IndieSpace Now Accepting Applications For $1000 Pay Your People Grants

IndieSpace, an organization established to disrupt the ongoing displacement of small theaters and to create a new model for equitable funding for the indie theater community, is currently accepting applications for $1000 Pay Your People grants which will be awarded by lottery to 65 indie theater companies, fiscally sponsored collectives/productions, and indie theater venues at their annual event The Big Give, on Monday, December 2 at 7pm at Chelsea Factory (547 W 26th St, New York, NY 10001). A suggested, but completely voluntary donation of $5 at the door includes food and drinks. To purchase tickets to The Big Give please visit www.indiespace.org/the-big-give.

The Pay Your People Grant is to do just that - pay the people on your team that make the work possible. 5 grants will be awarded to Deep Roots companies/collectives with small budgets who have been operating for 25 years or more, 10 grants will be given to indie theater venues and performance spaces, and 45 additional companies or productions will receive funding. This year 5 grants will also go in the Susan Lucci pot, for organizations that have applied multiple times but have not yet won the lottery.

"IndieSpace has a fundamental commitment to equity and inclusion in the values and culture of our organization," said Executive Director Randi Berry. "We want to see the work of diverse artists on stage, and we believe that diverse leadership in our participant organizations is essential to encouraging diverse and equitable practices."

IndieSpace's grants are determined by old-fashioned lottery. Put your company's name in the (very literal) hat! At The Big Give on December 2nd, we pull the names of eligible applicants out of the hat, and recipients take home their grant checks that night. The application deadline is 11:59pm on Wednesday, November 20. For more information on the application process and to apply for the lottery please visit bit.ly/PayYourPeople2024

The Big Give on Monday, December 2nd will feature MC and performer Nancy Nogood, free insights and advice from Peter Michael Marino, an interactive installation exploring themes of self-adornment and audience engagement by Lee LeBreton, and the Give & Gain Market board, where people can share skills and seek support.

IndieSpace's Pay Your People Grants are made possible, in part, with support from the Howard Gilman Foundation. Sponsors have a unique chance to contribute meaningfully to both The Big Give and IndieSpace's mission of providing even more opportunities for indie theater artists. If you or your organization would be interested in sponsoring The Big Give please visit www.indiespace.org/the-big-give-sponsorship.

IndieSpace was established in 2016 to disrupt the ongoing displacement of small theaters and to address systemic inequities in NYC real estate. In 2022, it merged with Indie Theater Fund, an organization focused on a new model for equitable funding for the indie theater community. By contributing a nickel per ticket from their shows to a pot of money for funding, the indie theater community could create a method of self-sustainability and could rethink philanthropy and the process of grant making. Through radically transparent and equitable grants, community resources and advocacy, the Fund supported hundreds of indie theater companies and thousands of individual artists. IndieSpace also funds artists through their Mental Health grants, The Big Learn, and Community Resources Lotteries.

Since its founding, IndieSpace has: consulted with 90+ companies and venues making real estate decisions, including The Tank, FRIGID New York, The Chain, wild project, Wooster Group, and Classical Theater of Harlem; helped 18 organizations sign new leases; saved seven theaters from being closed or repurposed; created four real estate operation partnerships; walked two venues through the purchase of their permanent homes. During Covid, IndieSpace supported over 50 venues navigating their leases by helping them stay open, and also provided over $1.7M in relief grants to the indie theater community. In 2023 IndieSpace opened the West Village Rehearsal Co-Op with HERE Arts Center, New Ohio and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. This 99-year lease for $1 per year will serve over 1,500 artists per year. For service to the community, IndieSpace received the Ellen Stewart Award and a citation from the City Council of New York www.indiespace.org

Chelsea Factory exists to provide responsive partnership to NYC-based artists from historically excluded communities. Launched as a pop-up during the Covid-19 pandemic, we welcome artists and organizations across all creative disciplines to experiment and perform work they find essential. Chelsea Factory's support is customized to each collaborator, with resources including subsidized rehearsal and performance space, production support and career mentorship. Our programming reflects the values of NYC artists today and evolves to meet our community's needs. In today's rapidly changing world, we are committed to invigorating an inclusive and sustainable arts sector that long outlasts Chelsea Factory's physical infrastructure. To learn more, visit chelseafactory.org