More than $66 million in grants will be awarded to arts organisations and state and regional arts councils across the United States, as part of the 2003 Spring Grants round, the National Endowment for the Arts announced recently. The grants, which aim to fund more than 800 projects in the areas of access, arts learning, heritage/preservation and leadership, are expected to further the NEA’s goal of bringing ‘the best possible art to the greatest number of Americans.’ A total of US$8.36 million in grants to the Access category will assist 315 projects designed to reach communities in which opportunities to participate in the arts are limited. In the Arts Learning category, 258 projects will receive a total of $8,842,000 in funding to assist projects that help children and youth to acquire knowledge, skills and understanding of the arts. The $4.02 million allocated to the Heritage and Preservation sector will assist projects which aim to preserve the forms of artistic expression and practice which reflect American culture. The 43 grants awarded through the Leadership Initiatives section will allow for the continued development of radio, television and folk arts infrastructure initiatives. The Spring Grants round will also see $33.34 million allocated to the NEA’s State Partnership Agreements scheme, while $6.4 million will help fund seven new regional partnerships. For more information, visit the National Endowment for the Arts HERE