Calling all Houston-area creatives: the City of Houston is paying a fee of $10,000 to artists from an Environmental Protection Agency grant

Link to detailsCalling all Houston-area creatives: the City of Houston is paying a fee of $10,000 to artists from an Environmental Protection Agency grant. Details below:

The City of Houston, in partnership with environmental and community stakeholders, is seeking creative storytellers for the Houston Inspira project. Houston Inspira, an EPA funded project, seeks artists, musicians, playwrights, dancers, writers, and all creatives to engage with communities to educate, inform and activate via storytelling in all forms/disciplines. The project will occur in five Complete Communities – Acres Homes, Alief/Westwood, Kashmere Gardens, Near Northside, and Second Ward.

In Houston, there is a 24-year difference in life expectancy depending on what neighborhood you are from. COVID-19 has only reinforced the disproportionate negative impact in the most vulnerable populations. Building on the City’s first COVID-19 public health education campaign, Mask Up! Houston, we are seeking artists that can help change the environmental consciousness of Houston and to empower and activate communities to effect change.

This project will focus on risks communities face from elevated levels of environmental pollutants, primarily PM2.5 (strongly associated with concrete batch plants) and benzene both of which can increase and exacerbate the health risks associated with COVID-19. The selected storyteller will work with the City of Houston, environmental and community stakeholders over a six-month period in a selected community.

The storyteller will be required to host an event each month, for a total of six, to share their creative storytelling process and engage community to influence a final work that will be used in 2023 as a part of the Houston Inspira public health campaign. Each storyteller will also be required to attend a 2-hour learning event in May and complete a final report on their work in the community.

Artist Requirements:

This is a local call. Preference/priority will be given to artists living and working within the five selected Complete Communities – Acres Homes, Alief/Westwood, Kashmere Gardens, Near Northside, and Second Ward. Applicants with community engagement experience will be considered a plus but not a requirement.

Artist Fee:

$10,000.00