Scholarships and Grants
AACTMAD’s mission is to enrich the lives and sense of community among members of the greater AACTMAD folk community by promoting and enabling participation in traditional dance, music, and song. AACTMAD strives to achieve that mission, in part, with a broad program of Scholarships, Apprenticeships, and Grants that provides funding opportunities for AACTMAD members. These opportunities are described below along with links to the application forms.
For further information contact:
scholarships@aactmad.org
Individual Scholarships
AACTMAD Scholarships promote the enjoyment of traditional dance, music, and song in our local community by encouraging and enabling AACTMAD members to participate in local, regional, and national activities featuring these arts. AACTMAD believes that Scholarship recipients enrich our local community with their enhanced skills and enthusiasm for these activities. Their continued participation and renewed excitement in the AACTMAD community is an asset to all. Scholarship recipients are encouraged to become leaders in our traditional dance, music, and song community and to gain exposure to and awareness of leadership opportunities on a regional and national level.
Scholarships provide all or a portion of the cost for AACTMAD members who may otherwise not be able to attend events such as weekends, camps, or festivals. (Limited transportation expenses will be considered.)
Paul Winder
Memorial Scholarship
In memory of Paul Winder, Michigan fiddler who was part of the AACTMAD community for many years. This scholarship provides an opportunity for musicians in the Ann Arbor community to attend traditional music and dance camps in hopes of encouraging and fostering the growth of their musicianship.
Activity and Event Grants
AACTMAD has resources available to encourage and enable project and activity organizers to clearly define, carefully plan, and successfully execute events and activities consistent with AACTMAD’s mission. AACTMAD will consider grant requests from AACTMAD members and from other organizations to support activities that are 1) consistent with AACTMAD’s mission, and 2) would have a significant impact on the local AACTMAD community or the extended folk community in the greater Ann Arbor area. Activities and Events Grants provide support for a non-recurring event or activity (e.g., performance, concert, workshop, etc.) or a short series of events or activities (e.g., classes or programs) focused on a specific topic.
Membership Scholarships
These scholarships introduce non-member individuals to our community-based organization of traditional music, dance, and song by providing benefits of a one-year AACTMAD regular membership free of charge.
Apprenticeships
AACTMAD Apprenticeships provide financial resources for members to engage in an extended series of lessons from established artists or performers in a skill they wish to develop. Enhancing such skills will not only promote their participation and enjoyment in local activities of AACTMAD and related groups, it will also enhance and enrich our entire music, dance, and song community and build future leaders who will help perpetuate these traditional arts.
Apprenticeship proposals should have a local focus, i.e., apprentices should be part of the local AACTMAD community or part of the extended folk community that has a significant impact in the greater Ann Arbor area. Applicants should demonstrate a significant degree of involvement by active participation in, service to, or leadership in activities of AACTMAD or similar folk organizations.
Applicants should have an intermediate level with their chosen art to be considered for the Apprenticeship. Applications must include a study plan that is of sufficient merit and be formulated with SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound). Financial need is also a consideration.
Application submission deadline is July 1, 2024, for a 1-year apprenticeship cycle from Sept. 15, 2024 to Sept. 14, 2025
Should you experience any difficulties in the application process, please contact the Scholarships & Grants Committee (scholarships@aactmad.org) for assistance.