Following a December 11 press release by the National Endowment for the Arts, the following theatre-related grants were found at the NEA's composite listing by state:
Austin Creative Alliance
GRANT CATEGORY: Art Works FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Arts Education
$25,000 Austin, TX
To support professional development for African-American and Hispanic teaching artists who will help implement the Kennedy Center's Any Given Child initiative in Austin. During a pilot professional development program, teaching artists will be trained to understand arts education and their role in providing leadership for arts education. They also will use data to make decisions about arts education programming in the community, and design, implement, and utilize high quality assessment of student learning in the arts in order to improve instruction. The project is a response to recommendations fromAfrican-American and Hispanic communities for the Community Arts Team for the Any Given Child initiative, which includes the Austin Creative Alliance, the Superintendent of the Austin Independent School District, the Mayor of the City of Austin, and MINDPOP, a coordinating body.
City of Austin, Texas
GRANT CATEGORY: Art Works FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Local Arts Agencies
$30,000 Austin, TX
To support the development of cultural resource maps and associated community and economic development strategies. Project activity will include the creation of a series of maps with various layers of information that will integrate Austin's cultural resources across all facets of Austin city planning. The mapping will be a tool for creative economy strategy implementation and a guide for investment in the city of Austin's specific initiatives. For example, the mapping will inform projects such as sector incubators, creative corridors/hubs, and the development of cultural districts.
VORTEX Repertory Company
GRANT CATEGORY: Art Works FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Theater & Musical Theater
$10,000 Austin, TX
To support the creation and presentation of "Spirit," an interdisciplinary musical that will blend theater, dance, opera, and ritual. Conceived and directed by Bonnie Cullum, the piece will explore the universal human concept of the spirit, drawing on research into diverse world spiritual traditions and concepts of the spirit or soul. The production will be the last in The Elementals, a series of original works exploring air, fire, water, earth, and spirit. Live and recorded music will be composed by Chris Humphrey and Chad Salvata.
Zachary Scott Theater Center
GRANT CATEGORY: Art Works FIELD/DISCIPLINE: Theater & Musical Theater
$40,000 Austin, TX
To support a production of "The Gospel at Colonus," a gospel version of the Sophocles tragedy "Oedipus at Colonus" originally created in New York City in 1985 by Lee Breuer. The piece blends ancient Greek tragedy and modern gospel, re-c nceiving the play as a church service in which the Oedipus story functions like an Old Testament tale as a text on which sermons and spiritual lessons are set. The production will feature a large cast of African-American actors, gospel choir members, and musicians from Austin. Associated activities will include extensive outreach to the African-American community and a series of community engagement activities.
City of Round Rock, Texas
GRANT CATEGORY: Challenge America Fast-Track
$10,000 Round Rock, TX
To support a performance of "Light it up Blue" by Blue Lapis Lights, a site-specific aerial dance company. The performance will take place in Prete Main Street Plaza during Autism Awareness Month, providing an opportunity for low-income adolescents and persons affected by autism to be participants in an event that speaks to the issue of autism.
