Theatre Philadelphia's Statement About NEA Terminations

We at Theatre Philadelphia stand in solidarity with the hundreds of theatre organizations and artists who received notice late Friday night that the National Endowment for the Arts is rescinding previously-awarded funding on the grounds of not complying with the Trump administration's guidelines for what art deserves government support. Theatre Philadelphia received the same letter terminating the financing we have depended on over the years to support our Philly Theatre Week program. This news puts the future of Philly Theatre Week, as well as the future of our operations and programming in general, in jeopardy.

The art of theatre is one of the oldest storytelling methods: it has been banned, censored, defunded, and more for as long as humanity has existed, and still survives to this day despite those challenges. This is because people fundamentally need theatre.

To that end, here are some steps you can take to support theatre during this time of oppression:

• Contact your local, state, and federal representatives to encourage them to stand with the arts.
• Donate to theatre organizations, including but certainly not limited to Theatre Philadelphia.
• Organizations are encouraged to use Theatre Philadelphia's affordable advertising opportunities, including our free listserve, to spread the word about their work.
• If you are an arts organization or collective that has been affected by this series of NEA Grant Terminations, consider filling out this NEA Termination Grant Tracker created by Annie Dorsen for collective record-keeping: https://tinyurl.com/NEAgranttermtracker
• Last but not least: SEE LIVE THEATRE! Attending theatre shows, whether in-person or virtually, is a very effective way to show your support for the kind of art you want to exist in your community.
   

"An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times. I think that is true of painters, sculptors, poets, musicians. As far as I'm concerned, it's their choice, but I CHOOSE to reflect the times and situations in which I find myself. That, to me, is my duty. And at this crucial time in our lives, when everything is so desperate, when everyday is a matter of survival, I don't think you can help but be involved. Young people, black and white, know this. That's why they're so involved in politics. We will shape and mold this country or it will not be molded and shaped at all anymore. So I don't think you have a choice. How can you be an artist and NOT reflect the times? That to me is the definition of an artist." - Nina Simone