Georgia Council for the Arts Grant for Cultural Connections Series

The Barrow County School System was awarded a Vibrant Communities grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, for fiscal year 2023. The Vibrant Communities Grant supports a variety of arts programming opportunities throughout the state.

These grant funds, in conjunction with generous matching donations from several Barrow County businesses, will support our 3rd annual Cultural Connections, a performing arts series at the Innovation Amphitheater. This year’s lineup of artists will interact with students during the school day with workshops and matinee performances, and present main stage performances in the evening that all community members are invited to attend. This year’s series includes A Night of Big Band Swing & Jazz featuring the Peachtree Jazz Edition, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing presented by the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, and Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel performed by the Atlanta Opera Studio Tour.

As part of this year’s Vibrant Communities awards, 44 entities in 38 counties will receive almost $200,000 in funding. “Rarely has arts funding been more needed than it is today, so Georgia Council for the Arts is particularly grateful for the support that the Georgia General Assembly is providing for our arts communities to help them carry out their mission,” said Georgia Council for the Arts Director Tina Lilly. “We hear firsthand about what this assistance can mean to an organization and a community, and we’re pleased to know that it will touch the lives of so many Georgians.”

Georgia Council for the Arts received applications from schools, libraries, cities, historical societies, community theatres, Boys & Girls Clubs, and arts and other related organizations from across the state. Entities that previously received a fiscal year 2023 Project, Bridge, or Arts Education grant, which were announced in August, were not eligible for Vibrant Communities grants.

Funding for these grants is provided through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. See a complete list of fiscal year 2023 grantees in these program areas.

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About Georgia Council for the Arts
Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development whose mission is to cultivate the growth of vibrant, thriving Georgia communities through the arts. GCA provides grant funding, programs, and services statewide that support the vital arts industry, preserve the state’s cultural heritage, increase tourism, and nurture strong communities. Funding for Georgia Council for the Arts is provided by appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. Visit www.gaarts.org for more information.

About GDEcD
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, align workforce education and training with in-demand jobs, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts and location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. Visit www.georgia.org for more information.