Sept. 1 unlocks first installment of $1.5 billion film incentive package in Texas

Houston Public Media: Over the next 10 years, $1.5 billion in film incentives will be up for grabs across Texas, marking the largest amount of funding in the state program’s history. Film projects that begin after Sept. 1, when Senate Bill 22 goes into effect, will have the opportunity to apply for a grant rebate of up to 31% of the production’s qualified in-state spending.

New York Launches Biggest Guaranteed Income Fund for Artists in the US

www.businessinsider.com: Big Apple artists will be getting big checks in just a few months, providing relief to thousands who have been struggling during the pandemic.

Creatives are doing it for themselves with the Chicago Artists Relief Fund

Feature | Chicago Reader: At the start of COVID-19 lockdowns, thousands of Chicago theater artists lost immediate income. In the weeks to come, even more lost future gigs. And now, with no reopening date in sight, many of those artists are still without work. Before the state went into lockdown on March 22, the organizers behind the Chicago Artists Relief Fund were already set to help their community.

The Final Act

HowlRound Theatre Commons: 3 June 2018 marked the end of an era, and the dress code was “your FUNeral finest.” The FUNeral, as we called it (billed with the tagline “like a funeral, but FUNNER”), was a party celebrating the end of Patrick’s Cabaret. It was the last show hosted by the organization, a radically inclusive queer-led performing arts incubator in Minneapolis known for supporting provocative work. This wasn’t a somber affair; this was a final chance to say goodbye in a flurry of color, glitter, humor, and togetherness.

BROADWAY BACKWARDS 2018 Raises Over A Half A Million Dollars

www.broadwayworld.com: Fundraising records and gender norms alike were smashed by stars of stage, screen and pop music on April 2, 2018, at this year's inclusive, dynamic and loving Broadway Backwards.

The 13th annual edition of the show, which celebrates the LGBTQ community through gender-reversed renditions of beloved showtunes, raised an incredible $680,273 to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City. The show was produced by Broadway Cares.

The LRLR Raise Funds for Behind the Scenes at USITT Raffle

PLSN: The Long Reach Long Riders (LRLR) celebrated their upcoming ride with a raffle and live auction to benefit Behind the Scenes during the USITT Stage Expo in Fort Lauderdale last week. Sales of raffle tickets, auction items, key donations, and sales of BTS and LRLR-branded swag raised over $15,000 for the charity.

Cutting Federal Funding for the Arts Wouldn't Kill Them; Might Make Them Better

Hit & Run : Reason.com: Give the president credit, though. He's diverted attention from his overall increase in spending and gigantic increases in deficits by driving critics crazy with proposed cuts to programs and agencies they love, such as the EPA, the Small Business Administration, food stamps (SNAP), and, of course, the National Endowments for the Arts (NEA) and the Humanities (NEH).

Live Nation, CAA, UTA, & WME Join Los Angeles Mayor's Fund to Promote Diversity in Entertainment

Amplify: Live Nation has signed on as a partner for Evolve Entertainment Fund, a public-private partnership aimed at creating new opportunities for communities that have been historically excluded from the entertainment industry. The concert industry giant joins agencies CAA, UTA, WME, and 50 other entertainment companies.

National Endowment of the Arts Chairman Responds to Trump's Proposal to Eliminate the NEA

www.broadwayworld.com: Earlier today, the National Endowment of the Arts Chairman Jane Chu released the following statement regarding President Trump's budget plan for 2019.

Today we learned that the President's FY 2019 budget proposes elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts. We are disappointed because we see our funding actively making a difference with individuals in thousands of communities and in every Congressional District in the nation.