CHICAGO, IL- September 19, 2013—The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) Board of Directors has awarded a total of $39,850 to nine nonprofit organizations across Illinois for development and production of public humanities projects. Community support for these projects totaled $420,568. The grantees are:
- Story Week Festival of Writers 2014– Columbia College ($5,000) Funding to support the 18th edition of the Story Week Festival of Writers to be held March 16-21, 2014 in Chicago. The festival’s focus this year will be on Latino and Caribbean literature
- Creative Writing School Residencies Program– Young Chicago Authors ($5,000) Funding to support creative writing residencies at fourteen Chicago Public Schools during the 2013-2014 academic year.
- The Armory Show of 1913 and a Legacy of Modernism– Carbondale Community Arts ($1,000) Funding for a weeklong symposium, October 7-11, 2013 marking the centennial of the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art in New York (the “Armory Show”)
- We Are a Part of Them: Conversations about the Public Good– National Public Housing Museum ($5,000) Funding to support three panel discussions in Chicago focusing on the history of public housing, cultural geography, race and their impact on communities.
- Benjamin Britten at 100: An American Centenary Symposium– Illinois State University ($5,000) Funding to support a three-day interdisciplinary conference observing the 100th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten, one of the most influential twentieth-century composers of orchestral, choral, and operatic music.
- Caught in the Sweep of History: Egypt in the Civil War: The Second Year– General John A. Logan Museum ($4,850) Funding to support the second major phase of a five-year project that examines the social impact of the war and its immediate aftermath on the people of southern Illinois – not only soldiers but also their families and civilians – on a year-by-year basis.
- CAF Red Tail Squadron Event– Chanute Air Museum ($5,000) Funding to support the hosting of the Commemorative Air Force Red Tail Squadron, September 11-15, 2013, in Rantoul, Illinois recognizing the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and their connection to Chanute Air Force Base.
- Count Me In– Percolator Films ($4,000) Funding to support the media development for Count Me In – a one-hour documentary chronicling the participatory budgeting process in Chicago.
- Cool Classics! Afterschool Program– Cool Classics, Inc. ($5,000) Funding to support Cool Classics! and their ongoing afterschool literacy programs at Horace Greeley, William Claude Reavis, and Emmett Louis Till elementary schools in Chicago.
The IHC invites nonprofit organizations to apply for its next cycle of grant awards by October 15, 2013. Any nonprofit group, organization, or institution is eligible to apply for financial support from the lHC. The IHC funds public projects in the humanities, including documentary films, local and community history projects, literary symposia, and oral history projects. Nonprofits with annual budgets of $250,000 or less can apply for technical assistance grants, and nonprofits with a primary focus on the humanities can apply for general support grants.
Potential applicants may review and download grant applications and guidelines by visiting www.prairie.org/grants. Please call 312.422.5580 or send an email to ihc@prairie.org. IHC program officers are available for consultation, and new applicants are encouraged to contact program officers for grant advice.
The IHC makes it a priority to fund projects developed by, for, or aimed at reaching new or historically neglected audiences. The IHC also encourages applications for projects about American history and culture.
For more information about the IHC or the grants program, please call 312.422.5580 or visit www.prairie.org
About the Illinois Humanities Council
The Illinois Humanities Council is an independent, nonprofit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. The IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.
Media Contact:
Carlos Velázquez
(312) 422-5580, x233