Chicago Children's Theatre To Receive $40,000 Award From The National Endowment For The Arts

Chicago Children's Theatre has announced that it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $40,000.

This grant will support an exciting new early childhood music, literary and multimedia learning project currently in development. Partners include acclaimed artist/singer/songwriter Natalie Merchant, Chicago Children's Theatre, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Manual Cinema.

“The NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country's vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “It is inspiring to see the wide range of creative projects taking place.”

“We're grateful for the NEA's continued support for Chicago Children's Theatre's arts education productions,” said Jacqueline Russell, Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Chicago Children's Theatre. “Thanks in part to this federal support, we look forward to announcing and introducing an innovative new project that will feature original music and interaction with kids, made available to homes and classrooms free-of-charge.”

This 2025 award makes a total of eight NEA grants for Chicago Children's Theatre since its founding 20 years ago. CCT was also the first theater for young audiences to win a National Theatre Award from the American Theatre Wing, creators of the Tony Awards, in 2017. In 2019, the company won the National TYA Artistic Innovation Award from Theatre for Young Audiences/USA. 

Chicago Children's Theatre Co-Founder and Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell launched CCTin 2005 with a big idea: Chicago is the greatest theater city in the world, and it deserves a great children's theater.

Today, Chicago Children's Theatre, located at 100 S. Racine St. in the city's West Loop, is Chicago's largest professional theater company devoted exclusively to children and young families, and a popular destination for the best plays, musicals, classes and performing arts camps for young audiences, students and families. For more information, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

The NEA will award 1,127 Grants for Arts Projects awards nationwide totaling more than $31.8 million as part of the recent announcement of fiscal year 2025 grants. For more information on other projects included in the NEA's grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

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