The Robey Theatre Company Receives CAC Local Impact Grant

Today the California Arts Council announced a grant award of $14,400 to The Robey Theatre Company as part of its Local Impact program.

Local Impact supports community-driven arts projects for small and mid-sized arts organizations to foster equity, access, and opportunity in historically marginalized communities by centering the arts as a vehicle for building strong, healthy, vibrant, and resilient communities. Historically marginalized communities may include but are not limited to African and African American; Arab; Asian and Asian American; Latinx; Middle Eastern; Native American and Indigenous Californian; Pacific Islander; lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and gender-variant people; people with disabilities; women; low-income, rural, or immigrant and refugee communities.

The Local Impact funding will support Robey's 2019 Paul Robeson Theatre Festival, a three-day, biannual, short-play festival inspired by the actor and activist, Paul "Robey" Robeson. The festival serves as an homage to Robeson and features the works of emerging and established playwrights. The Festival provides a space and opportunity for artists to display and cultivate their craft. Play submissions reflect Robeson's values, principles and commitment to social consciousness.

Ben Guillory, the Producing Artistic Director and Co-Founder of The Robey Theatre Company stated, "Robey is grateful for the support of the California Arts Council in its ongoing mission to serve the Los Angeles community."

The Robey Theatre Company is one of 190 grantees chosen for the Local Impact program. The award was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council, with grant funds totaling a projected $24,508,541 for 2018-19, the highest investment in statewide arts programming since the 2000-01 fiscal year.

"Arts and culture are inextricably linked to our humanity," said Nashormeh Lindo, California Arts Council Chair. "They serve as a universal touchpoint for understanding and addressing our societal issues-dismantling inequity, healing trauma, reframing justice, inspiring truth and shaping futures. The Council is humbled to support the vital work of The Robey Theatre Company and its passionate efforts to make a better California for us all."

To view a complete listing of all Local Impact grantees, visit
http://arts.ca.gov/programs/program_files/1819/CurrentGrantees/FY18-19_Project_Descriptions_LI.pdf.

Founded in 1994 and formally incorporated in 1996, the organization began as a readers' theatre centering on the classics by Co-founders Ben Guillory and Danny Glover. The friends and veteran actors believed in the transformational power of plays and created a community where African-American creatives and artists could thrive. The mission of The Robey Theatre Company is to foster a community of artists whose purpose is to develop and produce plays written about the global Black experience. The Robey Theatre Company envisions a world where artistry encourages critical thinking and challenges each of us to see the humanity in ourselves and others.

The mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the arts and creativity. The Council is committed to building public will and resources for the arts; fostering accessible arts initiatives that reflect contributions from all of California's diverse populations; serving as a thought leader and champion for the arts; and providing effective and relevant programs and services.

Members of the California Arts Council include: Chair Nashormeh Lindo, Vice Chair Larry Baza, Juan Devis, Jodie Evans, Kathleen Gallegos, Jaime Galli, Donn K. Harris, and Louise McGuinness. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.

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