This spring, we are offering two (2) fellowship opportunities to independent event producers or crews to produce an event in Oakland during the weekend of The Oaklash Festival 2026. These events will take place the Friday before (May 15th) or Sunday after (May 17th) this year’s Oaklash Festival. Each fellowship awardee will receive coaching support and a $1000 grant aimed at supporting emerging leaders with some independent event promoting experience.

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If you are applying as a collective, please have one person submit as lead producer for communication purposes. There is space to include other team members in our application.

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>> APPLY NOW <<

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APPLICATION TIMELINE:​

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• Application Opens: February 1st, 2026

  • ​Download a copy of the grant application questions here >>

• Application Closes: March 1st, 2026 at 11:59PM PST

• Application Review and Phone Interviews: March 1st-11th, 2026

• Recipients Notified: March 12th, 2026

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PROGRAM TIMELINE:

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• First Meeting: March 16th -20th (To be Scheduled)\

• Venue Secured: April 1st

• Promotional Materials prepared: April 15th

• Final Event: May 15th or May 17th

• Report due: June 15th

  • 3 high quality photos of the event

  • A list of paid artists and a final door count of attendees

  • A final budget including ticket sales (we want you to make money from this!)

  • A brief testimonial about your participation in the O-SNAP! Program

ELIGIBILITY:

• Event needs to happen in the East Bay, preferably within Oakland.

• Event needs to happen on Friday, May 15th OR Sunday, May 17th, 2026

• Lead producer needs to have an Alameda County address and a majority of featured artists need to be from the Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, or San Francisco County)

• Needs to align with Oaklash’s Better Event Checklist >>

• You need to have produced an event before.​

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

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• Who should apply? 

  • ​For this round of O-SNAP! we are seeking people who are looking  to expand their skills in event production work and are looking for mentorship support to expand their vision. Lead Participants should:

    • Live primarily within the East Bay (not all team members need to, but the person filling out the form will need to have an Alameda County zip code)

    • Have experience with event production - This could mean a few large events, smaller monthly or weekly parties, semi-regular drag or performance shows, underground events, resource fairs, or anything else where you are bringing people together.

    • Be available to produce an event on Friday, May 15th or Sunday May 17th, 2026 (The weekend of The Oaklash Festival)

    • Have a plan - We want these events to be successful, and that starts with a plan. The application includes an event concept, a basic budget, and a list of people involved if applying as a team or collective. Please use this application as a tool to organize thoughts and create a plan! 

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• What should this event be?

  • ​This event should prominently feature queer performers and artists and adhere to Oaklash’s Better Event Guidelines. We’re excited to see applications that are doing something different than the usual Drag brunch or celebrity tribute night – we want you to have a strong curatorial vision! Beyond that, it is kind of up to you!

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• Can you make money from this event?

  • ​YES. We encourage you to charge admission, design the event to turn a profit, make collaborative decisions, and decide how you will use that profit. This means you could use the funds to pay yourselves, donate them to a cause, or use them however you want.

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• What is included in the program?

  • $1000 grant (paid up front to lead promoter)

  • Bi-weekly Check-ins with O-SNAP! Coordinator Charles Hawthorne

  • Basic promotional outreach support through Oaklash's Instagram and Newsletter

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• Does this need to be A drag show?

  • ​NO! It can be, but all we care about is that it prominently features queer artists/performers. We encourage all types of showcases, parties, exhibitions - you name it!

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• Does this need to be a fundraiser?

  • ​NO! It can be, but we encourage you to turn a profit and pay yourselves and the featured artists well!

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• Does this need to be an all ages event?

  • ​No! It can be, but you tell us what the vibe is – we’re open to events that are 18+ or 21+ or something else for some reason.

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SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS WILL ALIGN WITH OAKLASH’S CURATORIAL VALUES OF:​

• Equity (foregrounding people of color, having an accessibility plan)

• Variety (having a unique perspective that is doing something different than Oaklash's block party programming or is new within the Bay Area scene at large)

• Quality (showing a proven track record of producing community events)

• Collaboration (decentralized leadership, cross-community connection)

APPLICATION SUPPORT:

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• We recognize that applicants for this fund may have challenges completing this application and/or receiving funds. We welcome friends or loved ones to apply on someone else's behalf WITH THEIR PERMISSION.

• If you would like support completing this application from one of our volunteers, please reach out to us at oaklashfestival@gmail.com 

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>> APPLY NOW <<