Relative Theatrics is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Challenge America award of $10,000. This grant will support the arts education initiative Play/Write. A two-part program, Play/Write teaches the foundations of dramatic writing and theatre literacy in Albany County School District #1 and culminates in an intergenerational community performance that showcases the work written by talented Laramie 5th graders. In total, the NEA will award 257 Challenge America awards totaling $2,570,000 that were announced as part of its first round of fiscal year 2024 grants.
“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to Relative Theatrics, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.”
“Receiving this prestigious award from the NEA is a true honor. It shows that, not only is Relative Theatrics appreciated on a local level, but also that we are also worthy of national recognition,” said Relative Theatrics Founder and Director Anne Mason. “This funding is critical in continuing our efforts to cultivate community gathering spaces where the creation of creative, thought-provoking theatre can flourish.”
In its second year, Play/Write will partner with Spring Creek Elementary, Linford Elementary, and Rock River School. During the 20-week Play/Write residency, Play/Write aspires to create skill and passion for writing; to foster creative thinking; and to introduce students to theatre as an art form and create a lifelong interest in the arts. The curriculum is based on the idea that students learn from doing. It combines theatre activities – games, improvised scenes, students staging short works – with lessons on writing – exploration of dramatic conflict, believable dialogue, and developing a plot map. Each participating student writes a short play that demonstrates mastery of Common Core writing standards, guided by Relative Theatrics teaching artists through the playwriting process: prewriting and drafting, individual and group conferences, revisions, publication, and performance.
For more information on other initiatives from Relative Theatrics, or to make a contribution towards the Challenge America grant’s required 1-to-1 match, visit relativetheatrics.com/support.
For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
Image used with permission.