Apply for the Council District 4 Arts Restabilization And Emergency Response Preparedness Program (ARERPP)
From the iconic canyons of the Hollywood Hills to the bustling studios of the San Fernando Valley, Council District 4 is a community of artists. Since the pandemic, our artists and arts organizations have faced setback after setback – from disruptions in film and TV production to, most recently, the devastating fires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The Office of Councilmember Nithya Raman has worked closely with movements like StayinLA to support our creators, and we are excited to announce this new initiative to provide direct funding to both individuals and non-profit organizations that have helped make our district a vibrant and unique place to live.
Committed to supporting the ongoing recovery and stabilization of the arts sector, Councilmember Nithya Raman and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) have dedicated $300,000 in Arts Development Fees to establish an Arts Restabilization and Emergency Response Preparedness Program (ARERPP) in the 4th Council District. The ARERPP will support artists and arts organizations that have been impacted by the ongoing effects of the Pandemic and/or recent wildfires.
The ARERPP is meant to provide financial support to those artists and arts organizations headquartered in Council District 4. Individual artists will be eligible for awards up to $4,000, and arts organizations will be eligible for awards up to $11,000.* A limited number of awards will be available through a peer panel review process.
As a condition of receiving the ARERPP award, applicants must attend a series of emergency preparedness resource workshops hosted by DCA geared for the arts sector. From these workshops, awardees will be required to create a customized emergency preparedness plan tailored to their specific arts business. This initiative is designed to give the arts community the opportunity to thoughtfully plan and develop a strategic emergency preparedness document aimed at safeguarding their cultural and artistic assets.
Award recipients will receive the award in two installments. The initial payment will be made upon receipt of an invoice and W9 form (estimated date November 2025), and the second payment will be made after the conclusion of the resource workshops, and submission of a final invoice and emergency preparedness plan (estimated date May 2026). Funds are unrestricted and may be used to stabilize professional, operational, and/or administrative costs such as rent, salaries, artist fees, videography, marketing, archiving, and other costs related to the future vitality, and stabilization of your artistic practice or business.
*If an arts organization has received a DCA Cultural Grant for FY2526, the maximum award is $9,000 and it cannot be used as match funding toward the DCA cultural grant.
Eligibility
Applicants that are individual artists must have proof of Los Angeles residency or studio within the boundaries of the 4th Council District. An individual artist is defined as: any person who works greater than quarter-time for income as a creative producer such as an actor, animator, craft-maker, designer, dancer, DJ, literary writer, musician, painter, poet, photographer, playwright, sculptor, videographer etc.
Applicants that are arts organizations must be registered as either a 501c(3), LLC, or S-Corporation. Business operations must be physically owned or leased within the boundaries of the Council District 4. Visit neighborhoodinfo.lacity.org, enter your headquarters’ physical street address in the search field, and click on “FIND.” In your search result, you should see your City Council District number and LA City Councilmember’s name listed under Elected Officials. Employees of the City of Los Angeles are ineligible to apply.
Selection Methodology
DCA will convene peer panelists as application readers to review the submissions and score each application based on the application requirements. The Department is committed to uplifting artists that have been historically disenfranchised and live and/or work in communities of underrepresented cultural and ethnic groups. Artists that identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Transgender are highly encouraged to apply. Funding opportunities will be available until the full budget for this initiative has been expended.
Application Requirements
If you are eligible for this relief, please complete the application below on SlideRoom:
Applicant Information:
- Name, email and telephone contact information
- Physical mailing address
- Questions regarding artist category
- Statement of Interest that describes the impact of the Pandemic and/or the Palisades and Eaton wildfires on your experience and employment as an artist/organization and how the award would restabilize your circumstances.
Attachment:
- Resume/CV that does not exceed four (4) pages that demonstrates an artist’s two (2) or more years of professional experience; Arts businesses must submit their company’s mission statement and short summary of staff on payroll. File must be in PDF format.
Please note that all submissions must be completed through SlideRoom by 11:59pm on October 2, 2025, or until the first 150 applications have been received, whichever comes first.
Questions may be directed to dca.publicart@lacity.org with the subject line: “CD 4 ARERPP”.