ArtsForward Grants Program Grantees

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ArtsForward was inspired by the intensive exchanges that emerged during the pandemic among peers and working groups in the arts field. The program aimed to build and reinforce a sustainable arts ecosystem with business practices that respected artists and supported presenters. ArtsForward included grants, learning, and resources to underscore and enhance the interdependence and safety of all those involved in performance engagements.

Selected by a panel of experts in the performing arts field, the 47 funded collaborations support a variety of presenting organizations, a diverse array of artists, and a broad range of approaches to reopening. They include emerging artists who are finding their voice as well as established artists passing on their traditions. Among the 47 partnerships are presenters with a range of budget sizes, working independently as well as within colleges, universities, museums, and other larger institutions.

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Grantee Collaborations

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Alabama Dance Council, Inc., Birmingham, Alabama, in collaboration with Wideman Davis Dance of New York Inc.
To premiere Wideman Davis Dance’s “Migratuse Ataraxia Reimagined,” a walking tour of spaces that journey from enslavement to Black liberation.
American Dance Festival, Inc., Durham, North Carolina, in collaboration with Rennie Harris Puremovement, Inc.
To present Rennie Harris’ “LIFTED” with the possible inclusion of North Carolina dancers and gospel singers.
Americas Society, Inc., New York, New York, in collaboration with Rita I. Hernandez (Rita Indiana)
To commission and premiere Rita Indiana‘s songbook “The Ballad of Manzanillo.”
Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services - ACCESS (Arab American National Museum - AANM), Dearborn, Michigan, in collaboration with Heather Raffo
To support the creation and presentation of a work by Heather Raffo about Detroit as a border town including live, installation and hybrid performances.
Bethany Arts Community Inc, Ossining, New York, in collaboration with Flyaway Productions
To present Flyaway Productions’ “The Apparatus of Repair,” including a residency with restorative justice workshops.
Black Arts MKE, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in collaboration with Kiran Vedula
To present Kiran Vedula’s “Hip Hop DNA,” including youth and community workshops.
Boom Arts, Portland, Oregon, in collaboration with Kristina Wong
To present a multi-week run of “Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord.”
Cache Valley Center for the Arts, Logan, Utah, in collaboration with Tau Dance Theater
To present Tau Dance Theatre in student and public performances.
Community Theater Project Corp. (Kelly Strayhorn Theater - KST), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in collaboration with The New Utility, Inc. (Abby Z and The New Utility)
To premiere Abby Z and The New Utility’s “Radioactive Practice,” with one week of community engagement activities.
Danspace Project, Inc., New York City, New York, in collaboration with Mina Nishimura
To commission and present Mina Nishimura’s work "Mapping a Forest while Searching for an Opposite Term of Exorcist," including creative residencies.
DC Wheel Productions, Inc. (Dance Place), Washington, District of Columbia, in collaboration with Disability Dance Works, LLC (Kinetic Light)
Englert Civic Theatre Inc, Iowa City, Iowa, in collaboration with Arooj Aftab
To present Arooj Aftab at the Mission Creek Festival, with preceding community engagement activities.
Fairbanks Concert Association, Fairbanks, Alaska, in collaboration with DE-CRUIT
To support DE-CRUIT in two 3-week community residencies that builds a program to benefit veterans, with a culminating performance.
FUSE BOX AUSTIN, Austin, Texas, in collaboration with Sylvan Oswald
To present Sylvan Oswald’s “High Winds” at the Fusebox Festival, with an interactive LGBTQ book fair.
GALA Inc. Grupo de Artistas Latinamericanos (GALA Hispanic Theater), Washington, District of Columbia, in collaboration with Entreflamenco
To present a full-length flamenco by Entreflamenco at the Annual Fuego Flamenco Festival, with school performances.
Grand Performances, Los Angeles, California, in collaboration with Fountain Theatre
To present an outdoor staging of Fountain Theatre’s “CITIZEN: An American Lyric” with community outreach activities.
Harlem Stage Inc., New York, New York, in collaboration with Gerald William Clayton
To present Gerald Clayton’s “Piedmont Blues” with digital conversations and Blues-focused workshops for youth.
Heritage Works, Detroit, Michigan, in collaboration with The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!)
To support PHILADANCO!’s “Endangered Species – Detroit,” including performances, dialogues, and workshops.
Jack Arts, Inc., Brooklyn, New York, in collaboration with Raja Feather Kelly
To present Raja Feather Kelly’s "Ugly, Part 3: BLUE."
Japan Society, Inc., New York City, New York, in collaboration with Maiko Kikuchi
To support Maiko Kikuchi’s “9000 Paper Balloons” through a pre-performance creative residency and presentation.
Kings Majestic Corporation (651 ARTS), Brooklyn, New York, in collaboration with Robyn Rodgers (DJ Reborn)
To support DJ Reborn’s “Four the Record,” in preproduction residency and performance at the 2022 Juneteenth celebration.
Links Hall, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, in collaboration with Nia Witherspoon
To support the creative development of Nia Witherspoon’s “Priestess of Twerk,” including workshops, performances, and community events.
Madison Project (The Broad Stage), Santa Monica, California, in collaboration with Emily Johnson (Emily Johnson / Catalyst)
To premiere Emily Johnson’s “Being Future Being,” including a residency & community activations.
