City of Durham, NC
07/12/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/12/2021 12:41
Durham Seeks Nonprofits to Submit Cultural Festival Request for Proposals
Deadline for Submittals is Monday, August 9
If your organization is interested hosting a special event or festival in the Bull City, the City of Durham wants to hear from you.
The City's Cultural and Public Art Program, which administers the Festivals and Special Events Request for Proposals (RFP) process, is now seeking creative and innovative proposals from qualified entities in Durham to support new or existing cultural and arts festivals and special events.
The Durham Cultural Advisory Board worked in partnership with City staff to develop this year's goals and review criteria for the proposal process. In light of the changing needs of the community through the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's RFP encourages festival and special event organizers to apply for virtual and/or in-person festivals and special events in line with state and local regulations. Successful respondents must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Not-for-profit entity or partner with a not-for-profit fiscal entity.
- Suitable experience in festival planning or similar projects.
- Sufficient insurance against any potential liabilities provided by the contracted not-for-profit entity.
- Adequate financial capacity.
- Produce festival(s) and/or special events between July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.
The RFP document, review criteria, proposal form, and a list of required proposal documents can now be found on the City's website. Completed packets will be accepted until 3 p.m. on Monday, August 9. Proposal packets must be submitted by email as hard copies or faxed copies will not be accepted.
To assist interested nonprofits with completing their applications, two virtual workshops will be hosted on Thursday, July 15 at 6 p.m. and Friday, July 28 at 8:30 a.m. Additional virtual drop-in office hours for questions will also be held on Monday, August 2 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The deadline for written questions submitted by email regarding the RFP process is Tuesday, August 3.
For technical questions on the RFP and submission process, interested nonprofits may also email Cultural and Public Art Program Manager Rebecca Brown with the Arts, Culture, and Sustainable Communities Division of City's General Services Department.
About the City of Durham General Services Department
The General Services Department builds and maintains City properties to make Durham a great place for people to live, work, and play. Guided by the City's Strategic Plan, the department's core functions include the acquisition and sale of properties, design and management of new construction and renovation projects, building maintenance, landscaping and urban forestry services, cemeteries management, sustainability and energy management, cultural and public art program management, and supporting the nonprofit Keep Durham Beautiful.
About the City of Durham Cultural Advisory Board
The Durham Cultural Advisory Board serves as an advisory board to the City Council and the City Manager, and its functions include: assisting the City's General Services Department on matters related to the Cultural Master Plan; advising the City on funding for local arts and cultural organizations; and the promotion of economic and workforce development through arts and culture, including the recruitment and retention of cultural non-profit organizations and for-profit cultural businesses. To further help artists connect with opportunities, the City has a Durham Calls for Artists page on its website, which lists a number of upcoming opportunities for artists in and around Durham. Artists and other stakeholders who would like to be notified of current and future art-related opportunities and news can now sign up for alerts through the Cultural and Public Art mailing list. For more information about the City's Public Art Program, visit the City's public art web page.