Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Initiative Grants

About This Grant

Important program update

The South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) will not be accepting new applications for FY26 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Initiative grants. We are revising the grant guidelines to relaunch in the spring of 2026 for FY27.

• These guidelines will change and remain only as general information.
• All dates listed within these informational guidelines are tentative.

If you are a traditional artist and would like to be notified when Folklife & Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants re-open, please contact us.

Purpose

Traditional arts are expressions of shared identity that are learned as a part of the cultural life of a particular group. This shared identity may be rooted in family, geographic, tribal, occupational, religious, ethnic, or other connections. As expressions of a living culture, traditional arts are generally handed down from one generation to the next and reflect the shared experience,  aesthetics, and values of a group. Traditional arts are dynamic, reflecting change over time and individual innovation over generations of practitioners. South Carolina’s cultural landscape encompasses diverse artistic traditions and practitioners, including indigenous, longstanding, and more recently arrived art forms and communities.

The purpose of this grant is twofold:

1. To support mentors who seek to pass their artistic and cultural knowledge to qualified apprentices.
2. To provide apprentices with an opportunity to advance their artistic and cultural knowledge so that they may continue to pursue the art form beyond the life of the apprenticeship.

Please Note

Grant guidelines are subject to change until the application opens.

• Eligibility

  • All applicants must be legal residents of the U.S. and S.C. with a permanent residence in the state for at least one (1) year prior to the application date and throughout the grant period. Out-of-state mentors may be considered when the expertise required is unavailable in South Carolina; eligibility will be determined by the program director.
  • The mentor and the apprentice should belong to the same cultural community or group in which the traditional art form is practiced.
  • A mentor
    • is held in high regard for their skill, knowledge, and cultural practice by their community through formal or informal recognition
    • has attained excellence within their artistic tradition as defined by their cultural community
    • expresses an interest in and commitment to teaching the tradition to the proposed apprentice
    • must be 18 years of age or older as of July 1, 2024
    • must not be a degree-seeking student during the grant period
  • An apprentice
    • demonstrates an interest in and basic competency in the art form prior to the apprenticeship (at least one year of relevant experience)
    • expresses an interest in and commitment to sharing the knowledge learned after the completion of the apprenticeship
    • must be 12 years of age or older as of July 1, 2024
      • if a prospective apprentice will be under 18 years of age as of July 1, 2024, they must have approval from a parent or legal guardian to apply for this grant; if awarded, the grant contract will be made with the parent or legal guardian, on behalf of the apprentice.

• Restrictions

  • Interpretations of traditional art forms (i.e., artistic expressions other than the art forms themselves) and revivals of traditions that have ceased to exist within the originating culture will not be funded.
  • This program does not support beginning-level students.

• Use of Funds

  The Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Initiative supports the communication and strengthening of cultural skills and knowledge by providing funds for a mentor to work with an apprentice, and assists with the cost of travel, necessary materials, or other expenses relating to the apprenticeship.

• Additional Requirements of This Grant

  • The mentor and the apprentice are required to:
    • work with the program director to ensure that deadlines are met;
    • work with the program director to establish and adhere to a lesson schedule;
    • notify the program director of any significant changes to the work plan or lesson schedule; and
    • make themselves available to the program director for interviews and documentation of the project

• Priority

  Priority for funding is given to

  • Projects focusing on traditional arts considered to be endangered.
  • Applicants who have not been previously funded through the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Initiative. (However, previously funded mentors and apprentices are eligible to re-apply.)

• Grant Criteria

  Are you wondering what makes for a strong application?

  The SCAC recommends using the FY25 Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Initiative Grant Evaluation Rubric as a guide when preparing for your application interview. Panelists will score your application based on the criteria within that rubric.

