The Arts are Back in Business!
In August 2021, we launched the Back in Business Grant Program, made possible by support from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. Back in Business grants support the safe reopening of the arts sector for arts organization employees, artists, and the public. Funding was able to be used on expenses related to reopening organizations, increasing audience capacity to pre-pandemic levels, and for individual artists to restart art workshops and other artistic engagements with the public. This included personal protective equipment, safety supplies, staff training, and building upgrades that are directly related to safely reopening.
We are proud to work with the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, building upon a recent partnership with the City of Hartford where we distributed over $50,000 worth of PPE to organizations in October 2020 and May 2021 to help them reopen and safely engage audiences. For the Back in Business grants, the most common expenses that were requested by grantees included:
PPE
Tents to move events outside
Stage modifications
Air purifiers and filters
Sanitizing stations
Cleaning supplies
Adjustments to air filtration to meet Actors Equity union requirements
Touchless soap and paper towel dispensers
We are excited to announce the artists and organizations who received this round of funding:
Anne.Gogh ActUp Theater
Jasmine Jones Artists Collective
Katherine Kennedy Ballet Hartford
Soyeon Kim CT Virtuosi Orchestra
Sandro Ladu HartBeat Ensemble
Sarada Nori Farmington Valley Chorale
Lindsey Sniffen Hartford Artisans Weaving Center
David Waterman Layavinyasa
Newington Children’s Theater
Playhouse on Park
TheaterWorks