Call for Community Curators: Taxco Theatre

CALL FOR Community Curators In My Neighborhood I See… The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is inviting three (3) community curators to share the authentic experiences of the West Valley through a community event series titled “In My Neighborhood I See...” Neighborhood stories build bridges between residents and foster empathy by inviting us to see through someone else's eyes. They reveal what shapes daily life across communities and remind us of our shared humanity. These narratives preserve the collective memories and cultural moments that give each area its distinct identity. The selected community curators will share their deep knowledge and lived experience in the West Valley, helping others better understand its unique character through a self-produced one-day community event. Each curator will respond to the prompt “In my neighborhood, I see...” by highlighting a perspective that shares stories celebrating neighborhood pride and collective identity. Events can take the form of gallery installations, performances, conversations, or film screenings. This project will provide selected curators with full access to the Taxco Theatre for one (1) day, including support from one (1) dedicated technical staff member and promotion across all Taxco Theatre social media platforms. Curators will receive hands-on technical assistance to bring their creative vision to life and to reach a broad audience throughout the West Valley and beyond. Curators will be responsible for all other aspects of hosting a community event. Award: Taxco Theatre usage, technical support, social media support $750 honorarium to each curator for event support PROJECT TIMELINE February 23 - Application Open March 6 – Application Deadline March 9 - Awardees Announced April/May/June – Presentations at Taxco Theatre APPLICATION GUIDELINES FUNDING AND PAYMENT CONDITIONS: The City of Los Angeles does not front-fund projects. The commission will be paid in full upon completion of the project and after all contractual requirements have been met. Please note that this may take up to six (6) to nine (9) months to complete. Applicants receiving 2025/2026 grants from DCA’s Grants Division are not eligible for commissions. The winning individual or organization receiving the commission payment must submit a copy of their Business Tax Registration Certificate (BTRC). For more information visit https://finance.lacity.gov/tax-education/new-business-registration/how-register-btrc . SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS Submission requirements and scoring below. To be considered, interested artists, community, and/or arts organizations must submit the following by the application deadline stated in the call. Cover Letter (10 points) Introduce yourself and your interest in the project. Include the following. Name of Applicant (as it appears on your tax returns): Pronouns of Applicant Telephone Number Email Address Full Mailing Address Website /Social Media Proposal (20 points) Respond to the prompt question “In My Neighborhood I See…” Describe how your community event idea connects to the themes of the project. Include a budget showing how you will use the commission funds. Short Bio (5 points) Provide a brief biography including your background, accomplishments, and artistic statement. Resume (10 points) Submit a resume highlighting your relevant experience, such as event production, community events, or workshops. Work Samples (15 points) Provide links to photos, fliers /video/ film samples that demonstrate your relevant work. Social Media and Press (5 points) Include links to social media, reviews, press coverage, or testimonials from previous projects. Business Tax Registration Certificate (BTRC) The selected artist or organization receiving the commission must register and submit a copy of their BTRC for payment. The maximum number of points a submission can receive is 55. Selection Criteria and Process DCA|PERF will review submitted proposals for completeness and qualifications. Selection for a contract award will be made based on meeting the following criteria: • Responsiveness to the specifics of this call; • Expertise and experience of Artists; • Creativity and innovation of past work history. DCA|PERF also encourages the submission of proposals from underserved and/or underrepresented artists or firms owned by minorities, women, immigrants, and veterans. DCA|PERF does not discriminate based on race, color,religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, national origin, disability, or veteran status in consideration of these commissions. The City of Los Angeles is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Fine Print The following terms and conditions apply to all responses to this call: 1. DCA|PERF reserves the right to reject any and all proposals submitted; to select one or more responding parties; to void this call and the review process and/or terminate negotiations at any time; to select separate responding parties for various components of the scope of services; to select a final/parties from among the proposals received in response to this call. Additionally, any project elements, requirements, and schedules are subject to change and modification. DCA|PERF also reserves the unqualified right to modify, suspend, or terminate at its sole discretion any aspects of this selection process, to obtain further information from any responding parties, and to waive any defects as to the form or content of this call or any responses by any party; 2. This call does not commit DCA|PERF to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in the preparation of a response, or to contract for any services. All submitted responses become the property of DCA|PERF as public records. All proposals may be subject to public review, upon request, unless exempted as discussed elsewhere in this call; 3. By accepting this call and/or submitting a proposal in response thereto, each responding party agrees for itself, its successors, and assigns, to hold DCA|PERF and its affiliated entities, the City of Los Angeles, and all of their various agents, commissioners, directors, consultants, attorneys, officers and employees harmless from and against any claims and demands of whatever nature or type, which any such responding company, its representatives, agents, contractors, successors or assigns may have against any of them as a result of issuing or revising this call, conducting the selection process and subsequent negotiations, making a final recommendation, selecting a responding party/parties or negotiating or executing an agreement incorporating the commitments of the selected responding party; 4. By submitting responses, each responding party acknowledges having read this Fine Print in its entirety and agrees to all terms and conditions set therein; 5. Responses shall be open and valid for a period of three (3) weeks from the due date. PROJECT TIMELINE February 23 - Application Open March 6 – Application Deadline March 9 - Awardees Announced April/May/June – Presentations at Taxco Theatre SUBMISSION SUBMITTAL A complete application consists of answering all the application questions and submitting the required documentation by Friday, March 6, 2026, to dca-taxcotheatre@lacity.org , 11:59 p.m. The subject line should read: In My Neighborhood Application.