Our Grantees
2024-2025 Year
In its inaugural year, the Creative Arts Collective embraces a vision that extends far beyond its borders. It recognizes that true brilliance emerges not from solitary endeavors but from the harmonious collaboration of passionate souls united in purpose. Enter our first-year partners, the radiant stars illuminating the Creative Arts Collective’s sky with their unique gifts and unwavering dedication.
These partners are more than recipients of mere grants; they are custodians of a sacred trust, entrusted with the transformative power of art to kindle the flames of faith and ignite the hearts of believers. With brushes in hand, melodies in their hearts, and words on their lips, they embark on a journey of creative exploration, guided by the guiding light of Christian values and principles.
The Choir Room
The Creative Arts Collective plans to grant The Choir Room production funding to continue their impactful work. This nonprofit is intended to “bring choir back,” focused on bringing communities and congregations together to make music that shares the good news and ignites a city-wide revival. This is a national project as the Choir Room envisions traveling from city to city to set up a day of rehearsal and performance after inviting people across the city to participate. The Choir Room personifies diversity in the music chosen and the people who participate, bringing neighborhoods and churches together to engage in praise. This project is ecumenical, diverse both ethnically and musically, highly collaborative, and practices traditioned innovation. They recently recorded “Joy” in Belmont’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts with Ben Rector. They have recently recorded and released a song with proceeds given to the African Children’s Choir. The project was founded by artist Dwan Hill, a Grammy and Dove- award winning musician who was a participant in the planning roundtable focusing on nurturing Christian imagination. The Creative Arts Collective will provide support by commissioning (through a first-year grant) more recordings and engagements around the country with continued support in years in the years to come.
Requiem for Colour
Requiem for Colour will also be a First Year Partner, to produce a broadcast-quality video product, create opportunities for distribution, and create accompanying educational resources. This new extended choral/orchestral work, composed in 2022, honors the legacies of the enslaved from 1619 to 1865 and contemporary black martyrs who offered their lives as a sacrifice for freedom. This work connects with the Creative Arts Collective’s objectives and strategies in a manner that promotes unique storytelling in its traditional form and through music. Requiem for Colour brings Black American Music style into the traditional requiem form, such as jazz and R&B. This is also a national effort, considering that Requiem for Colour is looking to be premiered outside of Nashville, possibly at St. John the Divine church in New York.
Considering three strategic audiences of the Creative Arts Collective, Requiem for Colour organically engages the academy, church, and community with a fresh perspective that engages the past and the future in a dynamic present. A performance produced by Belmont students, faculty, and staff will engage the academy. The text of this work, sung in Latin and English, is sacred and engages the church. Hearing the stories of those who have transitioned, and those who are still alive, engages the community. Additional engagement can occur with local and national partners outside of the Belmont community and will highlight the significance of a Christian vision of the arts in connecting suffering, hope, and redemption that cultivates a profound sense of awe and wonder. The Creative Arts Collective anticipates continuing to support Requiem for Colour in the years to come.
100 Fold Studio
The Creative Arts Collective also plans to partner with the 100 Fold Studio with a grant award in 2024. 100 Fold is a nonprofit architecture firm based in Lakeside, Montana. 100 Fold believes architecture can address our basic human needs while inviting us into a greater story of beauty, redemption, and flourishing. Their mission is to grow and multiply followers of Jesus through architecture. The vision of 100 Fold is to establish a network of licensed architects and professionals who are equipped to serve others and make disciples of Jesus in all nations. The Creative Arts Collective hopes to support 100 Fold’s upcoming Summer Studio, which will take place June-August of 2024. Summer Studio explores how faith can inform a career in architecture. The transition from academia to professional practice is a challenging adjustment. Summer Studio provides a space for reflection and guidance as students seek to navigate that transition and discern their next steps toward a career of using design to collaborate with and serve others.
The Creative Arts Collective intends to support the 2024 Summer Studio through sponsorships, scholarships and supporitng ongoing efforts for students and more. 100 Fold is one of the only architecture firms in the world where architects-in-training can complete their professional apprenticeship while serving in full-time Christian missions. Over the past decade, this non-profit has invested in the lives of 214 aspiring architects and professionals from 75 universities and 20 countries as they develop their design skills and discover their identity in Christ through their training programs. Their annual conferences hosted 317 attendees from 28 architecture firms. Their ten- to 15- year vision includes an urban expression of 100 Fold near New York City or in a demographically diverse metropolitan area in the South like Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville, or San Antonio.
Barefoot Republic
With a mission to facilitate Christ-centered relationships between individuals from diverse racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds through an equally diverse platform of artistic, athletic, and team-building programs, Barefoot Republic Camp and Retreat Center has been making a significant impact on the lives of young people for 25 years.
Offering a wide range of activities, from sports to arts and adventure programs, they provide opportunities for skill development, teamwork, and personal growth, with each activity infused with Christian values, promoting a deeper relationship with God and encouraging campers to become compassionate and responsible members of their communities.
“We believe in the power of unity through diversity,” Founder of Barefoot Republic. “Our mission is to create a space where every child feels valued and loved. Our commitment to inclusivity ensures that financial assistance and scholarships are available, so no child is left behind.”
With a focus on community engagement, Barefoot Republic also encourages campers to participate in local service projects, instilling a sense of responsibility and a heart for service.
Creo Arts
Inspiring beauty, goodness, and truth through the arts
We live in a world where people are looking for purpose and the meaning of life. Art has the power to touch people’s hearts and minds because it connects with the imagination. One of the ways that we can shine the light of Christ and bring hope to our world that is searching for answers, is through the arts.
Creo Arts is a Christian nonprofit organization that was founded in 2022 with a vision to inspire beauty, goodness, and truth through the arts. We are working with artists and faith-based organizations across the nation to help start a wide range of initiatives. We seek to do this by partnering with artists, patrons, foundations, churches, and schools to bring beauty to the world.