GRANT

Creative Accelerator Fund FY27 — Illinois Arts Council ($10,000 for Individual Artists, Lottery Selection)

Name: Creative Accelerator Fund FY27 — Illinois Arts Council ($10,000 for Individual Artists, Lottery Selection)
Start: 2026-10-14
End: 2026-10-14
Location: Illinois, USA

Illinois Arts Council

October 14, 2026 (15 publicSeo.openCall.daysLeft)Illinois, USA

Illinois Arts Council's unrestricted-style fund for individual artists, selected by compliance review and lottery.

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A $10,000 taxable award to invest in the artist's practice and professional growth. Applications are checked for compliance only — artistic quality is not evaluated — and recipients are drawn at random with the Illinois State Lottery from each IAC region's allocation. Grant period from 1 January to 31 August 2027.

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Individual artists with an active and sustained practice since at least 2023 (arts, crafts, design, dance, digital media, film/video, literature, music, performance, photography, theatre, visual, folk and traditional, community-based arts), aged 21+, Illinois residents since before 14 October 2025, not enrolled in a degree programme. Two work samples: one from 2024–2026 and one from 2023 or earlier.

Dates & details

Deadline: 11:59 p.m.
Programme dates: Grant period 1 January – 31 August 2027
Results: October – December 2026

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$10,000 (taxable)

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Free (no application fee)