Cleveland Play House Awarded Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $30 million in grants as part of the NEA's first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2017. Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $20,000 to Cleveland Play House (CPH) for the Building Drama Programs, Building Communities program. The Art Works category focuses on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and the strengthening of communities through the arts.

"The arts are for all of us, and by supporting organizations such as Cleveland Play House, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts," said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. "Whether in a theater, a town square, a museum, or a hospital, the arts are everywhere and make our lives richer.

Building Drama Programs, Building Communities is a project that combines best practices of a professional regional theatre to empower schools to start, build, and maintain their own after-school drama programs. Students and teachers at seven local schools will benefit from specialized curriculum and training materials developed by CPH that will help them create after-school drama programs. CPH Teaching Artists will provide monthly skill-building workshops and master classes for students. The program will culminate with a year-end performance for family and friends.

"Cleveland Play House is dedicated to using the transformative power of theatre to build a better community for the people of Northeast Ohio," said CPH Managing Director Kevin Moore. "We are proud to receive the support and endorsement of the National Endowment for the Arts for Building Drama Programs, Building Communities, a vital program in the achievement of that goal."

For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

About Cleveland Play House

Cleveland Play House, recipient of the 2015 Regional Theatre Tony Award and founded in 1915, is America's first professional regional theatre. Throughout its rich history, CPH has remained dedicated to its mission to inspire, stimulate and entertain diverse audiences in Northeast Ohio by producing plays and theatre education programs of the highest professional standards. CPH has produced more than 100 world and/or American premieres, and over its long history more than 12 million people have attended over 1,600 productions. Today, Cleveland Play House celebrates the beginning of its second century of service while performing in three state-of-the art venues at Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Cleveland Play House with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. We also thank the residents of Cuyahoga County for supporting Cleveland Play House through Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.