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Art-Train Agency/Organization Trainings - FAQ

 

Art-Train Agency/Organization - Frequently Asked Questions
Please do review the Art-Train homepage and trainings registration pages for information.

Here’s a link to a 16 minute audio recording of an Info Session.

FUNDING

Will I be able to directly access or apply for federal recovery dollars through Art-Train?

No. Art-Train does not have any direct access to federal funds. Every City, County, State and Tribal Territory in the US place in America has an allocation, and how each local government or tribal agency decides how to spend it varies immensely (and in many cases is still being decided) – and rarely will they have an open application process. The training will help you understand the goals of ARP and recovery funding, how you can find out what is happening in your location, and strategies to integrate local artists into the opportunities. 

It’s been almost a year since the first allotment of ARP funds were distributed. Is it too late for my organization to influence those resources?

Definitely not. Recent analysis of local government reporting about spending of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds suggests that cities and counties are moving forward with plans for COVID relief programs, but there is still a lot of room for creative intervention. In the first report to the Department of Treasury (August 2021), many places had not yet decided how to allocate the first round of funding. We expect the next set of reports (due this month) will provide more information.

Importantly, it appears that even as decision-makers dedicate funds to certain local goals, administrators are still developing specific programming. In other words, they have not designed their programs and there may still be time to propose creative interventions in many places. Also, while the training does cover ARP and the latest federal resources, the approaches we share are implementable with any kind of funding.

AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS

I am at a local government agency, tribal council, or non-arts community organization. We don’t do arts-related work. Should we attend?
Absolutely.
Any staff who have public/community goals to meet or who in some way interact with the public/community will benefit. In some places, local gov’t is sending at least one person from each department - from the mayor’s office to public works to procurement. 

I am at an arts council or arts organization that already has programs that fund artists/art projects. How will this training expand on what we already do?
We know there are great programs out there. We also know that you often have to turn many artists and projects down because of limited funding. And application processes are not always very accessible to all artists and communities. This training will both give you approaches to accessing non-arts funding such as federal recovery funds or community development funds AND customizable strategies to equitably engage more local artists and communities in achieving the outcomes you seek.

I am at a network organization or run a network program - how can I encourage my members to participate?
We would love your help with this! Please spread the word, and we also would be happy to discuss a system for you to sponsor, give scholarships, or offer a network discount.

How else can I take advantage of Art-Train?
In addition to staff taking the training and later accessing the technical assistance, you might consider:

-Use this training to set a baseline and common experience for a group of staff or team - over a couple months.

-Invite (and even sponsor) current or potential collaborating organizations to attend the training. Black, Indigenous and People of Color-led community organizations may take the Agency/Organization Training for free.

-Send local artists to the FREE Individual Artist Training so they have a basic training in equitable collaboration and making an impact.

-Convening staff or artists who’ve taken the training, for continued learning (advanced workshops/different topics) and/or continued collaboration.

-If you want to host a meeting of people who’ve taken the training from your location, you may use our bi-weekly group coaching rooms for this with prior agreement (you’ll need to be a room host, and you can have your own agenda).

Can I have a team of people take the training together?
Of course, you may steer them to a specific date (or dates), and they will be “mixed in” with the other participants. You may choose to bring them together afterwards – even during our coaching sessions if that is a convenient time.

What’s the training participant capacity?
Huge! We have zoom capacity & management set up for 500 people per training. (Still, sign up soon!)

For how long will you run these trainings?
We don’t have a specific sunset date and will be tracking/evolving to meet the needs. Right now our plan is to do this through 2022. We will add more training dates each quarter or so.

VIRTUAL GROUP COACHING ROOMS

When are the bi-weekly group coaching rooms?
Biweekly group coaching rooms happen the Thursdays in the same week of the Agency/Organization Trainings, from 1-2:30pm Central Time. After you take the training, you will receive additional details and the zoom link.

What will happen in these rooms?
When you arrive to the main room, the facilitators will decide how to proceed based on the number of participants and their interests. As the network/attendance increases, we may move into breakout rooms organized topically – such as funding connections, proposal development, program design and program implementation. Other possibilities could be project troubleshooting, topical rooms (artists and transportation), water cooler/chat room, artist spaces.

TRAINING CONTENT

Is each training the same?
Each of the trainings have the same content, led by the same facilitators. The artist and agency trainings cover 80% of the same content, providing a common foundation for all Art-Train participants. Content includes a mix of live presentations, short videos from leading practitioners, worksheets and small group discussion followed by open Q&A. 

Will you record the trainings?
No, these are designed to be done in real time with other participants. 

What accessibility options are available?
All trainings have closed captioning. We are working on language translation/closed captioning. We can provide large print worksheets with advance notice.

What’s included in the curriculum?
- Examples of how artists can contribute to recovery
- Current federal relief funding information, and access strategies
- Three scaleable program design models that can be implemented quickly
- Equitable public engagement and accountability strategies
- Finding, collaborating and partnering with local artists
- Includes pre-recorded content from municipal officials, researchers, artists and community development leaders developed specifically for Art-Train
- Participants complete training with a customized action plan for next steps to integrate local artists into recovery efforts.

Springboard Staff

Associate Director, Programs

Art-Train is supported in part by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.