Innovation & Collaboration Incubator Grant

The Collaborative established the Innovation and Collaboration Incubator Grant to foster cross-organizational partnerships to develop innovative, dynamic programs that serve and expand community access across Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, and Douglas Counties.

2025-2026 Recipients

A Celebration of Latin American Music & Culture

In spring 2027, the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra (CJRO), in partnership with Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center, will present a free, one-day cultural event celebrating Latin American music, theater, dance, and visual art. Made possible by SCFD and the Collaborative of the SCFD, the program will feature live music by the CJRO Latin Jazz Ensemble, Su Teatro actors and story creators, folklórico dance, and visual artists, offering a multidisciplinary experience that reflects the diversity and richness of Latin American cultures.

 

This collaborative project brings together two SCFD-funded organizations to create an inclusive, community-centered event that is open to all. By removing financial barriers, the program encourages broad participation from individuals and families across the Denver metro area. Designed to be welcoming and accessible, the event emphasizes shared cultural experience, artistic collaboration, and community connection.

Dinosaur Residency for Neurodiverse Paleoartists

Access Gallery, Dinosaur Ridge, and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) are joining forces to create an immersive, multi-site residency program at the intersection of science, art, and community for neurodiverse individuals in the Denver metro area.

The Dinosaur Residency for Neurodiverse Paleoartists will bring together a small cohort of neurodiverse participants who share an interest in art, dinosaurs, paleontology, or creative exploration. Through guided experiences across all three partner organizations, participants will explore prehistoric science through an artistic lens while learning from educators, artists, scientists, and museum professionals.

Participants will be selected based on interest and availability. The program will be offered completely free of charge, ensuring access for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities regardless of economic status.

The residency will take place over five monthly sessions from 2026 through 2027. Each session is designed to deepen participants’ understanding of art and science, spark individual creativity, and build community.

Juventud del barro - Teens of the Clay:
Remembering Tradition through Geology & Clay

Juventud del Barro – Teens of the Clay: Remembering Tradition through Geology and Clay is a collaborative pilot program between Four Mile Historic Park and the Mizel Arts and Culture Center at the JCC (MACC), supported by the Innovation & Collaboration Incubator Grant from The Collaborative of the SCFD. 

This hands-on initiative connects geology and ceramics for teens ages 13–18, with a focus on Latin communities and those interested in Latin culture across the seven SCFD counties. Participants will explore geology and soil sampling at Four Mile Historic Park, then transform their observations into ceramic works, informed by traditional Oaxacan barro negro techniques, during workshops at the MACC. A bilingual educator will support accessibility and continuity by facilitating workshops and providing Spanish translation throughout both the geology and ceramics programming. 

The project will culminate in a multi-site public exhibition that invites participants to explore heritage and science through the medium of clay. Juventud del Barro is designed as a culturally responsive model that integrates art, science, and culture through place-based learning. By leveraging cross-sector collaboration, the initiative expands access to interdisciplinary arts and science education throughout the region. 

Lone Tree Arts Center logo

Rhythm & Movement: Adaptive Flamenco for Parkinson’s

Flamenco Denver and the Lone Tree Arts Center are partnering to launch an adaptive flamenco program for individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. Developed in collaboration with the Parkinson Association of the Rockies, the program combines large scale, rhythmic movement, music, and creative expression to promote community building and wellness.

Classes will be crafted to support mobility, coordination, and cognitive engagement while introducing participants to the rich cultural tradition of flamenco. Following the pilot at the Lone Tree Arts Center, our goal is that the program will be offered regularly by both organizations, expanding access across the SCFD region.

Denver Botanic Gardens logo

Wild Canvas

Bluff Lake Nature Center (BLNC) and Denver Botanic Gardens (the Gardens) will collaborate with students from Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA) to paint a nature-inspired mural on a shipping container adjacent BLNC’s main entrance. The students will visit BLNC and the Gardens’ Plains Conservation Center, then design the mural based on what inspired them in nature. Environmental concepts will be transformed into a dynamic, visual statement at an organization that holds and conserves local biodiversity. The Wild Canvas Nature Mural will celebrate the three organization’s collective missions to engage youth in meaningful, inclusive and hands-on arts education that connects creativity with real-world learning. This will culminate in a community event at BLNC, inviting the community to participate in the mural.

DAVA, BLNC and the Gardens have developed strong relationships with their neighbors, providing spaces and programming that are culturally responsive and adapted to serve diverse needs. The new mural will combine art, environmental awareness and youth leadership to welcome families and residents as they join BLNC’s vibrant, inclusive and culturally connected community. This collaborative project is a way for students to connect with nature in their neighborhood and understand the impact of their actions on their community.

2024-2025 Recipients

This innovative partnership reimagines a cherished Latin American tradition through the fusion of cultural celebration and natural science. This day deliberately merges various disciplines by blending arts and cultural education with scientific discovery and will provide engaging invertebrate activities, enabling children and families to interact with fascinating creatures while learning about their importance in our ecosystem. A highlight of this blend is a special butterfly release, creating a meaningful link between cultural heritage and natural science education.

Through this thoughtfully designed celebration, this partnership creates an inclusive Día del Niño- Day of the Child event that honors cultural traditions while fostering new connections across our diverse community, truly embodying the spirit of celebrating the child in everyone.

Through this collaboration, Fluidity pushes the boundaries of traditional performance; offering a transformative, self-guided artistic experience that explores music, movement, and identity in innovative ways. This project reimagines the traditional concert experience by inviting attendees to self-curate their experience during an immersive performance taking place in November 2025 under the artistic direction of DYAO’s Music Director Wilbur Lin. This performance will coincide with MCA Denver’s fall exhibition; where the artist’s work explores themes of water as a metaphor for identity, transformation, and fluidity—concepts that resonate deeply with music.

Cal-Wood Education Center and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies are partnering with Adams 14 School District to provide a multi-tiered, multi-contact environmental education program designed to engage elementary school students at various stages of their education, with a particular focus on reaching underrepresented populations in outdoor learning experiences. The partners will be engaging with all six elementary schools in Adams County 14 School District to provide a suite of programming that ensures equitable access to nature for all students and will inspire lifelong connection to nature, empowering students from all backgrounds to embrace outdoor spaces and environmental education as a valuable part of their lives

This pilot program in Denver is based on an initiative of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute focused on pairing new and expecting parents and caregivers with professional artists to write and sing lullabies for their babies. The project will pilot a small cohort of expecting parents or newborn – 36 months and their caregiver(s), representing diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. 

This collaborative film festival event will celebrate and amplify Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) voices through film, performance, and cultural engagement in May 2026 at the PACE Center. Attendees will screen short films showcasing AANHPI stories and perspectives and be immersed in a dynamic, multisensory experience and will include live performances, culinary storytelling and a talk-back session reflecting the diverse creative expressions of AANHPI communities.

With a shared goal of creating high-quality programming for people with disabilities by elevating disabled artist voices and talent, this project will entail relaxed, holiday-themed cabaret performances featuring a live string quartet of Colorado Symphony musicians and actors from Phamaly Theatre Company geared towards those in the community who need a more sensorily relaxed environment to enjoy a performance. The audience accessibility services will include American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, captioning, audio description, braille and large print programs, sensory devices, quiet spaces, wheelchair-accessible venues, an adapted program, reduced venue capacity, and glowed houselights. It will also culminate in a Disability in the Arts Panel Discussion.

The Collaborative of the SCFD
Get In Touch

email: info@CollaborativeSCFD.org
phone: (303) 946 2089
address: PO Box 102995 Denver, CO 80250 USA