PAAL Awards LaNeshe Miller-White BIPOC Org Care Fund to 9 Arts Organizations
Recipients include JACK, The Sol Project, and Theatre Horizon, spanning Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles.
The Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL Theatre) announced the recipients of the LaNeshe Miller-White BIPOC Org Care Fund award, with nine BIPOC-led arts organizations across the United States each receiving $1,000 to support parents and caregivers within their artistic and administrative communities.
Named in honor of PAAL Leader in Care Award-recipient LaNeshe Miller-White, the naming announcement honors the achievements of Miller-White's leadership in advancing accessibility, equity, and care-centered practices in the arts. Miller-White currently serves as Executive Director of Philadelphia Young Playwrights and previously led Theatre Philadelphia. She is also currently the co-founder and executive director of Theatre in the X, was the first PAAL Chief Rep of Philadelphia, and serves on PAAL's board of directors.
Commenting on the impact of the fund and this year's cohort of recipients, Miller-White said: “I am so honored and excited to see this year's recipient list. As a parent, theatre artist, and arts administrator, I know just how difficult it can be to manage parenthood and artistry without the proper practices in place. PAAL continues to be a model for parental support infrastructure in the arts and I could not be prouder to be the namesake of this award.”
Established as an annual BIPOC Org Care Fund, this award supports organizations that are BIPOC-led and BIPOC-dominant in their organizational infrastructure. Funding is designated for parent and caregiver support budget line items, recognizing the labor of organizations committed to creating sustainable and equitable support systems for parents and caregivers. Inaugural applications were submitted in 2025, with recipients selected and awarded in spring 2026.
The 2026 recipients include Diaspora DNA Story Center, a cultural hub exploring origin stories and collective memory through art, history, and storytelling; Directors Gathering, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that supports theatre directors through community, resource-sharing, and peer advocacy; Artists at Play, a company producing theatrical work centered on the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American experience while supporting underrepresented theatre artists and audiences in Los Angeles. Revolution Shakespeare, which develops adaptations and collaborative spaces inspired by the works of Shakespeare; JACK, an organization supporting experimental work in art and activism; Bridgyia, a bilingual performing arts school and cultural hub focused on American and Chinese cross-cultural training; The Sol Project, which develops and uplifts work by Latiné playwrights and artists of color; Theatre Horizon, a company dedicated to fostering empathy and inclusion through storytelling and arts education; and Power Street Theatre, an organization dedicated to art for social change by investing in creative thought leaders, multidisciplinary artists, and community voices through prioritizing representation, accessibility, education, arts advocacy, and joy.
Recipient organizations emphasized the importance of sustained support for artists and administrators balancing creative work with caregiving responsibilities.
“Caregiving responsibilities should never be a barrier to artistic leadership or professional participation,” said Sisi Wright, Executive Director of Directors Gathering. “This support from PAAL helps Directors Gathering create practical pathways for parents and caregivers to remain engaged in the work and community that sustains our field.”
Julia Cho, from Artists at Play noted that the funding will help strengthen internal practices and better support for parent-artist collaborators, adding “We proudly continue our work alongside those who strive to create art while caring for our loved ones in the controlled chaos of theatre.” Revolution Shakespeare's Tai Verley highlighted the direct impact on caregiving costs for artists, sharing that the support will significantly ease the financial burden of securing care for their child during upcoming projects and help offset essential costs that make continued artistic work possible.
