Barrier-Free Arts SC Grants
Forecasted
Barrier-Free Arts SC Grants support arts organizations with professional development, accessibility audits, and barrier-removal funding to improve access for constituents and artists with disabilities.
Funder: South Carolina Arts Commission
Due Dates (Anticipated): April 2027 (Letter of Intent) | May 2027 (Invited full application)
Funding Amounts: Three-year program: up to $3,500 in Year One and up to $5,000 annually in Years Two and Three
Summary: Supports arts organizations with professional development and funding to improve accessibility for constituents and artists with disabilities.
Key Information: Applicants must be current SCAC operating-support grantees in good standing and own or have authority to alter their facilities.
Description
Barrier-Free Arts SC is a three-year South Carolina Arts Commission (SCAC) program that helps arts organizations prioritize accessibility for constituents and artists with disabilities. The first year combines tailored arts-sector professional development, Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) conference attendance, virtual cohort sessions, and learning modules. Accessibility audits provided by Able SC and funded by SCAC inform each organization’s plan to remove barriers in its facilities and programs.
In Years Two and Three, grants support work directly aligned with those accessibility plans. The program prioritizes organizations and activities in SCAC’s Opportunity Initiative counties. Organizations that successfully complete the cohort may become BFASC-designated organizations, receive recognition through SCAC channels, qualify for ongoing accessibility funding, and mentor incoming participants.