  Mentor Experience and Skills – 35%
  	0-2	3-5	6-9	10-11
  Cultural and Artistic Proficiency	The artist is not skilled and knowledgeable, as defined by their cultural community or group.	The artist is somewhat skilled and knowledgeable, as defined by their cultural community or group.	The artist is skilled and knowledgeable, as defined by their cultural community or group.	The artist is highly skilled and knowledgeable, as defined by their cultural community or group.
  	0-1	2-3	4-6	7-8
  Artist’s Engagement with the Art Form	The artist is not meaningfully engaged with the art form they want to teach.	The artist is somewhat engaged with the art form they want to teach.	The artist is clearly engaged with the art form they want to teach.	The artist is very meaningfully engaged with the art form they want to teach.
  	0-2	3-4	5-8	9-10
  Teaching Effectiveness	The artist does not have the experience or commitment to teach this art form.	The artist has some experience and commitment to teach this art form.	The artist has the experience and commitment to teach this art form.	The artist has exceptional experience and commitment to teach this art form.
  	0-1	2-3	4-5	6
  Cultural and Artistic Lineage	The mentor has not gained their knowledge and skills in a traditional manner, within the relevant cultural context.	The mentor has gained their knowledge and skills in a somewhat traditional manner, within the relevant cultural context.	The mentor has gained their knowledge and skills in a traditional manner, within the relevant cultural context.	The mentor has gained their knowledge and skills in a compellingly traditional manner, within the relevant cultural context .
  Apprentice Experience and Skills – 30%
  	0-3	4-7	8-12	13-15
  Apprentice Readiness	The apprentice does not have the skills and experience that will allow them to benefit from the proposed apprenticeship.	The apprentice has some skills and experience that will allow them to benefit from the proposed apprenticeship.	The apprentice has the skills and experience that will allow them to benefit from the proposed apprenticeship.	The apprentice has exceptional skills and experience that will allow them to benefit from the proposed apprenticeship.
  	0-3	4-7	8-12	13-15
  Commitment and Sustainability	The apprentice has not shown that they are committed to continuing and sustaining the practice of the traditional art beyond this apprenticeship.	The apprentice has shown that they are somewhat committed to continuing and sustaining the practice of the traditional art beyond this apprenticeship.	The apprentice has shown that they are committed to continuing and sustaining the practice of the traditional art beyond this apprenticeship.	The apprentice has shown that they are extremely committed to continuing and sustaining the practice of the traditional art beyond this apprenticeship.
  Apprenticeship Viability and Overall Impact – 35%
  	0	1	2-3	4
  Work Plan	The work plan does not support the identified goals of the apprenticeship.	The work plan somewhat supports the identified goals of the apprenticeship.	The work plan supports the identified goals of the apprenticeship.	The work plan strongly supports the identified goals of the apprenticeship.
  	0	1	2-3	4
  Schedule	The lesson schedule is not feasible.	The lesson schedule is somewhat feasible.	The lesson schedule is feasible.	The lesson schedule is highly feasible.
  	0-1	2-3	4-6	7
  Mentor - Apprentice Match	The mentor’s and apprentice’s goals, skill levels, and commitment to the art form are not aligned.	The mentor’s and apprentice’s goals, skill levels, and commitment to the art form are somewhat aligned.	The mentor’s and apprentice’s goals, skill levels, and commitment to the art form are clearly aligned.	The mentor’s and apprentice’s goals, skill levels, and commitment to the art form are compellingly aligned.
  	0-2	3-4	5-8	9-10
  Cultural Significance	The artists and art form are not significant and valued in their cultural community or group.	The artists and art form are somewhat significant and valued in their cultural community or group.	The artists and art form are clearly significant and valued in their cultural community or group.	The artists and art form are extremely significant and valued in their cultural community or group.
  	0-2	3-4	5-8	9-10
  Cultural and Artistic Sustainability	The apprenticeship does not support the passing and sustainability of traditional artistic and cultural knowledge from the mentor to the apprentice.	The apprenticeship somewhat supports the passing and sustainability of traditional artistic and cultural knowledge from the mentor to the apprentice.	The apprenticeship clearly supports the passing and sustainability of traditional artistic and cultural knowledge from the mentor to the apprentice.	The apprenticeship strongly supports the passing and sustainability of traditional artistic and cultural knowledge from the mentor to the apprentice.

How to Apply

1. Review all the information in these guidelines.
2. Contact the program director.
   1. To be considered for this grant, you must contact the program director by the announced deadline (TBA).
3. If your project meets the guideline requirements, the program director will schedule a meeting in which the prospective mentor and apprentice will be interviewed (including discussion and/or collection of work samples & support materials).
4. The interview recording will be transcribed for your application narrative. Based on the questions below, your narrative will include your interview responses, work plan and schedule, and plans for an optional public component.
5. With your approval, this narrative and your work samples & support materials will be submitted as your application for an apprenticeship grant.
   1. The application process must be completed by the announced deadline (TBA).

• Narrative: Application Interview Questions

  The program director will ask the following questions when meeting with the potential mentor and apprentice team. It is important that you review these questions in preparation for the interview.

  Mentor

  • How, where, when, and from whom did you learn the traditional art form you want to teach?
  • What role does this art form play in your life?
  • Describe your relationship to the cultural community or group in which this art form is practiced.
  • Describe why this traditional art form is important in your cultural community or group. Please include any threats to the art form’s continued practice.
  • Since learning the traditional art, have you continually practiced it? Please explain if there have been interruptions in your practice.
  • Describe your experience teaching the art form.
  • What do you hope to achieve by teaching your traditional art?
  • Why do you believe the person whom you plan to teach will make a good apprentice?

