LISBON – Stage Left Players Community Arts Center is one of 62 organizations across the country selected to receive a NEA Big Read 2022-2023 grant. A $ 8,375 grant will support community art and reading programs based on the themes and story of The Bear by Andrew Krivak. The events will take place from September 10, 2022 to May 6, 2023. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read expands our understanding of our world, our communities and ourselves through power. of a shared reading experience.
“We are honored to be one of 62 recipients nationwide of NEA Big Read funding to bring the beautiful The Bear story to our community in collaboration with The Lepper Library and many other local organizations. As Stage Left expands its vision and mission to serve as a local community art center, we plan to offer many ways to engage and delight our community through this program, ”said Kandy Cleland, artistic director of Stage Left Players Community Arts Center .
“It’s inspiring to see NEA Big Read fellows like Stage Left Players use these books as launch tips for their own programming, often creating opportunities for community conversations, new partnerships and encouraging participants to incorporate art into their daily lives, ”Maria Rosario said. Jackson, PhD, president of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The NEA Big Read offers a variety of titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, with the goal of inspiring meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new discoveries and connections to each community. The main feature of the initiative is a grant program, managed by Arts Midwest, which annually supports dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read selection.
“Across America, in small and large communities, the NEA Big Read connects neighbors and inspires creativity,” said Torrie Allen, President & amp; CEO of Arts Midwest. “We are thrilled to support beneficiaries like Stage Left Players Community Arts Center as they bring the pages of these wonderful books to life through inventive programming.”
Stage Left will partner with The Lepper Library, local school districts and many other local and regional organizations to offer connected programming to The Bear from September 2022 to May 2023. The Bear is a post-apocalyptic fable about a father and a daughter, the bear. last two people on Earth, living off the ground at the foot of a mountain. When the daughter is alone and lost, a bear appears that takes her back home. The themes of The Bear will be adapted to offer fun activities for all ages. Some planned initiatives include a start-up festival hosted by Stage Left at the historic Trinity Playhouse in September, book debates and programming hosted by The Lepper Library, a nature walk for families, family painting and amp; drink nights, creative open house sessions for artists, a roundtable, a night navigating the stars and a community art show. For more information about each program, visit stageleftplayers.org. Stage Left welcomes any community members interested in organizing a reading club or joining the festivities to contact Kandy Cleland at stageleftseats@gmail.com.
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