The word "Funding" next to a photo of a diverse ensemble cast in mid-twentieth century clothing singing a song.

 

Funds for Anti-Oppression Work

A.R.T./New York offers microgrants to all A.R.T./New York members (except Business Affiliates) who would like to hire specialized professionals to advance anti-oppression efforts at their organizations. These grants are not intended to fund directors, stage managers, actors, writers, or other similar positions; they are intended to fund specialists such as anti-racism consultants, intimacy specialists, gender consultants, cultural coordinators, and the like. These specialists can either be hired to support a specific project or to work with an organization as a whole; they may also be hired by independently-formed cohorts of organizations who may wish to pool their resources in order to have the professional(s) support all of their organizations. 

If you are looking for a place to start this work, you may want to check out the specialists and organizations listed below. However, it is important to A.R.T./New York that we do not perpetuate the white supremacist practice of gatekeeping by restricting our members to only the consultants we have previously identified. Applicants are welcome to work with any professional they choose, regardless of whether or not they are on this list, and we will continue to update the list as we learn more from our community about different people doing this work. For deeper, long-term organizational change work outside of what this microgrant can financially support, we recommend inquiring about our Theatre Leadership Program.

  • BlackBee Entertainment: With the expertise of a Cultural Coordinator, Diversity Editor, and Intimacy Specialist, BlackBee assesses your materials and teams to ensure the production of new stories in safe and equitable spaces from the ground up.

  • Ring of Keys Consultancy Directory: The Ring of Keys Consultancy Directory is a resource for producers, casting directors, and theatremakers who are in need of a Gender Consultant or Queer Consultant for their theatrical projects.

  • Intimacy Coordinators of Color: Intimacy Coordinators of Color supports and promotes decolonized intimacy education and inclusive hiring practices in the entertainment industry.

  • Daniel Lim Consulting: DL Consulting is a team of social justice consultants, facilitators, and trainers who partner with organizations and communities to build regenerative and liberatory cultures 

  • Keryl McCord / Equity Quotient: EQ provides dismantling racism training, and organizational planning and development through the lens of racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity. 

  • Rebecca KellyG Equity and Justice Consulting: Rebecca KellyG is an anti-racist/anti-oppression facilitator, artist, BIPOC Actors' Advocate, and former civil rights attorney partnering with artists and multi-racial arts organizations/communities to heal internalized oppression, build capacity for generative discomfort and self-reflection, as well as shift practices toward equity and justice. Visit her site for booking as well as for resources.

Applicants must have already begun conversations with the professional(s) they are planning to hire before submitting an application. Microgrant amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis to meet the needs of each applicant, but, typically, grants are given at a maximum of $1500 and at a one-to-one match with the applicant. Applicants are welcome to apply for multiple microgrants in one fiscal year and may receive a maximum of $1500 in total grant(s) awarded per grant cycle (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022). Applicants can expect to be notified of their grant status within 10 business days of submitting an application.

Grantees will be expected to submit a brief report on the use of the grant funds within 6 months of receiving the funding. 

If you have any questions regarding the program or application, or would like to speak with a staff member of A.R.T./New York prior to preparing an application, please send an email to [email protected]. 

Evaluation Criteria

Our readers will be reviewing your applications based on the following criteria:

  • Feasibility of Project

    • Is the scope of the grant-funded project or program feasible?

    • Is the compensation for the consultants appropriate?

    • Are there any major concerns with the theatre’s ability to execute the project?

  • Impact of Grant 

    • Does the applicant clearly demonstrate their need for working with the professional(s) who will be supported by the grant?

    • Will the work have an impact on the theatre, their staff, audiences, and/or artists, and/or the larger community?

  • Commitment to Anti-Oppression

    • Do the applicant’s values and practices align with the work of the professional they are hiring?

    • Does the applicant have an ongoing commitment to anti-racism and anti-oppression, and does the proposed project meet that commitment?  

Please note: Applications are now closed for this fiscal year.
The application for the next rolling cycle of this program will be announced and open in August 2022.

View a Preview of the Microgrant Application »

Intimacy Director Microgrants

As of March 17, 2021, A.R.T./New York is no longer administering Intimacy Director Microgrants as a separate program. The Funds for Anti-Oppression Work microgrant supports the hiring of intimacy directors, along with many other types of professionals. If you have questions about this or about any of our grant programs, please email [email protected].

 

Header: Irish Repertory Theatre's production of Finian's Rainbow. Photo by Carol Rosegg.