  Apprentice

  • Describe your experience to date with the art form to be taught during this apprenticeship.
  • Describe your relationship to the cultural community or group in which this art form is practiced.
  • Describe the relationship between you and the mentor.
  • What do you hope to achieve through this project?
  • How do you plan to pursue the study, practice and sustainability of the art form after the apprenticeship is completed?

• Narrative: Work Plan

  1. Skills – What skills and techniques will be taught over the course of the apprenticeship (e.g., what styles will the apprentice learn, what objects will you make, what dances or songs will you learn, etc.)? Please be as specific as possible.
  2. Goals – What goals have the mentor and apprentice agreed to accomplish?
  3. Schedule – Provide the schedule you intend to follow for the length of the apprenticeship (e.g., how many days a month, length of each lesson).

• Narrative: Public Component

  The mentor and apprentice are encouraged, but not required, to participate in or present a public event. The purpose of the public component is to introduce the traditional art form to the larger community. Funds awarded by SCAC may be used to help create the public event. While the public component is not required, inclusion may result in a stronger application.

  The public component does not have to be elaborate and can be featured as part of an existing activity in the mentor’s and/or apprentice’s community. For example,

  • A mentor teaching the apprentice blues guitar may perform at a local venue or festival.
  • Basket makers may display or demonstrate the work created or learned during the apprenticeship at a local museum or festival.

  Applicants should consider what type of public program might be appropriate and provide a brief description of any potential public component planned.

  Apprenticeship Cohort Network Quarterly Gatherings

  If awarded an apprenticeship, you will be invited to participate in an optional series of virtual gatherings with other apprenticeship teams in your cohort. The goal of these sessions will be to learn about each other and your mutual art forms, share in the learning process, and provide mutual support and awareness.

• Work Samples & Support Materials

  Work samples & support materials from both the mentor and apprentice are required. They reinforce the information you have provided for your narrative and help the review panel to assess your skills, commitment to the art form, and community involvement. Your work samples & support materials will be collected during the first interview. The program director can provide assistance with your work samples as needed.

  Be selective when choosing these items, prioritizing quality over quantity-less can be more!

  Work Samples

  Content

  Work samples may include, but are not limited to:

  • Recordings (audio and/or video) of the artist(s) at work
  • Photographs of the artist’s work or of the artist(s)

  Work samples should

  • demonstrate artistic quality, cultural relevance, and/or technical ability as appropriate to your project, and
  • best represent the type of work that will be taught and practiced during your proposed apprenticeship.

  For each work sample, you are required to provide the following information:

  • Name of artist(s) or key individuals involved (please be sure to identify the relevant artists in your work samples)
  • Title of work/image/activity
  • Date of work/image/activity (Note: All work samples should be less than five [5] years old.)
  • Location (if known)
  • For audio and video,
    • the length of the sample; if a work sample is longer than 3 minutes, please provide time signatures, e.g. “watch/listen from 4:02 to 6:44”
    • a sentence describing the work and its relationship to the proposed apprenticeship

  Type, Duration, & Quantity

  You may upload a maximum of 10 work samples, total, for the mentor and apprentice, combined.

  Panelists will review no more than 20 minutes, total, of audio and/or video work.

  • Video
    • Maximum length of each sample: 3 minutes
    • Accepted file types: .flv, .mov, .mpg, .webm, .wmv,
    • OR provide URL/link
  • Audio
    • Maximum length of each sample: 3 minutes
    • Accepted file types: mp3, wav
    • OR provide URL/link
  • Images
    • Acceptable file types: .gif, .jpg/.jpeg, .png, .tif/.tiff, .svg
    • OR a .pdf file with images
  • Documents
    • Acceptable file types: .doc/.docx, .pdf, .rtf., .txt
  • Websites
    • Links to websites where work samples can be viewed are also permitted, including social media sites or YouTube videos. Create and upload a .pdf file with the URL(s) of your work sample(s).
      • Be sure the work sample(s) can be accessed without login credentials for that platform (e.g., if you link to a Facebook video, make sure it’s a public link, as panelists may not have a Facebook account.)

  Support Materials

  In addition to your work samples, you may submit up to five items of support material to assist the panel in understanding

  • the artists’ skill levels,
  • their involvement in the community, and
  • the likelihood that they will be a successful teacher (mentor) or student (apprentice).

  Support materials may include, but are not limited to

  • Letters of support
  • Samples of media coverage (e.g., newspaper or magazine articles)
  • Brief publications or publication excerpts

  Support materials may be uploaded (accepted file types: .doc/.docx, .pdf, .ppt/.pptx, .rtf., .txt) and/or you may provide a link to the support material online.