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MONTPELIER, VT—The Vermont Arts Council announces $974,200 in Digital Capacity grants to 41 arts and humanities nonprofit organizations to help them meet increased demand for online programming and engagement since the pandemic.
The grants are part of the Council’s Digital Capacity Program, created in early 2022 thanks to $1.15 million in one-time funding from the Vermont Legislature which recognized the need to help build the digital capacity of Vermont’s cultural organizations.
While the urgency of the pandemic may have subsided, many people have yet to resume in-person gatherings, leading cultural leaders to wonder if attendance will ever return to pre-pandemic levels, thus underscoring the continued demand for digital content.
Online programming has presented new challenges, everything from purchasing new equipment for digital content, paying for streaming platforms, enhancing websites and social media, to hiring new staff. Digital programming has also presented new opportunities as more audiences can be reached, including those with disabilities and transportation challenges. A number of the grants was awarded to support website redesigns for accessibility.
Thirty-nine organizational grants, ranging from $5,000 to $30,000, were awarded to address these needs.
In addition to organizational grants to help with the creation, distribution, and the marketing of digital content for public audiences, the program also offered larger, multi-year collaborative grants. Two such grants of $120,000 were awarded to Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury and Town Hall Theater in Middlebury.
At Catamount Arts, funds will be used to enhance the digital capacity of foundational, regional production services for more than 40 partners in the Northeast Kingdom, with the goal of enhancing the digital capabilities of the creative assets in the towns and communities of Vermont’s most remote region. Upgrades are planned for regional box office/ticketing software and hardware; database and data management tools; digital marketing integration; and accessibility features, such as real-time, state-of-the-art closed captioning options for digital streaming and projection services.
At Town Hall Theater, funds will be used to create the Addison Art Media Partnership (AAMP), specifically supporting a multi-camera, shared media hub at the theater for its network of resident companies, Middlebury Community Television, community partners, and audiences. Video and sound capabilities will be installed at the theater for live-streaming, hybrid and recorded events and classes. An accessible website with county-wide arts calendar is also planned. Funds will also cover hiring a part-time technician and freelancers to run the digital media platform. With the shared technology and training, alongside the formation of AAMP, the goal is to create a stronger, more unified arts community in Addison County.
Grants were open to Vermont-based 501 (c)(3) cultural organizations whose missions center arts and humanities, including museums, historical societies, arts centers, and nonprofit theaters and galleries.
In addition to grants, the program has provided a wide range of free technical assistance workshops – offered virtually and in recordings – on the Vermont Arts Council website. Topics include inclusive and accessible digital programming, production and editing, website analytics and e-commerce, legal issues and more. Content is provided in partnership with Inclusive Arts Vermont, the Media Factory, and the Vermont Small Business Center.
The Council also previously awarded seven special digital capacity grants to nonprofits that can provide specialized digital programming support and services to artists in their networks.
“Vermont’s cultural organizations have been a beacon during the pandemic, developing new ways to delight and connect us while their doors were shut. The State’s funding of the Digital Capacity grant program is an investment in their continued innovation and creativity, which benefits us all,” said Vermont Arts Council Deputy Director Amy Cunningham.
More information about the Digital Capacity Program and the full list of grantees can be found at https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/programs/digital-capacity/digital-capacity-grants
About the Vermont Arts Council
The Vermont Arts Council envisions a Vermont where all people have access to the arts and creativity in their lives, education, and communities. Engagement with the arts transforms individuals, connects us more deeply to each other, energizes the economy, and sustains the vibrant cultural landscape that makes Vermont a great place to live. Since 1965, the Council has been the state's primary provider of funding, advocacy, and information for the arts in Vermont. Learn more at www.vermontartscouncil.org
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