National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman Announces 2011-2012 Shakespeare for A New Generation GrantsMay 17, 2011
Washington, DC – The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced that 36 nonprofit, professional theater companies in 21 states plus the District of Columbia will receive grants of $25,000 each to participate in Shakespeare for a New Generation. Projects will take place between June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012. Part of the NEA's Shakespeare in American Communities initiative, Shakespeare for a New Generation introduces middle and high school students to the power of live theater and the masterpieces of William Shakespeare. Managed by Arts Midwest, the program has benefitted more than 1.5 million students and their teachers with live performances and educational activities since the program began in 2003. "Seeing a live performance of Shakespeare is a vastly different, more relevant and powerful experience than reading his words alone," said Chairman Landesman. "I'm pleased that the NEA is able to support these projects that connect young people in a vivid and meaningful way to the great plays of Shakespeare." Each of the 36 participating companies will present productions of Shakespeare plays with accompanying educational activities to at least 10 schools. Activities may also include in-school residencies, workshops, or post-performance discussions. Some of the projects for the 2011-2012 season are:
Please see the complete list of the 36 companies that have been selected to participate in Shakespeare for a New Generation for 2011-2012. To date, more than 80 of the nation's theater companies have taken part in the NEA's Shakespeare program since its inception and participating theater companies have presented performances at 5,500 schools in 2,600 communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. To enhance the educational impact of Shakespeare for a New Generation, the NEA also has developed free, multimedia educational resource kits. To date, nearly 85,000 toolkits have been distributed to classroom teachers. Included in the kits are a teacher's guide with lesson plans, a recitation contest guide, a "Fun with Shakespeare" brochure with word games and trivia, a timeline poster, a CD, and two educational DVDs. These resources can be ordered free of charge from the Shakespeare in American Communities web site. About the National Endowment for the Arts Return to News Index National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency |
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