On the heels of announcing that Pharrell Williams is bringing his “Something in the Water” music festival to the District, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser launched a new program Tuesday aimed at bolstering live events by the city’s creative community.

Pitched as a tool for the economic recovery of both the city and local artists, the new Encore Program will fund and subsidize live, in-person events put on by local producers, creatives, entrepreneurs. (D.C.-based businesses can also apply for the subsidy.) Anyone interested in applying for the funding must show proof of D.C. residency (or a D.C. business license), and proof that they’ve experienced a negative impact on their business in the past two years. Encore also requires applicants to show documentation of at least three previously produced events. Winners will be selected in an “equitable and inclusive” lottery process, according to a release from the Mayor’s office.

The events will be open to the public and take place at five venues across D.C.’s four quadrants — The Kennedy Center, H Street’s Starburst Plaza, The Wharf, East River Park Shopping Center, and Sandlot Anacostia. The program is set to run through Sept. 30 of this year, and applications close on May 24.

Encore was created through the D.C. Creative Affairs Office, the D.C. Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment, and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. A spokesperson for DMPED told DCist/WAMU that the funding will vary based on the needs of each event, but the program will cover 100% of the event cost.

“Washington, D.C. is bustling with creative talent and as we stay focused on our recovery, we’re looking at all the ways we can tap into and support local artists and creatives,” Bowser said in her press release touting the program on Tuesday, shortly after celebrating the Pharrell festival news. “The Encore Program is about investing in local talent and providing equitable and inclusive opportunities for artists to create and perform right here in the District.”

The D.C. Arts and Humanities Commission, an independent 17-member body with a budget of more than $30 million, also doles out grants to artists and arts organizations. The commission became a lifeline for some creatives during the more acute stage of the pandemic, when restrictions made live events impossible, but the group has been critcized for perpetuating long-standing inequity and racism in the city’s arts scene.