Proposals For IMAGINE 2020 Fund Now Being Accepted for 2016-17 Projects

Denver Arts & Venues and the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs are now accepting proposals for the second year of the IMAGINE 2020 Fund. Applications are due Friday, June 24 at 5 p.m., and award notification will be mid-July. The funding and implementation period is August 2016 through December 2017.

Proposals indicating collaboration among multiple groups are strongly encouraged. Proposed programs should be inspired by one or more of the seven vision elements outlined in IMAGINE 2020 – Denver’s Cultural Plan – Integration, Amplification, Accessibility, Lifelong Learning, Local Talent, Economic Vitality and Collective Leadership. City agencies, cultural institutions, businesses, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, neighborhood and community-based organizations, and individuals located in the City and County of Denver are eligible to submit an application.

In 2015, Denver Arts & Venues launched the IMAGINE 2020 Fund which provided funding support for 15 new, creative and innovative programs.

The IMAGINE 2020 Fund provides up to $5,000 per program. Eligible applicants can apply for programs that are new or in development since the launch of the IMAGINE 2020 Cultural Plan (Spring 2014). Programs must demonstrate a 1:1 or more match of resources including volunteer labor (valued at $20/hour), donated materials or cash. Programs must take place in the City and County of Denver, in the calendar years 2016-2017 and must have a project director who will initiate, plan, implement and track the impact of the program. Projects can be independent or collaborative and reflect the applicant’s unique interpretation of the cultural plan.

In Spring 2013, Denver’s community gathered to provide a strategic vision and future platform for arts, culture and creativity in the City and County that became IMAGINE 2020 - Denver’s Cultural Plan. IMAGINE 2020 is Denver’s first cultural plan since 1989 and reflects the vision, goals and aspirations of everyone who contributed ideas through the planning process and will help guide resources, support and direction for Denver’s arts and culture in all their many forms.

Full details, guidelines and the application can be found on ArtsandVenues.com