Orlando Rep To Receive $10,000 Grant From The National Endowment For The Arts

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $84 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2020. Included in this announcement is an Art Works award of $10,000 to Orlando Repertory Theatre to support a presentation of a concert by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo and related outreach activities. This is one of 1,015 grants nationwide that the agency has approved in this category.

"These awards demonstrate the resilience of the arts in America, showcasing not only the creativity of their arts projects but the organizations' agility in the face of a national health crisis," said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. "We celebrate organizations like Orlando Repertory Theatre for providing opportunities for learning and engagement through the arts in these times."

"We are huge fans of Secret Agent 23 Skidoo here at Orlando REP and have long wanted to bring him to Orlando to share his unique talent with our families and young people. This grant from the NEA not only allows us to present this phenomenal artist in concert, but also allows us to go deeper in the work by having Secret Agent 23 Skidoo lead a songwriting workshop for young people. We are super excited!" says Jeff Revels, Artistic Director of Orlando REP.

Orlando REP will use this grant to support a presentation of a concert by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (a family hip-hop artist) and related outreach activities in the 2020/2021 season for Central Florida families with young children. A Grammy-Award-Winner, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo combines the excitement of hip hop with the magical world of childhood through live shows designed for young people, and spiced with Motown, reggae, club thump, blues, and call-and-response anthems. Orlando REP will also include songwriting workshops for children of all ages, led by Secret Agent 23 Skidoo (a national-award-winner with claim to eight #1 hits on Sirius XM Global Radio.) These workshops will expose students to (and help them develop appreciation for) hip-hop as a rich and varied musical style.

For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.