Miami Dade College (Live Arts Miami), Miami, Florida, in collaboration with Lisa D'Amour and Katie Pearl (PearlDamour)
To premiere PearlDamour’s “Ocean Filibuster” involving a local cast, with a preceding residency.
Minnesota Shubert Center for Dance & Music (The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts), Minneapolis, Minnesota, in collaboration with The MIXTAPE Collective
To premiere The MIXTAPE Collective’s “MIXTAPE 5G: The Sound of Movement,” including masterclasses and workshops.
National Museum of Mexican Art, Chicago, Illinois, in collaboration with Nancy Garcia
To present a public reading of Nancy Garcia Loza’s “Macha.”
North Carolina State University (NC State LIVE), Raleigh, North Carolina, in collaboration with CONTRA-TIEMPO
To premiere a work by CONTRA-TIEMPO, including an advance technical residency and community engagement.
Ocean County College (Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts), Toms River, New Jersey, in collaboration with Foundation for Independent Artist (Ephrat Asherie Dance)
To present Ephrat Asherie Dance’s “UnderScored,” with legendary elders from the underground dance community, including an advance creative residency and engagement activities.
ODC Theater, San Francisco, California, in collaboration with Marjani Forte-Saunders
To present Marjani Forte-Saunders’ “Memoirs of a… Unicorn” with engagement activities.
Original Music Workshop, Inc. (National Sawdust), Brooklyn, New York, in collaboration with Michela Marino Lerman
To present Michela Marino Lerman and her band, Love Movement, including community engagement programs.
Pack Place Performing Arts (Wortham Center for the Performing Arts), Asheville, North Carolina, in collaboration with Carolina Jasmine, Inc. (American Patchwork Quartet)
To support a residency of the American Patchwork Quartet, including a performance and other activities.
Performing Arts Serving Acadiana, Lafayette, Louisiana, in collaboration with New Dance Theatre, Inc. (Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble)
To support the development and work-in-progress showings of “Sacred Spaces?” by Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, with community engagement.
President and Trustees of Bates College (Bates Dance Festival), Lewiston, Maine, in collaboration with Fist and Heel Performance Group
To support the presentation of Fist and Heel’s “Power,” and a creative residency culminating in an outdoor site-specific work.
Queens Theatre in the Park, Inc., Corona, New York, in collaboration with Phamaly Theatre Company
To present Phamaly Theatre Company’s “Spitfire Grill” as part of the Disability Artistry Festival featuring a range of disability services for patrons.
Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Sun Valley, Idaho, in collaboration with Las Cafeteras
To support, as part of a Día de los Muertos celebration, free and ticketed performances of Las Cafeteras and an extended school residency.
The Cortez Center, Inc., Cortez, Colorado, in collaboration with Delbert Anderson (Spirit Coalescent)
To present The Spirit Coalescent‘s multi-week residency involving performances, community workshops and other activities.
The Pennsylvania State University (The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State), University Park, Pennsylvania, in collaboration with Michael Mwenso (Mwenso & the Shakes)
To present Mwenso & The Shakes’ in performances and residency activities with University students and the community.
The Zeiterion Theatre, New Bedford, Massachusetts, in collaboration with Young at Heart Chorus, Inc
To support a performance of Young at Heart Chorus with 2 children’s chorus and online work.
Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Live Arts at the University of Pennsylvania), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in collaboration with The Negro Ensemble Company
To support a year-long residency with the Negro Ensemble Company involving a one-act play festival and the creation of a new poetry theatre piece.
UtahPresents, Salt Lake City, Utah, in collaboration with Mexico Beyond Mariachi Inc.
To support a residency with Mexico Beyond Mariachi’s “SUGAR SKULL!” including creative development and activities for students.
Weis Center for the Performing Arts at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, in collaboration with Micaela Grace Taylor
To present Micaela Taylor/TL Collective, including advance virtual and in-person residency activities for youth.
Wesleyan University (Wesleyan University Center for the Arts), Middletown, Connecticut, in collaboration with Toshi Reagon Black Elephant Music
To support a creative residency with Toshi Reagon as she develops her new “Disco Project,” and specifically to expand a work-in-progress showing into a staged concert.
White Bird, Portland, Oregon, in collaboration with Dallas Black Dance Theatre
To present a mixed repertory program by Dallas Black Dance Theatre, with community engagement events.
Wisconsin Union Theater, Madison, Wisconsin, in collaboration with Shasparay Irvin
To support Shasparay in co-producing the Black Arts Matter Festival, which includes onsite and online programming.
Works and Process, Inc., New York, New York, in collaboration with Music From The Sole, Inc.
To support the development and premiere of Music From The Sole’s “I Didn’t Come to Stay” with residency activities.
World Arts West, San Francisco, California, in collaboration with Latanya d. Tigner
To support the creation and premiere of Latanya d. Tigner’s “5th-Quarter Bantaba,” involving musicians from Jackson State University’s marching band.
Yerba Buena Arts & Events (Yerba Buena Gardens Festival), San Francisco, California, in collaboration with Marcus Shelby
To support the creation and premiere of the Marcus Shelby Orchestra’s "Blues in the City" as part of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival with educational programs.

