The League of Cincinnati Theatres will host a meet 'n' greet with Cincinnati City Council's arts committee - chairman Jim Tarbell, John Cranley and Christopher Smitherman - and invite artists, administrators and fans to join them from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday in the courtyard at Arnold's Bar & Grill (210 E. Eighth St., downtown) to let arts advocacy voices be heard. Cash bar.

Free lecture: Pop your head in early at the meet 'n' greet, then trot right over to University of Cincinnati, where multiple Obie Award-winning director Anne Bogart will offer a free lecture on "The Transformative Power of Theatre: Decisiveness and Articulation in the Creative Process" at 7 p.m. Monday in College-Conservatory of Music's Cohen Family Studio.

Fear not the senior seminar title of Bogart's address. Richard Hess, chair of CCM Drama promises, "Hearing Anne Bogart speak can change your life as an artist, she's that extraordinary. I know of no one else working in the American theater today who can better shake up our preconceptions about art and who can inspire you to action as an artist."

Get your grants: Back to city business, applications are available for City of Cincinnati's Small Arts Organization Grant Program for the grant period Sept. 1, 2004 to Aug. 31, 2005. Operating and support grants of up to $7,500 are available.

Applications are widely available, including at Cincinnati Recreation Commission (Two Centennial Plaza, Suite 800, 805 Central Ave.) and Dunham Recreation Complex, Art Academy of Cincinnati, Enjoy the Arts, the Public Library and an electronic version of program guidelines and application are available at www.cincyrec.org.

Deadline is March 15. A free workshop will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Registration is required. Workshop information and registration: 352-4000 by Tuesday.

Grant program information: Call Carolyn Gutjahr at 352-4985; www.cincyrec.org.

E-mail jdemaline@enquirer.com