. See final report form.

Reserved Rights

  • DAV reserves the right to decline submissions and all decisions are final.
  • DAV reserves the right to prioritize first time applicants ahead of making secondary awards to groups which have already received funding.
  • DAV reserves the right to adjust the award amount to cover only estimated eligible expenses for each beneficiary. Any excess amounts shall be returned to the fund and made available to other beneficiaries.
  • DAV reserves the right to revise awards through special administrative review.
  • Neither the City and County of Denver nor DAV will be bound to payment by any contractual change or amendment between beneficiaries and another third party that results in increased expenses to DAV.
  • DAV reserves the right to bill back eligible expenses to tenants that are in excess of and exceed projected likely award amounts. 

Cultural Partner Activation Program Frequently Asked Questions

Can you support our advertising/marketing efforts?

Advertising/Marketing is primarily the responsibility of the event producer. DAV may be able to offer ancillary support however it is unable to undertake major advertising campaigns outside of normal work commitments.

If there are unused ARPA funds can they be used by other applicants whose events have not yet occurred?

Unfortunately, no. This would create inequity among awardees.

How did you determine the amount of the award?

A number of factors were considered including identifiable eligible expenses in the applicant budget, historical costs and location.

I am uncertain I will be able to produce my proposed event based on the awarded amount. Can I propose a different event and apply the Cultural Partner Activation Program funds towards that event?

Unfortunately, no. The proposed event could be scaled to the award amount, or you may choose to withdraw and reapply at a future time.

What if I have unused Cultural Partner Activation Program funds remaining after my event? Could I apply them to a future event?

If your proposal included multiple events, yes. If not, the remaining funds will be returned to the Cultural Partner Activation Program pool.

I am confused about how rent will work. Could you clarify it?

Rent is treated separately from the Cultural Partner Activation Program. It is a direct negotiation between the event producer and the DAV Booking Manager. In addition to the grant, an applicant may also request reduced or waived rent.

Will there be a second opportunity to apply for this program.

At this time, it is unknown and will depend on whether additional ARPA funds become available.

I had hoped the Cultural Partner Activation Program would cover all my costs. Is there the possibility of supplemental assistance?

Unfortunately, no. It is likely that the event producer will need to provide a portion of the financing for the event.

The date(s) that I wanted to hold my event are booked! What can I do?

Reservation of certain dates can be competitive. Each location has slightly different processes regarding the booking and holding of event dates. Please consult the appropriate booking manager about the reservation process and how notifications or waitlisting occurs if the desired date(s) are currently unavailable.

Additional Cultural Partner Activation Program questions?

If you have been notified that you are approved for the DAV Cultural Partner Activation Program, and you have questions about the documentation, process, requirements or anything else not listed on this page, please use this form to contact a Denver Arts & Venues representative.

Fill out my online form.

Other Helpful Documents

Visit our finance page to see what other documents will be useful for your application or project implementation.

FINANCIAL RESOURCES

We are committed to sharing the important work happening throughout our city made possible through the hard work of those we fund. We promote the projects supported by the Cultural Partnership Activation Program, and invite recipients to share project information including photographs, video, quotes, and any documentation that will help us tell your story of impact.

For Cultural Partnership Activation Program promotional assets, print materials, and social media, we would appreciate the inclusion of the Denver Arts & Venues logo and the following Cultural Partnership Activation Program mention: “This program is supported by Denver Arts & Venues through the Cultural Partnership Activation Program.”

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Questions?

For additional questions and information, please contact Shanna Shelby, Cultural Affairs Program Administrator.

CONTACT SHANNA

Booking Contacts

For Denver Performing Arts Complex

CONTACT PETER

For Red Rocks and Denver Coliseum

CONTACT JEANNETTE

For McNichols Civic Center Building

CONTACT ANGELO