Krannert Center for the Performing Arts‘ Youth Series will see a boost in the form of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. This grant, which totals $20,000, is allocated for sustaining diverse artistry, and for exploring and expanding the impact of arts programs for youth.
For more information, check out the press release below:
MORE THAN $82 MILLION AWARDED FOR ARTS PROJECTS NATIONWIDE
INCLUDES $20,000 AWARDED TO KRANNERT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Urbana, IL—National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $82 million to fund local arts projects across the country in the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017. Included in this announcement is an Art Works award of $20,000 to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to sustain and expand its presentation of high-quality, diverse artistry; create residencies and engagement opportunities; and explore the impact of the arts for preK-12 students, families, artists, and partners. The NEA received 1,728 Art Works applications and will make 1,029 grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.
“The arts reflect the vision, energy, and talent of America’s artists and arts organizations,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support organizations such as Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in serving their communities by providing excellent and accessible arts experiences.”
Krannert Center’s Youth Series: The IMPACT of the Arts for Youth grant work will be revealed through interviews, workshops, storytelling, stage tours, masterclasses, demonstrations, interactions, and other activities exploring early arts education experiences; connectivity around cultural, academic, and societal moments through the arts; methods of art-making; and the professional development of artists. Year one residencies will range from day-long interactions alongside performances to week-long residencies; this will build in year two to longer residencies such as a two-week continuous residency or multiple shorter visits from the same artist. During these visits, the artist/company/creative teams and students will engage in explorations about various art forms and their impact. Students and teachers will be collaborators in designing the interactions to promote conversations among our local community, university learning community, and national/international performing arts community.
Krannert Center director Mike Ross noted the critical nature of NEA funding throughout the arts community and its ability to propel long-standing, mission-centric projects like the Krannert Center Youth Series to new levels of excellence and impact. As Krannert Center prepares for the 35th anniversary of the Youth Series program in the 2017-18 season, Ross expressed the Center’s gratitude to the NEA and Chairman Chu for fueling the advancement of innovative education, creative research, and inclusive excellence in presenting and engagement through the performing arts.
To join the Twitter conversation about this announcement, please use #NEASpring17 and #KrannertCenter. For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, go to arts.gov