Advisors and Panelists

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Building on APAP’s long history as a regranting organization, ArtsForward’s design and activities are informed by a national team of multidisciplinary and culturally diverse advisors and peers, including artists, agents, and presenters. ArtsForward is led with senior advisor Suzanne Callahan, of Callahan Consulting for the Arts.

Thank you to our panelists and advisors.

Advisors

Terri Lyne Carrington (she/her), Artist, Producer and educator, Founder, Ajari Music, LLC, Woburn, MA
Sandy Garcia (she/her), Director of Booking, Pentacle, Brooklyn, NY
Rika Iino (she/her), Founder, Sozo Artists Inc., Oakland, CA
Dayna Martinez (she/her), Vice President of Programming & Education, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Saint Paul, MN
Christopher K. Morgan (he/him) Director, Center for Native Arts and Cultures, Portland, OR
Bill Stephan (he/him), Executive Director, Lied Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln, NE

Panelists

T. Lulani Arquette (she/her), President and CEO, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, Vancouver, WA
Nikki Estes (she/her), Director, Presenting & Touring, South Arts, Atlanta, GA
Margaret Lawrence (she/her), Director of Programming, Moss Arts Center, Blacksburg, VA
Jim Leija (they/them, he/his, she/her), Deputy Director for Public Experience and Learning, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
Chris Lorway (he/his), Executive Director, Stanford Live and Bing Concert Hall, Stanford, CA

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