Opportunities for Educators

Opens: July 10, 2024
Deadline: Open Deadline


Creative Catalyst Grant offers support to Illinois artists and non-profit organizations for arts-related projects, programming, events, and/or professional development.

The Creative Catalyst Grant replaces the previous ArtsTour & Live Music, Short-term Artist Residencies, and Individual Artist Support Grants.

Opens: September 2024
Deadline: TBD

The Creative Accelerator Fund (CAF) provides holistic support to Illinois artists. A primary goal of the program is to bolster a creative workforce that composes a significant portion of Illinois’ creative and economic activity.

Opens: TBD
Deadline: TBD

Grant Range: up to $40,000 for planning, $100,000 (Y1), $75,000 (Y2), and $50,000 (Y3)

The Arts & Foreign Language (AFL) Grant is to support arts and foreign language education in schools, with an emphasis on ensuring that these areas become part of the school’s core curriculum. Funding is available for each area for up to four years, with one year of planning and three years of implementation.

Opens: Fall
Closes: January

Illinois Regional POL Contests: Varies, generally in February

Illinois Statewide POL Contest: Early March

A partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the state arts agencies, Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life.  

The ArtsTour Roster is a resource created in collaboration between the Illinois Presenters Network and the Illinois Arts Council.  This directory lists Illinois performing artists, companies, and ensembles that tour the state.The Artstour Roster is used by Illinois presenters including schools, libraries, park districts, arts and community organizations, and performing arts presenters to identify artists, companies and groups to perform in their communities.

Deadlines Vary

NEA Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides expansive funding opportunities to strengthen the nation’s arts and culture ecosystem. Through project-based funding, the program supports opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector.

Search for additional state and national resources for organizations through the IAC's Discipline-Specific Resources database.