Applications for Fall 2026 Dates Are open now on neighborly!

The Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center (OJCAC), built in 2019, is a premiere visual and performing arts facility. It serves as a creative meeting space for residents, the local arts community, and organizations to experience, engage with, and create art. To further the access to the arts and performing opportunities for local nonprofits, the City of Savannah Cultural Resources will offer free or discounted use of the OJCAC's performing arts spaces through SPOTLIGHT: Facility Use Program.
The OJCAC is located at 201 Montgomery St, Savannah.

Review the Submission Guidelines here.

Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center

Studio Theater

Ben Tucker Theater

Performance on Stage

SPOTLIGHT: Facility Usage Program

The Spotlight Facility Usage Program provides a subsidy for nonprofit organizations to purchase rental space at a free or discounted rate from the Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center on select dates throughout the year. Subsidy amounts are based on an organization’s operating budget. Organizations will receive rental space along with audio/visual technical and administrative support staff.

The Cultural Affairs Commission Spotlight Subcommittee will evaluate applications to determine eligibility requirements and give priority to programming that is most beneficial to the community that:

• Expands art and culture to new audiences and participants
• Engages, develops, and inspires underserved communities and populations
• Enriches the quality of life in Savannah

Program Criteria

Projects can encompass a variety of artistic disciplines and a range of program formats, including theatre productions, musical ensembles, dance performances, literary programs, and culturally based projects.  

The Cultural Affairs Commission Spotlight Subcommittee will evaluate applications based on the program’s artistic merit, design, implementation plan, level of community engagement, diversity of participating performers and artists, and the appropriateness of the program for a variety of diverse audiences.

Program Allowances

Applicants will receive rental of the Ben Tucker Theatre or the Studio Theatre at a free or reduced rental price with the following services:

• Up to 15 hours in the Ben Tucker Theater or Studio Theater
  • including all load-in, rehearsals, technical rehearsals, performance(s), and load-out
• 1 audio/visual technician
• 1 front desk staff
• 1 SCAC manager
• 1 cleaning crew
• Use of concessions area

The Ben Tucker Theater is a modern auditorium with full lighting and sound capabilities along with stadium seating for 330 attendees. The theater provides a professional setting for film screenings, plays, musicals, and recitals. Review Ben Tucker specs here. The Studio Theater is a black box-style theater which hosts an array of events and activities from art lectures to dance classes. 

2026 Spotlight Date Availability

Available dates for Fall 2026 are below. Event may take place on Friday evening, Saturday Matinee, or Saturday evening.

• Thursday, October 1st – Saturday, October 3rd    
• Thursday, October 15th – Saturday, October 17th  
• Thursday, November 5th – Saturday, November 7th

*Availability of allocated dates/times are subject to change. 

Guidelines and Application Period

Please review the Spotlight Facility Usage Program Guidelines for additional details on program’s requirements and restrictions.
Spotlight application periods open twice a year, and operate on a rolling basis as needed or determined by the Cultural Affairs Commission.

GUIDELINES

Applications will open on January 14th at 8am. All applications must be submitted through the Neighborly system. New users must create an account in Neighborly to access the Spotlight Facility Use Program application; returning users may log in through their existing account.

NEIGHBORLY LOGIN

Information Session

January 21, 2026 | 6pm
In-person. Please email SCACcontracts@savannahga.gov to RSVP.

Watch an information session completed in November here. 

Application Timeline

Please reach out the Contracts Coordinator at SCACcontracts@savannahga.gov with questions related to the Spotlight Facility Use Program.

Spotlight 2024 Recipients 

Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council
From the Westview (Play)	The setting of From the Westview unfolds within the confines of a classroom at Westview High, the inaugural charter school exclusively comprised of black students. The student body at Westview is meticulously chosen based on their academic excellence, transcending geographic boundaries within the city. Unlike the perceived limitations in public schools, where genuine critical thinking may be stifled, Westview provides a platform for students to maximize their potential. On this particular day, Mr. Jacob, the teacher at Westview, is concluding his tenure in the classroom due to personal reasons. In his final class, Mr. Jacob liberates his students, permitting them to openly express their thoughts on various topics he has presented. This departure from the norm is a deliberate effort to foster unbridled discussions, allowing the students to plunge into their emotions and engage in honest conversations about the problems of the world. Through this unconventional approach, Mr. Jacob aims to gauge the students' awareness of the challenges they face and encourage them to explore the depths of their perspectives from poverty to politics.
Cultivate Savannah, Inc.
Paris is Burning & Kiki (Documentary Film Screenings and Panel Discussion)	Paris is Burning is a 1990s documentary directed by Jennie Livingston. "It is a chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing, and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality." Kiki is a 2016 documentary directed by Sara Jordenö. "This vibrant and emotional documentary picks up where Paris Is Burning leaves off. Shifting its gaze on a new generation of LGBTQI+ youth in the ballroom scene, Kiki proves that while it might get better” for some, the most marginalized and vulnerable still need a safe haven to help them find community, love, and validation."
DOC Savannah
After Sherman (Documentary Film Screening and Panel Discussion)	After Sherman’s Filmmaker Jon-Sesrie Goff returns to the coastal South Carolina land that his family purchased after emancipation. His desire to explore his Gullah/Geechee roots leads to a poetic investigation of Black inheritance, trauma, and generational wisdom, amidst the tensions that have shaped American history. In the wake of recent Southern violence, After Sherman is a reclamation of Black life and space.
Friends of the Bradley Theater
Glory (Film Screening and Panel Discussion)	Following the Battle of Antietam, Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is offered command of the United States' first all-African American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. With junior officer Cabot Forbes (Cary Elwes), Shaw puts together a strong and proud unit, including the escaped slave Trip (Denzel Washington) and the wise gravedigger John Rawlins (Morgan Freeman). At first limited to menial manual tasks, the regiment fights to be placed in the heat of battle.  Glory is a production that tackles difficult discussions about Slavery and, more importantly, about the ongoing legacy of dehumanizing other races. We see White and Black characters struggle over - not the political equality - but the human equality in the movie. Responses to being subjugated by these ideas are represented, not in one way, but within the spectrum of Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman's characters. And the responses by White people, even well-meaning White people, are also diverse, exemplified by the Cary Elwes and the Matthew Broderick characters.
Kwanzaa365 Connection
AfroRhythms Dance (Dance and Musical Performance)	AfroRhythms Dancewill showcase dynamic African dance and drum techniques highlighting a unique blend of African diaspora cultures. The performance will teach participants how to embrace a holistic movement that contributes to a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Designed for community members of all ages and levels, workshops and demonstrations will provide hands-on opportunities for participants to immerse themselves in a rich and dynamic experience of African culture. The talented performers will get everyone moving and experiencing the power of Umoja –unity and cultural exchange.