AMERICAN THEATRE: The 1/52 Project has selected the first seven early-career designers to receive a total of $100,000 in grants. This year’s inaugural recipients include projection designer Brittany Bland, sound designer Everett Elton Bradman, projection designer Stefania Bulbarella, set designer Jessica Alexandra Cancino, costume designer Frank Cazares, sound designer Jordan McCree, and costume designer Jingyi Johanna Pan.
4 comments:
What an amazing opportunity and an outstanding way to uplift numerous career designers within various art forms. I was exceptionally happy to see that their were multiple design fields being awarded from costumes to set, projection and sound. It truly aids in encompassing the multiple different design fields and ensuring that individuals of all forms are perceived and given a chance to engage within their fields in the industry. I love witnessing the support in which organizations and various individuals are giving to underrepresented minority figures within the industry. As well as how accessible these grants are to rising designers, which I find very important considering how rigorous and challenging this career field is. Their are so many exceptional designers that often do not receive the funding nor the opportunity to express their work and expertise. Through grants such as the 1/52 Project designers in a wide assortment of concentrations can finally get one step closer to success.
I love this concept so much. I think it’s important to diversify the theatre and equally so to support the people bringing the diversity. The American theatre has a track record of racism and still needs improvement. It’s daunting going into a field dominated by one group but the efforts to break down these patterns is admirable. Beowulf Boritt seems very self aware and I appreciate his encouragement to get others involved in creating the funds with the “1/52.” While the project obviously is not a complete solution to diversifying the theatre, its the culmination of projects like this that bring us closer to understanding one another. It is ironic to me because theatre goers often talk the talk about compassion and bringing the world into performance but it walks the walk at a snail's pace. It’s comforting to know programs like this exist to help speed up the process to equity.
I really love the idea of this grant. To me, the 1/52 project provides a way to give designers from historically excluded groups an opportunity to actually make it. I feel like sometimes what happens is that there are people from these groups who have always wanted or trained to be theatre designers, but haven’t had the ability to take the risks that would lead to financial success. I also really like that the project encourages people who’ve worked in non-traditional theatres to apply because, again, it’s widening the perspective and scope that these artists can bring to their designs and giving the designers who may be talented but lesser known an opportunity to prove themselves. I am very interested in seeing the result of this program. Even though the recipients do not receive a grant that resembles a liveable wage, I think that all of us can agree that even the smallest budget change can really make a difference to our art.
I think that this is really great for designers and creators who are in those marginalized groups. It’s really supporting the idea of designers supporting designers as well. Which just makes me so happy to see that people in the industry are aware of the unfair gap. and the fact that these are designers giving up some of their own money that they’ve worked hard to make to help support others and build them up and give them resources to become better designers and allow them to have these opportunities is amazing. I believe we need more organizations like this to keep fueling the creativity of these designers and pushing back those that are holding them back to allow these designers to have the same opportunities as the rest of us. I really hope that this organization continues for a long time and I hope one day to be a part of the supporters
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