REACH
Racial Healing and Creative Equity Grants
Over a Million Dollars Awarded
23 Individual Creatives
7 Non Profit Organisations
30 Projects
The Arts Council teamed up with the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven for a new project-based grant opportunity that launched in 2021. The goal for the initial year was to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with cultural experiences that center racial justice, collective healing, and youth development. A Community Advisory Team helped support every step of this process, including the grantmaking decisions.
In 2021 the Advisory Team chose to support seventeen local artists and art projects including a Black film festival, neighborhood jazz workshops, youth podcasting and a platform for local hip-hop artists are receiving funding awards from a new pilot grant program aimed at promoting community healing and racial justice.
New Haven Cultural Fund
27 Projects Supported
A partnership between the City of New Haven's Department of Arts, Culture, and Tourism and the Arts Council of GNHV with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. This fund supported community-based arts and cultural initiatives within the City of New Haven through September 2022.
Profile: Reach Grant
Luis Luna- Movement Building Radio
Luis Luna, one of the co-producers on "Abolition Transmission," speaking at a recent launch event for the show at Possible Futures bookspace. Lucy Gellman Photos.
Read more about the event here.
Movement Building Radio shares the voices of community members involved in grassroots struggles. Mass incarceration and deportation has had a huge impact in our communities and the voices of those who are directly affected are silenced or ignored. This project aims to highlight these inequities and bring power back to our community members who are impacted by these systems.
Luis’s project Movement Building Radio was supported by the REACH with a grant of $22,500 in 2022.
Profile: Reach Grant
Everyone Deserves to Come Home to Flowers, a mural by artist Kwadwo Adae that now adorns the Hillside Family Shelter at the corner of Sylvan Avenue + Stevens Street.
Made possible with a REACH grant of $22,000
Lucy Gellman Photos.
Read more about it here.
Profile: Reach Grant
Black Haven Founder and Creative Director
Salwa Abdussabur. Lucy Gellman Photo.
Black Haven is a collective of creatives and admins who activate art justice through movement building events, initiatives and programming. We aim to be a creative playground for culture creators to be uplifted in their visions where they are provided partnerships and resource equity. Goal was to organize the second Black Haven Film Festival in September 2021 with the goal of sustaining as an ongoing annual event.
Read about Black Haven Film Festival here.
Black Haven was supported by the REACH with a grant of $44,000 in 2021.
Profile: Reach Grant
Kulturally LIT is an organization created to enhance awareness of the significance of the Arts of the African Diaspora on societal culture. Their goal is to produce Kultural experiences that support and develop opportunities for access to cultural empowerment for Artists of the African Diaspora.
Read more about LIT Fest here.
Check out images from LIT Fest 2022 here.
KulturallyLIT/ Elm City LITFest was supported by a REACH grant of $42,000 in 2022.
Donate Today to Support our Current Grants
Credit Card - donation page
Paypal - paypal.me/artsnhv
Venmo - www.venmo.com/artnhv
CashApp = $ArtsCouncil
Zelle = winter@newhavenarts.org
Full list of Reach Grant Recipients
Amplify the Arts Festival
Applicant/Artist: Karimah Mickens
Two-day Hamden festival with schedule of performances + artists booths showcasing local artists.
Black Haven
Applicant: Black Haven
Organize the second Black Haven Film Festival in September 2021 with goal of sustaining as an ongoing annual event.
Camp Folklorico
Applicant: Junta for Progressive Action
A free, culturally explorative dance class hosted by Junta for Progressive Action
Global Youth Media Initiative
Applicant: Global Youth Media Initiative
Music and news broadcasting training, mentorship and technical instruction for High school students and young adults.
Little Free "Hope & Healing" Lending Libraries
Applicant: Lauren Anderson
Three new free lending libraries in public spaces across the City of New Haven stocked with BIPOC authors. Sites will host a series of readings, activities and book clubs.
New Haven Pride Center
Applicant: New Haven Pride Center
Expanded racial justice and advocacy programming.
Orchid Blossom Mural Women's Shelter
Applicant: Kwadwo Adae
A three-story mural of lavender orchid blossoms on the side of the Hillside Family Shelter. Children in the community will be engaged to work collaboratively to paint the bottom.
Playmaking New Haven
Applicant: Emalie Mayo
Playmaking workshops, performance opportunities and mentorship for young artists.
Bars On I-95
Applicant/Artist: Bars on I-95
A platform to introduce local artists to the Hip Hop Industry and help local artists showcase their talent plus grow and maintain their fan base.
Black Obsidian Men's Group
Applicant: Eric Rey
Retreat series for folks who identify as men and as Black.
The Community Connection Project
Applicant: The Perfect Blend
A weekly series of Saturday workshops festival focusing on the history of jazz and a holiday lights contest engaging the youth of Newhallville to decorate the neighborhood with festive decor.
3 Little Kids (3LK)
Applicant: Ice the Beef
Professional filmmakers will mentor youth actors in the production of a film.
New Haven Chinatown
Applicant: Yale-China Association
Regular arts & cultural programming for Chinese families and the production of a mural.
One Village Healing
Applicant: One Village Healing
Wellness and resilience for BIPOC residents in the region.
Places to Go
Applicant: Jisu Sheen
A QPOC artist collective creating an open-source, an alternative interactive web platform working with art and mental health. Providing a platform for youth to express their own ideas about mental health and create building blocks for further iterations of Places to Go
Pod in New Haven
Applicant: #ThaTeam Podcast
New Haven high school students will receive training and guidance on the art of podcasting with the goal of hosting bi-weekly podcasts.
Ubuntu Storytellers
Applicant: Denise Page
Support and pay story artists who identify as black or brown to tell their personal narrative stories for the storytelling concerts.
Full list of New Haven Cultural Fund Recipients
Artist showcase (For A Reason Showcase)
Tymik Gallishaw
Book Reading of Morgan Boy: Memoir of South Central
Noah Humphrey
Creative Hearts Inc year one celebration
Emmanuel Sorrells
Crown Me
Renee Griffin
En Defensa de la Vida, Mujeres que Luchan
Vanesa Suarez
Fair Haven Mural
Eliezer Cruz, Chatham Square Neighborhood Association
Festival de la Resistencia
Camila Güiza-Chavez
Food Business Accelerator: Showcase and Seed Funding
Collab & City Seed
Grab The Mic New Haven
#ThaTeam Podcast, Aaron Rogers, Ronald Bidon, Renee Griffin
Las Velas and Guelagetza
Sarahi Zacatelco
Life ode to the Arts
Thabisa Rich
LIT KWANZAA Celebration
Ife Michelle Gardin, Elm City Lit Fest
MEND: A Wellness Festival
Ashley LaRue
Pitch My Song
Marisol Credle
Points of Intersection
Ming Thompson, Atelier Cho Thompson
Push To Start Skate Program
Steve Roberts, Push To Start
Shake 'N' Vibrate DJ Vinyl Series
Brendan Toller
Summer Free Salsa Nights/Classes
Elizabeth Donius, Westville Village Renaissance Alliance
Sunshine & Rain Experience
Lauren Pittman
Tell
Aaron Jafferis
The Art Connect
Anthony Bagley, A Kidd from New Haven
The Art of Play with SC Murray
Shamica Murray
The Music Note Kids Club
Yancey Horton
The Westville Community Children’s Fall Festival
Barbara Alexander, Arts in CT
Tuesday Night Vibes
Shalise McClure
Unstoppable Community
Anna Ramirez