Individual Artist Fellowships

About the Individual Artist Fellowships

Purpose

These fellowships recognize and reward the artistic achievements of South Carolina’s exceptional individual artists. Fellowship awards are made through a highly competitive process and are based on artistic merit, achievements, and commitment to discipline. The fellowship awards bring recognition that may open doors to other resources and employment opportunities.

• Learn about the FY24 Fellows on The Hub.
• Learn about Past Fellows in the Artist Development section of our website.

Please Note

Grant guidelines are subject to change until the application opens.

Applicant Coaching

For your burning questions about this year’s Individual Artist Fellowships, please register for our FY25 Fellowships Applicant Coaching Call, scheduled for Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 3 p.m.

This coaching call covers best practices for completing your application for this program. Open to artists in Poetry; Spoken word/Slam poetry; Choreography & Directing (film, theatre, opera); Performance: dance, music, or acting (film or theatre); and Folklife and Traditional Arts  (quilting, embroidery, sewing, beading, weaving, pottery, basketmaking, woodcarving, folk music, dance, or oral literature).

• Eligibility

  1. The applicant must be a practicing individual artist (duos, collaborative works, and other ensembles are not eligible), working in one (1) or more of the disciplines eligible for the application year. Up to five (5) fellowships are awarded each year (maximum of one in each discipline), with artistic disciplines rotating from year to year. The next eligible disciplines will be:
     • FY25: Poetry; Spoken word/Slam poetry; Choreography & Directing (film theatre, opera); Performance: dance, music, or acting (film or theatre); and Folklife and Traditional Arts (quilting, embroidery, sewing, beading, weaving, pottery, basketmaking, woodcarving, folk music, dance, or oral literature)
     • FY26: Visual Art; Craft; Design arts (architecture, fashion, graphic, industrial, or interior); and Media Production (apply fall 2024)
     • FY27: Prose; Spoken word/Slam poetry; Performance: dance, music, or acting (film or theatre); and Playwriting/Screenwriting (apply fall 2025)
     • FY28: Visual Art; Craft; Time-Based Art (installation, sound, film, video art, animation, computer-generated art, or performance art); and Music: Composition (apply fall 2026)
  2. The applicant must also be
     • A legal resident of the U.S. and S.C. with a permanent residence in the state for two (2) years prior to the application date and throughout the fellowship period; and
     • 18 years of age or older at the time of application.
  3. The applicant must not be a degree-seeking student during the award period.

• Restrictions

  • There is a limit of two SCAC Fellowships in an artist’s career.
  • There is a period of ineligibility of 10 years after the first fellowship is awarded. Artists who received fellowships prior to FY15 (July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015) are eligible to apply for the FY25 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025) fellowships.
  • Fellows may not receive any other SCAC grant awards during their fellowship year.
  • An artist may apply in more than one category but is only eligible to receive one fellowship. If applying in more than one category, a different body of work must be submitted for each category.

• Additional Requirements of the Fellowship Award

  Any activities carried out within this award must align with state guidelines regarding COVID-19.

• Priority

  There are no specified priority areas for this grant category.

• Deadline & Grant Period

  Deadline

  January 16, 2024

  
  

  Applications may be submitted until 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the deadline date. However, please be aware that staff members will not be available to assist you with questions or technical difficulties after SCAC closes at 5 p.m. that day.

  Grant Period

  July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025

• Funding & Match

  Funding

  $10,000 per fellowship

  There are no restrictions on the use of fellowship funds.

  SCAC artist grant awards are considered taxable income.

  Matching Requirements

  None

• Review Criteria

  Are you wondering what makes for a strong application?

  The SCAC recommends using the specified FY25 Individual Artist Fellowships Grant Evaluation Rubric as a guide when writing your application. Panelists will score your application responses based on the criteria within that rubric.

  • For all disciplines except Folklife & Traditional Arts: FY25 Fellowships evaluation rubric
  • For Folklife & Traditional Arts:
    • FY25 Folklife Fellowship evaluation rubric with Resume
    • FY25 Folklife Fellowship evaluation rubric with Bio

How to Apply

Applications are accepted through our grants portal, which uses the Foundant platform.

New to Foundant? For frequently asked questions, registration instructions, and other helpful information, we highly recommend visiting the Grants Portal FAQ, before you begin working in the system.

To Apply in Another Fellowship Category

You may apply for more than one fellowship in the same year, but you must complete all application steps for each category and submit one application at a time.

• Your Grants Portal Account

  The applicant must have an active account in our Grants Portal.

  • If you have previously used Submittable to apply for other SCAC grants or programs, please note that the grants portal is a different system. Your Submittable credentials will not work; you will need a grants portal account to apply for this grant.
  • If you have used the grants portal as both an artist and as a contact for a school or organization, be sure you log on with the correct account to apply for this grant.

• Work Samples and Resume

  As part of your fellowship application, you will be required to upload

  • samples of your work in the fellowship discipline for which you are applying, and
  • your resume, as evidence of your achievements and commitment to artistic discipline and overall core work.

  Specific requirements for these uploads are outlined in these guidelines. You may need to create new electronic files (documents, video files, etc.) to submit materials that meet the length, content, formatting, and other specifications.

  • The work represented by these samples should be completed within the last five years (2018-2023).
  • All URL work samples must be public-facing or viewable to those who have the link, meaning panelists and staff must be able to view the work sample without needing to create an account.

