The Spark Boulder Fee Waiver

To facilitate and assist community cultural groups with access and affordability of performance venues, the Boulder Arts Commission and The Spark Boulder offer up to 12 days per calendar year of rent-free space at The Spark Boulder.

Priority will be given to events or programs being offered as part of City of Boulder | Office of Arts and Culture and Boulder Arts Commission sponsored events (like Boulder Arts Week, Boulder Fringe, etc). You may apply for a maximum of two days free rental annually. This grant is for rent only; the applicant will be fully responsible for any and all additional fees required by the venue, including but not limited to Spark staffing fees and equipment rentals. Applications are accepted on a first come, first serve basis year-round or until all rental dates are awarded.

Grant recipients will receive support from The Spark Boulder in applying for additional grant funding through the Boulder Arts Commission if applicable and available. Applicants who meet the general eligibility requirements are also eligible for The Spark Boulder’s Orbital Rental Membership which allows discounted bookings for on-going classes and events as well as other perks. For more information about this membership offering contact The Spark Boulder at admin@thesparkcreates.org. All applicants must have the requested dates confirmed with The Spark Boulder at the time of the application, and supply a letter of verification from The Spark Boulder with the pertinent date information included. Receiving a grant from the Boulder Arts Commission does not guarantee the award of a specific date or dates. The actual date(s) awarded will depend on availability of the space. It is the applicant’s responsibility to inquire about availability and pay for additional costs at The Spark Boulder. Contact The Spark Boulder by phone at 720-432-7784, by email at admin@thesparkcreates.org, or check out our rental website information and send them a direct rental inquiry.

• General eligibility. Meets all general eligibility requirements.
• Open to all. Anyone may apply once the general eligibility guidelines are met.
• Timeframe. The Spark Boulder Hall Rental event dates must take place after the grant funding decision and within the calendar year during which they are applied for.
• Venue confirmation. All applications must include a letter of commitment from The Spark Boulder management indicating the project date(s). Letters should follow the normal business standard, on letterhead when possible and signed by the author; email correspondence is not accepted. A contract with The Spark Boulder including the project dates and rental fees is an acceptable alternative.

• Proposals for free rental of The Spark Boulder Hall are approved through administrative review by staff of the City of Boulder Office of Arts Culture and awards are announced at the next meeting of the Boulder Arts Commission.
• Evaluation of applications. Proposals for free rental of The Spark Boulder Hall are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to those who have met all the requirements of application, including the venue confirmation and budget summary. Award in previous years does not imply continued support. Each application is reviewed anew in the context of current policies and applications.

Log onto the Boulder Arts Commission online grant portal to preview and apply. If you have not logged on before, make a profile. Applications must be submitted using our online grant applications.

Written Appeals Process. The deadline for a written appeal is 14 days after funding decisions has been made by the Boulder Arts Commission. Find more information about the appeals process.

Grant report forms are on the Boulder Arts Commission grants software. Log in with the same user name and password utilized to submit the application. After logging in, go to the ‘Dashboard’, then you’ll see a ‘Follow Up’ section for the grant. On the far right is the ‘Edit’ button. That will take you to complete the final report.

After you submit the report you’ll receive email confirmation and copy of the report via the email that you have included in the report. Contact Sarah Harrison at harrisons@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-3907 if you do not receive email confirmation.