RedLine is a proud partner and administrator of the Arts in Society grant. This collaborative program provides grants to both individuals and organizations that use art as a vehicle to promote social justice and community welfare.
We love highlighting our Arts in Society (AiS) grant recipients and all the unique and impactful projects made possible by their grant.
We’re excited continue this series with the 2025 Arts in Society Grantee: Colorado African Innovation & Cultural Center (CAICC).
Learn more about CAICC and their project Colorado Dashiki Festival, and how they’re bridging culture, education, and innovation to empower underserved and underrepresented communities throughout Colorado!
Tell us about your organization
CAICC is a community-rooted nonprofit that bridges culture, education, and innovation to empower underserved and underrepresented communities throughout Colorado.
Founded in 2017, CAICC celebrates African heritage while advancing equity, healing, and opportunity through culturally grounded programs that merge arts, mental health, business, and technology.
CAICC’s mission is to empower underserved communities through education, innovation, and cultural belonging. We believe that art is not only a creative expression—it’s a tool for identity, healing, and transformation.
Through initiatives like the Youth Wellness & Resilience Program, Young Innovator Tech Program, Business Accelerator, and the Dashiki Festival, CAICC connects thousands of people each year to spaces where they can grow, heal, and celebrate culture together.
CAICC’s 100% BIPOC-led team ensures that our work reflects the voices and lived experiences of the people we serve. From youth navigating mental health to small business owners finding their footing, our programs meet communities where they are — rooted in culture, powered by innovation, and united by belonging.
At the heart of CAICC’s artistic vision stands the Dashiki Festival, a living symbol of unity, expression, and empowerment for African and diaspora communities across Colorado.
Tell us about your first project that will utilize your Arts in Society Grant:
Our Arts in Society art grant supported the 9th Annual Dashiki Festival, held on August 3, 2025—one of the most powerful cultural gatherings in our organization’s history.
Drawing over 6,000 attendees from more than 20 states, the festival became a living canvas of African art, music, and storytelling.
The 2025 festival featured world-class performers such as Femi Kuti, Mokomba Ensemble, Harry Mo & The Dread Upon Babylon Band, Beasts of No Nation, and the Scatta Dancers + DJs, each blending African heritage with contemporary artistry.
The Dashiki Fashion Show saw 75+ participants and 35 contestants of all ages and backgrounds, with mobile QR voting making audience members part of the creative process.
Over 30 vendors—from chefs and artisans to authors and designers—transformed the festival into a celebration of entrepreneurship and cultural preservation. Attendees explored African and Caribbean foods, traditional fashion, handmade crafts, and diaspora storytelling through art and literature.
The 2025 Dashiki Festival generated over $110,000 in total revenue, boosted Denver’s local economy, and offered valuable exposure to dozens of small, Black, immigrant, and refugee-owned businesses.
Yet, its greatest achievement was emotional and cultural: thousands of people, from all racial and cultural backgrounds, danced side by side to Femi Kuti’s Afrobeat rhythms—proof that art has the power to unite.
What’s next in the pipeline for your organization? What other projects are you dreaming up for next year, and how will your Arts in Society grant help to support these efforts?
Colorado Dashiki Festival 2025 – Femi Kuti Live
The 10th Annual Dashiki Festival (2026) will mark a milestone—a decade of cultural unity, artistic innovation, and community empowerment.
Building on the legacy of the Arts in Society-supported 2025 event, next year’s festival will expand to become the largest celebration of African and diaspora culture in Colorado’s history.
Our vision for the 10th Annual Dashiki Festival (2026) is rooted in inclusion, collaboration, and representation.
We’re uniting arts, health, and cultural partners across the state to make this milestone year a true reflection of Colorado’s diverse African and diaspora communities.
We are proudly partnering with:
Colorado Black Arts Festival—to bridge statewide artistic networks and elevate local Black creatives.
Colorado Health Foundation—to promote wellness, belonging, and mental health through art-based community healing spaces.
Alpine Bank, FirstBank, and the Minority Business Office—to strengthen small business participation and economic empowerment.
RedLine Contemporary Arts Center—to connect emerging artists and expand creative collaborations.
Denver Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs (DOIRA) and Rose Community Foundation—to advance inclusion and cultural integration.
Community and Faith Leaders representing West, East, Central, and Southern Africa, as well as the Caribbean diaspora—ensuring every community has a voice and a presence in the festival’s planning and celebration.
This collective vision extends far beyond Denver. Through a statewide cultural campaign reaching all 64 Colorado counties, we aim to amplify African and diaspora artistry while inviting every Coloradan—regardless of background—to celebrate a shared story of resilience, pride, and unity.
What was your experience like when applying for an Arts in Society grant? What tips would you share with artists looking to apply?
Applying for the Arts in Society grant was a defining moment for CAICC. It encouraged us to embrace our cultural programming as a form of artistic and social innovation—a space where music, dance, and storytelling are used to heal communities and redefine belonging.
The Arts in Society grant team valued authenticity, inclusion, and impact, which allowed us to share the Dashiki Festival’s story in its truest form—as a community-designed art experience that transcends borders.
For future applicants, we encourage:
Lead with your “why.” Tell the story of your community and how your art changes lives.
Show the intersection. Art doesn’t exist in isolation—connect it to healing, education, or equity.
Collaborate boldly. The strength of the Dashiki Festival comes from partnership—with artists, small businesses, and local leaders.
The Arts in Society Colorado art grant helped us elevate a community celebration into a statewide cultural institution, affirming that art is the heartbeat of belonging.
Arts in Society Grantee Project Highlight: áyA Con
Learn more about Create ayA and how their project áyA Con uplifts the stories, talents, and resistance of Indigenous and other marginalized creators across comics, visual arts, literature, music, fashion, and multimedia.
Administered by RedLine, Arts in Society (AiS) is a grant program supporting cross-sector work through the arts across Colorado.
