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Overview

 

MAP360 invites artists and creatives to apply for our 2Gether Collaboration

Grants program. With a total of $15,000 available, this initiative will support three

collaborations that explore what it means to approach this world with wonder.

Last year, we asked what it looks like to take flight together. The answer

exceeded anything we imagined. Two public art installations transformed

downtown Montgomery. Eight artists represented the city on the global stage. Art

and poetry filled our gallery walls. Three grantee teams created thoughtful works

for the inaugural 2Gether Collaboration Grant, and opened new

conversations about memory, dignity, and what communities build when they

dare to create together.

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 This year, we're  looking for projects where wonder already has a hold on you —

and collaboration is how you follow it. That could mean a choreographer and a

community activist who've both been watching how people move through spaces

in Montgomery that were never designed for them, and together create

something neither could make alone. Or a chef and a historian who grew up

eating the same dishes, tracing those ingredients across generations to turn what

they find into a meal, a document, and a public conversation.

 

If your project brings together people from different backgrounds and experiences to create

something new, you're in the right place. We want to see what emerges when

creative people step toward each other with open hands.

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Grant Details

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Total Grant Funds Available: $15,000

 

Grant Size: Three project grants will be awarded for up to $5,000, depending on the

scope and needs of the proposal.

 

Application Opens: March 23, 2026

 

In Person Q&A Session: April 15, 2026

 

Application Deadline: April 30, 2026

 

Grantees Announced: May 15, 2026

 

Project Completion Deadline: December 04, 2026

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Public Showcase in Montgomery: January 28, 2027

 

 

Who Can Apply

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We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and disciplines, including those who have not

previously received grant funding or who work outside traditional arts institutions.

However, to be eligible for this program, all projects must meet the following criteria:

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• The lead applicant must be an individual, not an organization.

• Each project must involve at least two collaborators, bringing different perspectives, skillsets, or lived experiences.

• At least one collaborator must be an artist, broadly defined (visual, literary, performing, digital, culinary, etc.).

• Projects may involve partnerships with organizations, but the individual collaborators must drive the project.

• At least part of the project must take place in or benefit Montgomery, Alabama.

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What We’re Looking For

 

Projects will be selected based on:

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• Collaborative Depth: Is the partnership real, intentional, and generative?

• Creative Ambition: Is the idea fresh or compelling?

• Connection to Theme: Does the project engage the spirit of wonder and what we can discover together — approaching collaboration with curiosity, openness, and a willingness to be changed by what you discover?

• Local Impact: Does the project meaningfully engage / impact Montgomery?

• Feasibility: Is the timeline and budget realistic?

• Documentability: Are the collaborators prepared to document the process and outcome?

 

 

What Grantees Will Receive

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Grant up to $5,000 to support your creative collaboration, including payments to each

collaborator working on the project, any materials needing to be purchased, and any

other project-related costs.

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“Collaboration Circle” Gatherings

Gatherings bringing all grantees together to share progress, exchange ideas, and reflect

on the creative process. Occasionally, the Circle will feature a pop-in from an inspiring

guest artist or storyteller whose work exemplifies bold, cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Storytelling Seminar

 

Narrative Development & Reflection

Facilitated sessions aimed to help grantees shape and articulate the story of their

collaboration — who they are, what they’re building, and why it matters. These sessions

support both personal reflection and the documentary being produced with their paired

filmmaker.

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Documentation Toolkit

A practical guide filled with prompts, journaling exercises, and tips to help you reflect on

and track your creative journey. The toolkit also includes best practices for working with

filmmakers and shaping your narrative in collaboration with them.

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Filmmaking Support from Local, Aspiring Filmmakers

Each grantee team will be paired with a Montgomery-based aspiring filmmaker who will

be given a grant to document your project over the course of six months and produce a

3–5 minute short film at the end of the process.

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Visibility through MAP360’s Channels

Each grantee project will be highlighted on MAP360’s website, social media, and in

communications with funders and press, helping expand the visibility of and potential

future support for your work.

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2Gether Gathering — Public Showcase

The culminating event brings the full cohort and Montgomery community together.

Grantees present their completed projects through documentary screenings, live

installations, and a moderated panel discussion.

Impact Expectations

 

 

Grantees must:

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Have a clear, completed creative output by the end of the grant period. This could

take many forms depending on your discipline, vision, and collaborators—but it should

be something that captures the essence of your work together.

Additionally, every project must either:

Be shared publicly in some way (performance, exhibit, public art, workshop,

publication, digital sharing), or include a meaningful form of community engagement

in Montgomery (education, community gathering, research study, etc.). The public or

community engagement element can be small, informal, or intimate but it must be part of

your project.

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• Collaborate across at least one form of difference (discipline, background, generation, etc.)​

• Engage or benefit Montgomery, Alabama in some clear way​

• Submit at least 3 documentation artifacts of their process (photos, shortform video,reflections, sketches, etc.). This is in addition to what the assigned filmmaker will create.​

• Submit a close-out report within two weeks of project completion documenting your project's community impact. Grantees will receive a standardized set of metrics to track during onboarding, which will guide what is captured and reported at close-out.

 

Application Process

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Apply by April 30 via an AirTable form that will include:

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1. Contact info for primary lead applicant

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2. 150-word project description

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3. 350-word overview of who’s involved, the form of difference you are crossing through

this project, how you approached this collaboration with wonder, and why you believe

this particular collaboration matters.

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4. 250-word response to how this project benefits / engages Montgomery, AL and how it

will be shared publicly or engage the community in some way.

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5. Month by month timeline of the project with key milestones.

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6. Simple budget breakdown (i.e. how you would spend the money).

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7. Link or upload 1–3 samples of each of your collaborators past work.

 

selection Process 

Applications will be reviewed by a panel composed of respected creative leaders from the

Montgomery-area community and MAP360. They will evaluate

proposals based on the criteria listed on Page 2 of this document under the header of “What We

Are Looking For.

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Questions?

Check out our FAQ, which you can click on HERE or email Joyce Vaughn at

joyce@map360.org.

 

ready to apply?