Town Stages Announces Inaugural Sokoloff Arts Fellows

Town Stages is proud to announce the 2018 slate of recipients of the annual Sokoloff Arts Fellowship: Jessica Anderson (with Stefanie Izzo, Alex Kocheva, Amy Stewart, and the Astoria Music Project), Caps Lock Theatre (Mariah MacCarthy, Melissa Lusk, Leta Tremblay), Joanna Carpenter, Matt Cox (with Kristin McCarthy Parker, Stephen Stout, and Colin Waitt), Ephrat Asherie Dance, Esperance Theater Company (Katie Hartke, Charlie Murphy, Ryan Quinn), Jono Freedrix, Jason Jacobs, Matthew Jellison, Christine Toy Johnson, Hyeyoung Kim and Shoshana Greenberg, Steven Kopp, Yan Li, Made with Sass (Samantha Slater), Jessie Mahon, MAWU, MelimelL Digital Art Design, Rebecca Odorisio, Pocket Universe (Alyssa May Gold), Charlotte Purser, Richard Pictures Presents (David Hilder and Dan McCoy),Ripening (Vanessa Walters, and Brian Gonzalez aka Taxiplasm), Andy Scott, Shallow Graves(Jenny Lester and Juliana Jurenas), Crystal Skillman, The Long Table (David Loewy, Noah Reece, Greg Taubman, Jocelyn Vammer), The Rigano Songbook (David and Paul Rigano), Jamila Youngstedt.

TOWN is home to this unique Fellowship Program for artists, entrepreneurs, writers, content creators, movers, shakers, and makers of all kinds. In partnership with Sokoloff Arts (501c3), the program is part residency, part incubator, and part home base: offering the ultimate creative freedom to grow. An application-based program, the Fellowship offers free access to shared spaces, rehearsal/performance/event space subsidies, and the opportunity to be a part of a shared creative community, working together under one roof.

"I am so proud to be developing this necessary program at Town," said Chie Morita, Deputy Director at Town Stages and Coordinator of the Fellowship Program. "Seemingly simple needs like a quiet space to write, a spot for a designer brainstorm that isn't a coffee shop, and a central meeting point for open and honest conversations are the building blocks for community and collaboration. We often see Fellowships as grants of space or time towards a singular vision, but I want us to build an atmosphere in which we share in a greater creative resource, our fellow artists."

Robin Sokoloff, Executive Director of Town Stages adds, "Over the years, countless local innovators have expressed their desire for more freedom, flexibility, and feedback as they work. Now, after an extraordinary effort on all fronts to secure and transform a bigger facility, we can't wait to answer the call for space and support. Designed and heralded by Ms. Morita, the Fellowship Program codifies these offerings under our new roof."

Town Stages (Robin Sokoloff, Executive Director) is located in the heart of Tribeca. TOWN is New York's premier venue to celebrate, collaborate and put on a show.A new female-driven cultural arts institution and venue space, Town Stages is a state-of-the-art, flexible performance and event space that can support the entire lifecycle of New York's hallmark industries. With a stunning 9,000 square foot storefront facility, TOWN provides world-class cultural experiences and opportunities for all: from civic to corporate, tech to theater.With a Mainstage, a Cabaret Lounge, and a multi-use event space with a capacity of 225, Town Stages offers much-needed space and production resources for businesses, arts organizations, and families. TOWN boasts ticketed performances and curated community programing, from performance art to dance to theatre, and is also available for fashion shows, film shoots, weddings, and beyond. For more information, visitwww.townstages.com.

Sokoloff Arts (501c3) is an emerging cultural institution providing inspired space, prospective, and opportunity for cutting edge events in all sectors of The Arts, Corporate, Civic, and Cultural life in New York City. Led by a team of women from diverse backgrounds and artistic expressions, Sokoloff Arts works to provide viable and safe space to congregate, strives to promote cross-cultural community engagement, and blends the arts and business to create sustainable solutions to social and financial inequalities. The organization assists young creators with not only space, but resource generation, production, and community. To address the overwhelming demand for hi-tech, flexible, and affordable performance and event space in New York City, Sokoloff Arts is building Town Stages. To learn more, visitsokoloffarts.org.