IndieSpace to Be Honored with Community Impact Award from Culture Lab LIC

IndieSpace will be honored with Culture Lab LIC’s inaugural Community Impact Award at their Grand Carnaval Gala on September 12th. 

"IndieSpace is thrilled to receive this recognition from one of our favorite venues in New York,” said Executive Director Randi Berry. “Community homes like Culture Lab are why people choose to live and work here. And it is why IndieSpace does the work we do. We are grateful to everyone at Culture Lab for their dedication to the indie theater community and for this wonderful honor."

“IndieSpace truly embodies the mission of Culture Lab LIC's Community Impact Award,” said Tess Howsam, Artistic Director of Culture Lab LIC. “IndieSpace is a company that leads with integrity and makes ripple effects in our rapidly changing community of arts and culture across Queens and NYC. IndieSpace's forward thinking initiatives such as The Little Venue That Could have significant impact and as recipient of this grant, Culture Lab LIC can attest to the importance and stability offered from the creation of a two-year institutional grant. We are honored to be celebrating the impact IndieSpace has made on our community at this year's gala."

The award will be bestowed at the “The Grand Carnaval” gala at Culture Lab LIC on Thursday, September 12th from 7-10pm. 

“The Grand Carnaval” gala at Culture Lab LIC will be an unforgettable evening with this year’s theme being a dazzling mix of vintage circus flair and artistic splendor, promising a night of inspiring entertainment, delightful cuisine, and sensational performances, all in support of the amazing 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Culture Lab LIC! Dive into an immersive experience where the “3-ringed circus” of art, culture, and community come together under the big top! As a charitable 501(c)(3) organization, Culture Lab LIC dedicates itself to enriching the community with exceptional, affordable arts and culture programming.Your attendance and generosity directly support these initiatives, ensuring that Culture Lab can continue to foster creativity and community engagement. Be part of a vibrant community that values inclusivity and creativity. At Culture Lab LIC, everyone is welcome under our tent, a place where you are secure, protected, and celebrated!  Tickets ($188.58) are available for advance purchase at www.culturelablic.org.  

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. 

Since its founding, IndieSpace has: consulted with 90+ companies and venues making real estate decisions, including The Tank, FRIGID New York, The Chain, The 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

To post a comment, you must register and login.