SU-CASA

SU-CASA is a community arts engagement program that places artists and organizations for collaborative residencies at senior centers across the five boroughs of New York City. The program provides selected artists with a stipend in exchange for the creation and delivery of arts programming for older adults.

Programming supported through SU-CASA engages older adults in participatory arts projects with an emphasis on hands-on learning and adaptive teaching. The residency culminates in a public program component showcasing the participants’ progress and creative expression that is open to the center’s surrounding community.

SU-CASA aims to positively impact the well-being of older adults through arts-based, process-oriented activities. The program supports artists who are sensitive to the needs of older adults and are interested in building relationships with older adults at their local senior center. Through responsive collaborations, SU-CASA cultivates unique arts learning experiences and generative social exchange for participating older adults.

SU-CASA is supported by public funds from the New York City Council, in partnership with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) and Department for the Aging (DFTA). It is carried out in collaboration with New York City’s local arts councils. Additional support is provided by the Tiger Baron Foundation.

Requirements

-Project must include an in-person interactive engagement component for the participants at the senior center where the artist is placed. Project activities may include workshops, classes, or participatory art making projects created by or in collaboration with the participants. Projects consisting of performances for older adults or other passive activities are ineligible. Entirely virtual projects are not eligible.
-Project must include at least one public program component for the public to experience and engage with the arts at the senior center such as an exhibit, open house, performance, reading, or other cultural interaction that allows participating older adults to share their work with friends, family, and the surrounding community. The public program activities must be promoted and available at no charge to the public.
-Artists are strongly encouraged to engage other members of the senior center community as part of the public program component.
-Project activities must take place between January 1 and June 30, 2025, and should span the duratiofn of the program.
-Project activities are expected to include at least 35 contact hours between the artist and senior center participants during the program period. The public component should not count towards the contact hours.
-Project activities, including the public component, must take place at the senior center unless otherwise agreed to with the senior center director

Application Instructions

-Create an Account: Create an account for Submittable if you have not used the online submission platform before, or log in to your existing Submittable account. Your application will always be connected to your account. The main point of contact for your application should manage and maintain access to your Submittable account. LMCC staff will use the email address connected to your Submittable account to contact you with questions, follow-up information, and the official grant notification. This is the same email address you use to log in to your Submittable account.
-Saving Your Work: Once you have set up your account, you can begin filling out the Application Form. The form is periodically saved to your account. However, they highly encourage you to use the “Save Draft” button at the bottom of the form before exiting. Each time you save, the latest draft will be kept in your Submittable account. Please note: if you have this form open in multiple windows, Submittable will autosave the version that is last open. They recommend saving your responses in a document offline and copying and pasting them into the Application Form from there.
-Submit: Complete and submit all components of your application online. Application forms are not considered final until submitted. Once you have submitted the form, you will not be able to make changes or resubmit. You will receive an automated confirmation email when your application has been successfully submitted. If this is your first time using the Submittable platform, be sure to visit Submittable’s support page to view an instructional video with tips for creating your Submittable account and submitting and keeping track of your forms.