Grassroots Artists Advocacy Program (GAAP)
October 1, 2024 By CAST Communications
The California for the Arts Grassroots Artists Advocacy Program (GAAP) is a cohort-based fellowship program that supports diverse artists, culture bearers, and creative workers with an artistic or cultural practice who live or work in Oakland or San Francisco who will directly engage in advocacy and policy development to advance the holistic wellbeing of the field so all artists thrive.
- The 2024-25 GAAP Fellowship Program awards a cohort of five artist advocates who live and/or work in Oakland or San Francisco $12,000 each to participate in a nine-month curriculum.
- GAAP emphasizes the equitable resourcing of historically underrepresented and systemically marginalized populations, including BIPOC, LGBTQA+, Disabled, Deaf & Neurodiverse artists.
- Each artist advocate will identify a change they want to help make happen, and they will be supported in developing an advocacy plan to enact that change.
- Members of the GAAP cohort will learn the foundations of effective advocacy and will be coached in developing strategies and actions.
- Members of the GAAP cohort will develop direct relationships with policymakers, and will have the opportunity to advocate on local, state, and federal levels.
- The GAAP cohort will meet regularly as a community of practice, learning from and supporting each other through a season of skill building.
- Cohort members will participate in the CA Arts & Culture Summit and Arts Advocacy Day held in Sacramento on April 22 & 23, 2025. A stipend will be included that covers travel costs and waived Summit attendance.
- The artist advocates will develop individual advocacy plans by the end of their fellowship that will be shared with CA for the Arts, members of the cohort, and other advocacy leaders.
- They’ll participate in an ongoing network connecting with future GAAP cohorts and other advocacy and policy networks.
- Application portal will be active on Tuesday October 1st at 8:00 am. (Sample of Application)
- Informational Webinar Friday October 4, 12:00 pm
