New Victory's Director of Artistic Programming Mary Rose Lloyd Receives IPAY Award

Mary Rose Lloyd, Director of Artistic Programming for The New Victory Theater, New York's premier theater for kids and families, was honored with the Mickey Miners Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for her significant impact and contribution to the field of the performing arts for young audiences.

"I am overjoyed that Mary has been recognized as the 2014 Mickey Miners Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Mary was one of the first people I met in this industry and she has been a mentor, an inspiration and a friend ever since. More importantly, she is a loud and passionate voice for our field, fighting for the values, importance and transformative power of the arts for young people," says Jeremy "Boomer" Stacey, Executive Director of IPAY, a global membership organization that focuses on servicing and supporting the professional community of performing arts for young audiences. "This award also shines a spotlight on the outstanding work that The New Victory Theater and its entire staff does every single day. I am proud of Mary and look forward to what else she will accomplish in her many years ahead," he continues. Ms. Lloyd will be accepting this award in its 12th year. Its namesake was the former Curator of Performing Arts for Children at the Detroit Institute of the Arts. Recent recipients of this award include Saskia Janse and Onny Huisink (Speeltheater Holland) in 2013, Jim Morrow (Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia) in 2012 and David Gonzalez (RainArt Productions) in 2011, among others.

As the Director of Artistic Programming for The New Victory Theater, Ms. Lloyd annually programs a full season of approximately 15 companies with a mix of performing arts genres and age ranges in order to appeal to all facets of The New Victory Theater audience base. She and her team travel around the world, visiting international, national and local performing arts festivals and venues in order to present exciting and engaging works of quality production value to New Yorkers and their families. They also receive and view numerous submissions, comb arts listings and reviews, and cultivate relationships with artists to keep abreast of the newest and coolest performing arts for young audiences.

Ms. Lloyd also stands at the helm of New Victory LabWorks, a groundbreaking initiative designed to spur the development of original productions for young audiences. This unparalleled program aims to significantly expand the landscape of quality performing arts for young people created in New York City, and challenge professional artists in all disciplines to create their highest caliber of work with a family audience in mind. The 2013-14 artists-in-residence include Julian Crouch in collaboration with Saskia Lane, Parallel Exit, Shoehorn Theater Company and Fiasco Theater. Applications are now available for the New Victory LabWorks 2014-15 Artist Residency Program.

As an invited guest, speaker, panelist and juror, Ms. Lloyd attends a number of arts festivals and conferences annually and was recently asked to join the curatorial selection team for the 2013 Made in Scotland program at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. She has been a part of various international delegations for curatorial research and her writing has been featured on many platforms including Inside Arts and TYA Today. Ms. Lloyd has been a board member of TYA/USA (formerly ASSITEJ USA) and IPAY, and was the Chairman of IPAY's Artist Showcase Selection Committee from 2006-2009. She has also served on assorTed Grant giving and funding panels including the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour.

Ms. Lloyd has an MFA in Arts Management from the Yale School of Drama where she received the Morris Kaplan Award for Excellence in Arts Administration.