Apply Now! Click here to begin the online application. Don’t forget to check out the resources below such as the Application Guidelines, Application Prep Sheet, and Narrative Examples for help.
The Spirit & Place Festival a platform for the community to use the arts, humanities, and religion to explore a yearly theme. Organizations of all sizes and/or individuals are invited to pitch ideas through an application process. (This year’s deadline is May 17, 2024 at 5pm.) Event creators are responsible for securing their own speakers, performers, venues, etc.
A Selection Committee comprised of fellow community members (not Spirit & Place staff) select which events make it into the festival based on a set of criteria including inventiveness, audience engagement, strength of collaboration, and theme connection.
Spirit & Place supports those selected for the festival by providing event coaching services; worksheets; check lists; general marketing support; select paid digital advertising; and other resources, including a $200 event stipend.
Download the 2024 Spirit & Place Festival Application Guidelines (click here for the Word doc or click here for PDF) today and don’t forget to check out our other resources below, especially the narrative examples and application prep sheet.
Questions about the application process? Email festival@iu.edu.
Before beginning the online application, please download this (dynamic) application prep form to review the application questions and other information you will need to supply.
The prep form is a Word doc. If you cannot open in Word, please contact us at festival@iu.edu.
Application Prep FormFrom catchy titles to how to best think about the arts, humanities, and religion, we have tips for you!
Application TipsWhat makes a well-written Spirit & Place Festival application? Download examples from past applicants who knocked it out of the park!
Narrative ExamplesGratitude plays a role in several of the world’s religions, influences ancient and modern philosophical thought, and finds expression in a range of artistic practices. In November of 2024, Spirit & Place invites you to move beyond cliched interpretations of “thanksgiving” to explore the theme of GRATITUDE in all its depth and meaning.
By asking how our communities and organizations could be different if we foregrounded gratitude, we hope festival applicants will craft events designed to explore from where gratitude emanates, how it is expressed, the function it serves in public and spiritual life, and the ways in which human creativity has blossomed and shined when expressing gratitude. We also hope the community will be given a chance to express its own feelings of gratitude in participatory events aimed at strengthening our collective sense of place and belonging.
Check out our Theme Prompts to help you wrestle with ideas.
Applicant Meetings
March & April 2024
Learn more about Spirit & Place, the festival application process, and meet others interested creating festival events. Although encouraged, attendance is optional and not required to apply to the festival. One-on-one meetings are available too.
Visit our Events Calendar to register today! Four options are available:
Tuesday, March 19 from 10:30-11:30am at the College Ave. Branch Library
Tuesday, March 19 from 6-7pm at the Haughville Branch Library
Tuesday, April 9 from 12-1pm via Zoom
Friday, April 29 from 12-1pm via Zoom
*The same information is presented each session and includes Q&A time.
Application Portal Opens
April 1, 2024
Applications must be submitted online.
Application Deadline
May 17 by 5PM
Festival Meetings & Event Essentials
July through September
If selected for the festival, event partners will need to attend a required meeting on July 9 at 11:30am via Zoom and then meet a series of summer deadlines related to event promotions.
Please review the application guidelines (pg. 2) for more details on key dates and meetings.
Spirit & Place Festival event partners agree to the following. Please download the entire agreement and let us know if you have any questions.
Click here for the full partner agreement as a Word doc.
These are just some of the ways Spirit & Place supports its festival event partners.
Limitation and restrictions include:
A team of community reviewers—not Spirit & Place staff— representing various disciplines, faiths, races, genders, and backgrounds evaluate festival applications based on the following criteria. This makes the Spirit & Place Festival not only community-created, but community-curated!
Selection Criteria are focused on:
Special preference is shown to events that have a never-before-seen quality, are interactive, diverse & inclusive, inspire community engagement, and/or are strongly collaborative.
Interfaith events are always welcome, especially those involving non-Abrahamic faith traditions.
Selection CriteriaLet’s be honest. Creating an event for the Spirit & Place Festival takes a lot of time, energy, and, in some cases, money. We strive to make the festival accessible to all applicants and, since 2015, have been moving away from a “pay to play” process to one in which we now support festival events with a $200 stipend.
We know this isn’t much and encourage applicants to find sponsors and donors for their projects. (Please note that sponsors and donors do not count as “collaborating partners” in terms of the selection process.)
Grant opportunities you might wish to explore include:
“Red Flags” the Selection Committee will give lower scores on include:
A native Hoosier, Kelley completed her bachelor’s degree in sociology and history from Ball State University and earned her master’s degree in public history from IUPUI. As the Program Director for Spirit & Place, she oversees the annual Spirit & Place Festival by working with 100
Spirit & Place
Indiana University – Indianapolis
425 University Blvd., CA 003B
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317-274-2462
festival@iu.edu
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