Theatre Communications Group Announces THRIVE! Grants Supported by Theater League of Kansas City

Theatre Communications Group has announced the latest recipients of the THRIVE! Uplifting Theatres of Color program. The grants of $10,000 each will provide unrestricted funds for thirty U.S.-based Black, Indigenous, and Theatres of Color (BITOC*). This round of THRIVE! is supported by Theater League of Kansas City, a not-for-profit civic performing arts organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the communities it serves with the thrill of live theatre. The THRIVE! Uplifting Theatres of Color program is developed and administered by TCG with an Advisory Circle of BIPOC theatre leaders. THRIVE! supports BITOC who have all too often been outside the grantmaking sector’s funding opportunities.

“It’s been deeply motivating to hear from THRIVE! participants about the impact of this program,” said Karena Fiorenza, chief executive officer, TCG. “We must keep pushing back against the racist scarcity narratives that BITOC have faced for too long. It’s time for funders and individual donors to use their economic power of unrestricted financial support, so BITOC can continue to flourish and further invest in the transformative work with their communities.”

“We’re excited to partner with the Theater League for this new round of the THRIVE! program,” said LaTeshia Ellerson, chief growth officer, TCG. “Rooted in Kansas City yet reaching professional theatres and their communities across the country, the Theater League is an ideal partner to support the vital work of BITOC.”

"We are thrilled to partner with TCG on this new initiative," explained Theater League of Kansas City founder and president Mark Edelman. "Their team provided much-needed  focus and clarity to our grant-making decisions. We're thrilled to be working with them, as well as these thirty important theater companies, who we hope to help thrive with our contributions." 

The thirty recipients of the THRIVE! grants supported by the Theater League of Kansas City are: African-American Shakespeare Company, San Francisco, CA; Bishop Arts Theatre Center, Dallas, TX; Black Ensemble Theater, Chicago, IL; Cara Mía Theatre Co, Dallas, TX; Congo Square Theatre, Chicago, IL; East West Players, Los Angeles, CA; GALA Hispanic Theatre, Washington, DC; Golden Thread Productions, San Francisco, CA; Karamu House, Inc, Cleveland, OH; Ma-Yi Theater Company, New York, NY; Miracle Theatre Group, Portland, OR; Native Voices, Los Angeles, CA; Pangea World Theater, Minneapolis, MN; Pillsbury House Theatre, Minneapolis, MN; Ping Chong & Company, New York, NY; Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, Bronx, NY; Repertorio Español, New York, NY; San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company, San Francisco, CA; Silk Road Cultural Center, Chicago, IL; St Louis Black Repertory Co, University City, MO; Su Teatro, Denver, CO; Teatro Visión, San Jose, CA; Teatro Vista Productions, Chicago, IL; The Ensemble Theatre Houston, Houston, TX; The Front Porch Arts Collective, Cambridge, MA; The North Carolina Black Repertory Company, Winston Salem, NC; The Theater Offensive, Boston, MA; Theater Mu, Saint Paul, MN; True Colors Theatre Company, Atlanta, GA; and ViBe Theater Experience, Brooklyn, NY.

Learn more about the program here: https://tcg.org/Web/Our-Work/Grant-and-Professional-Development-Programs/THRIVE/grant.aspx

TCG is inspired by the writings of W.E.B DuBois and defines BITOC as organizations that have been founded by, for, about, with, and near BIPOC communities. THRIVE! recognizes that communities of color often disperse beyond one geographic area. Also, since the start of the 2020 pandemic, TCG recognizes the difficulty of being in physical proximity to community members. For these reasons, TCG defines “near” and “with” broadly to include digital and cultural proximity. In addition to these elements, BITOC are led by BIPOC.