  Work Samples

  Poetry

  • Applicants must submit 10 pages of work and may submit up to 20 pages of work.
    • Each page may contain no more than one poem.
    • Double-spacing is not required.
    • Typeface must be legible, no less than 12 point;
    • Margins must be at least one inch; and
    • Pages must be numbered.
  • Acceptable file types: .doc/.docx, .pdf, .rtf., .txt
  • Do not submit books, chapbooks, magazines, pamphlets, or tear sheets of your work from publications.

  Spoken word/Slam poetry

  Applicants must submit three (3) three-minute viewing samples and may submit up to six (6) three-minute samples (not to exceed 18 minutes combined) of original spoken word/slam poetry.

  • All samples must be added by providing a link to each work.
  • All samples must not exceed 18 minutes combined. Panelists will not view more than 18 minutes of footage per application.
  • For each work sample submitted, you must provide its title, year completed, length, and beginning and ending time codes.

  Choreography & Directing (film, theatre, opera)

  Applicants must submit two (2) viewing samples (not to exceed 20 minutes combined)

  • Each work sample must be of only one choreographed/directed piece. However, the recording or footage of each piece may be edited to include selections that exhibit the artist’s best work.
  • All samples must be added by providing a link to each work.
  • All samples must not exceed 20 minutes combined. Panelists will not view more than 20 minutes of footage per application.
  • For each work sample submitted, you must provide its title, year completed, length, and beginning and ending time codes.

  Performance (dance, music, or acting (film or theatre))

  Applicants must submit two (2) viewing samples (not to exceed 20 minutes combined)

  • Each work sample must be of only one performed piece. However, the recording or footage of each piece may be edited to include selections that exhibit the artist’s best work.
  • All samples must be added by providing a link to each work.
  • All samples must not exceed 20 minutes combined. Panelists will not view more than 20 minutes of footage per application.
  • If the sample includes ensemble work, clearly identify the role of the individual applicant.
  • For each work sample submitted, you must provide its title, year completed, length, and beginning and ending time codes.

  Folklife and Traditional Arts

  • Quilting, embroidery, sewing, beading, weaving, pottery, basketmaking, woodcarving:
    Applicants must upload five (5) high-res images and may upload up to 10 high-res images. At least five (5) images must be high-res.
    • Acceptable file types: .gif, .jpg/.jpeg, .png, .tif/.tiff, .svg
    • For each work sample submitted, you must provide its title, medium, dimensions, and year completed.
  • Folk music, dance, or oral literature:
    • Applicants must submit two (2) viewing samples (not to exceed 20 minutes combined)
    • Each work sample must be of only one performed piece. However, the recording or footage of each piece may be edited to include selections that exhibit the artist’s best work.
    • All samples must be added by providing a link to each work.
    • All samples must not exceed 20 minutes combined. Panelists will not view more than 20 minutes of footage per application.
    • If the sample includes ensemble work, clearly identify the role of the individual applicant.
    • For each work sample submitted, you must provide its title, year completed, length, and beginning and ending time codes.

  If a work sample is not available on the web via a link, please contact the Grants Team (803.734.8695 | grants@arts.sc.gov).

  Resume

  • Your resume may not exceed three (3) pages. Additional pages will not be reviewed.
  • Font size cannot be smaller than 12 point.
  • Font type is limited to Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
  • Acceptable file types: .doc/.docx, .pdf, .rtf., .txt

  Bio (Folklife ONLY)

  Available only to those applying within Folklife & Traditional Arts

  If you do not have a resume, you may instead submit a bio that gives an overview of your relevant experience and achievements. Be sure to include contextual information about your experiences and achievements, e.g., when and where they took place, and with what groups, organizations, communities, and or individuals. Specifically, include the following:

  • Your artform within the identified cultural community/community of practice and the art form/tradition, any regional, or other styles
  • Formal or informal training/education, apprenticeships, or internships
  • Significant projects, exhibitions, markets, demonstrations, teaching, presentations, performances, publications, audio/ video/ web releases, consultations, or other experiences
  • Awards or other recognition, including fellowships, grants, awards or other recognition
  • Organizational memberships, including positions held

After You Apply

• Review Process

  The Grants Team will review submitted applications for completeness and compliance with guideline and application requirements. Out-of-state panelists will evaluate the applications based on the published review criteria. An applicant’s panel comments are available to them upon request. Staff will then develop funding recommendations, based on these evaluations and the availability of funds. Recommendations will be presented to the board of commissioners, which makes final award decisions. Award notification is expected after the June 2024 board meeting, pending completion of the state budget process.

  Please note:

  • A minimum of five (5) applications must be received in a fellowship discipline category in order for the category to undergo panel review.
  • The SCAC reserves the right not to award a fellowship in any discipline for which applications have been solicited.

• If You Receive a Fellowship

  Upon notification of the award, fellowship winners will be asked to immediately forward a photograph to be used for promotional purposes.

  As a fellowship recipient, you will enter into a contractual agreement with the SCAC, and you must comply with all requirements stated in those contract materials. You will receive notification and instructions when your contract is available in our grants portal. You must submit your completed contract packet, including signatures and other documentation as instructed, by the date indicated in the system. You must also complete all other assigned follow-ups by the due date given.

  Additional details about managing an SCAC grant are available on our agency website.

  Payment

  Payment of the award will be released upon receipt and approval of a completed contract packet. Fellows may choose to receive their full award in one payment, or divided into two payments (one per calendar year).