Broadway On Demand Supports Educational Theatre Foundation's Thespian Relief Fund

Broadway On Demand is supporting the Educational Theatre Foundation's Thespian Relief Fund grants program by providing complimentary Broadway Access Classroom subscriptions and scripts to help theatre educators and students in need.

Broadway Access Classroom allows teachers and students to dive deep into the world of Broadway and engage with a wide range of professionals - from performers to producers, directors to designers, composers and lyricists, and everyone in between. The easy-to-navigate portal features over 75 hours of content, with 100 Broadway icons, across 250 exclusive episodes of curated educational programming.

Thematic units of study support the National Core Arts Standards and cover key theatre learning areas including Acting, Designing, Writing, Dramaturgy, & Producing, while full-length streaming productions enable students to engage in deeper post-performance discussions. This original content is a highly flexible teaching resource providing students with conservatory-worthy training options, intimate and inspirational insights from a variety of industry viewpoints, and professional career guidance.

School theatre programs use box office proceeds to fund their next year's shows. With schools closed, shows canceled, and major cuts anticipated in state education budgets, many school theatre programs are at risk of failing. According to a recent survey from the Educational Theatre Association, about half the survey respondents lost between 26% and 50% of their revenue last season.

In response, the Educational Theatre Foundation established the Thespian Relief Fund to provide timely financial support for school theatre programs at schools in most need, including Title 1 schools with significant student enrollments of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, as well as rural and small schools with few or no support resources.

Thespian Relief Fund grants offer two types of support: a $500 grant that can be used for all EdTA Troupe-related fees, including dues and inductions, and a $1,000 grant that can be used for any theatre program-related expense including show rights, equipment, travel, and more.

Thespian Relief Fund grants will be offered in cycles through the course of the 2020-21 school year and priority is given to those schools that demonstrate the greatest need. Grants will be available and distributed monthly, though grant cycles may be longer depending on available funding.

To date, the organization has awarded 145 grants totaling $103,500 to 114 schools.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://educationaltheatrefoundation.org/thespian-relief-fund/

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