NEW YORK CITY: The Theater Subdistrict Council (TSC) has announced the recipients of the city’s inaugural diversity grants, totaling $2 million. Eleven local theatres will receive grants for diversity initiatives, including paid training and mentorship opportunities. The theatres include Roundabout Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop, and Harlem Stage. The grants were created in response to a 2016 study which found that the staffs at the city’s cultural nonprofits did not reflect the city’s diversity.
“New York is a theatre town,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement. “From the dynamic cluster in Midtown’s theatre subdistrict to stages around the city, NYC’s theatre scene attracts the very best performers, producers, and technicians, engaging audiences from across the city and beyond with performances that express the full breadth of our collective creativity, imagination, and emotion. Bringing this level of excellence to our theatres takes a collaborative effort from a huge range of trained professionals. With the help of the Theater Subdistrict Council, New York can take the lead in expanding access to good paying career opportunities in theatre for historically underrepresented communities, paving the way for theatre to remain a vibrant sector that speaks to all New Yorkers.”
The recipients of the grants are: Brooklyn Academy of Music, BRIC, Epic Theater Ensemble, Harlem Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, New 42nd Street, New York Theatre Workshop, Roundabout Theatre Company, Teatro SEA, Theater Breaking Through Barriers, and Theatre Development Fund.
These organizations will provide a range of paid training, mentorship, and other career development opportunities in theatre management, arts administration, and technical production, for individuals from underrepresented communities, including people of color and with disabilities. The grants will fund programs taking place between January 2017 and June 2018.
“Theatre has always played a significant role in reflecting and celebrating our diverse city,” said TSC Member Lin-Manuel Miranda in a statement. “I am so proud to be part of an organization that benefits our theatres and allows them to cultivate rising talent and bring fresh perspectives on and off the stage. This targeted investment will help ensure new stories get told for years to come.”
The Theater Subdistrict Council is an independent not-for-profit. It administers the Theater Subdistrict Funds and its goals include promoting the production of new theatre work, developing new audiences, and showcasing Broadway’s singular role in the history of American theatre.
