Qreative Voices, the organization behind Lavender Fest, is giving away 10 microgrants to Southern queer artists.
The “In This Economy” grant will award 10 artists $500 each. The money can be used for producing a show, supporting life expenses, or anything the recipients choose.
“For Qreative Voices, supporting artists doesn’t begin and end when the curtain goes up,” Ty Autry, the Executive Director of Qreative Voices, said, “The organization believes independent artists deserve financial support, meaningful opportunities, and the resources to keep creating year-round… Because in this economy, artists need more than applause. They need investment.”
Any artists who live in one of 17 Southern states – Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia – work in the performing arts, and identify as LGBTQ+ are eligible for the grant.
Applications close on Dec. 15, and recipients will be announced by Dec. 22.
Qreative Voices is an Atlanta-based non-profit focused on protecting queer narratives with a focus on Southern stories. The organization produces the annual Lavender Fest, an LGBTQ+ performing arts festival. Since its inception in 2024, the organization has given over $35,000 to independent queer artists in the South.
Donations to support Qreative Voices’ work can be made through the organization’s website.
Related story: Lavender Fest Reviews: ‘The F-Word’, ‘Oop, Can’t Say That’, and ‘Mischief and Moonflowers’
