Forms & Guidelines for Cultural Relief Grant Application

Further to their announcement on Cabinet’s approval of a one-off payment of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) in financial assistance for artistes and creatives who lost income as a result  of the global pandemic COVID-19 [Cultural Relief Grant for Artists and Creatives], The Ministry of Community Development Culture and the Arts [MCDCA] has released the form and following guidelines for application.

Guidelines:

Applicants will be required to submit the following supporting documents:

1. Completed application form [CLICK HERE]
2. Proof of Trinidad and Tobago Citizenship (National Identification Card/Passport)
3. Proof of sustained activity within the respective genre of cultural enterprise since 2018 to present in the form of any combination of the following which must be time stamped and/or dated:
   • Newspaper clippings
   • Online article mentions
   • Flyers/ brochures/ programs/catalogues/ tickets/ads from events held
   • Copies of booking contracts
   • Payment receipts
4. Evidence of Work Lost: One or more of the following pieces of evidence of work lost as proof of loss of income between March-December 2020 must be submitted:
   • Copies of Booking Cancellation
   • Cancellation of Event(S) at which the applicant can prove attendance in 2018 and/or 2019
5. The completed form along with the aforementioned documents, shall be submitted via email to cdca.grants@gov.tt or deposited in identified submission boxes at Community Development Division District Office. (See list below).If submitting via email, ensure all supporting documents are scanned clearly.In the email subject stated: (FIRST NAME)/(LAST NAME)/ ID #/ APPLICATION FOR CULTURAL RELIEF GRANT FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVES.
   

   Eg: Mary Singh 1974234045/ APPLICATION FOR CULTURAL RELIEF GRANT FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVES

   If submitting via drop box, ensure application and supporting documents are enclosed in sealed envelope and addressed to GRANT SECRETARIART, Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts re: APPLICATION FOR RELIEF GRANT FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVES.

6. Only one application for the Relief Grant for Artists and Creatives per individual

Responses to Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

When the T&T Performing Arts Network first published MCDCA’s media release announcing the Cultural Relief Grant for Artists and Creatives, we received, and have observed through social media, many questions and discussion about clarification and specification on who is eligible for the Grant.

In a Frequently  Asked Questions document that was also released with their Guidelines and Application form, the MCDCA has now expanded, and specifically included artistes and creatives in the areas of:

• Music
• Dance
• Theatre Arts
• Film

among the other previously listed sectors of Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Fine Art and Craft.

If there was any doubt and uncertainty among artistes and creatives in Tobago, the Ministry has said YES! Tobago artistes and creatives are eligible to apply. All applications must be submitted through the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, Grants Department Level 18 Nicholas Tower, 63-65 Independence Square POS or Community Development District Offices of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts.

Artistes and Creatives who have applied for previous grants (salary, food, rental etc.) from the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services or Ministry of Finance can apply for the Cultural Relief Grant, once they have NOT received any other grant from the Covid-19 Relief Initiatives. Please note that applications will be verified.

[CLICK HERE FOR FULL FAQ Document]

For further information persons may visit the MCDCA’s website, or contact the MCDCA’s Grants Secretariat at 225-2322 ext. 5230/5226/5227/5228.