The Neighbors Awarded $20k Grant From The New York State Council On The Arts

What Will the Neighbors Say? has been awarded $20,000 by the New York State Council on the Arts to support the nonprofit arts and culture sector. Through New York State's continued investment in arts and culture, NYSCA has awarded $82 million this year to 509 artists and 1,497 organizations across the state, including the Neighbors. This is their second consecutive award at this level.

"As the unparalleled leader of arts and culture, New York's creativity and innovation inspires the world," Governor Kahty Hochul said. "Our continued investment in our dynamic creative sector will further boost tourism, strengthen our local economies and continue New York's success as a rich and vibrant place to live, work and visit."

Executive Director of NYSCA Erika Mallin said, "On behalf of the Council and staff, I am so proud that we are supporting the critical work of so many nonprofit organizations all across the state, including work of What Will the Neighbors Say? New York State's art and culture nonprofits make us a global leader, strengthening our connections to each other and the larger world. I thank you for your dedication and service and look forward to all your work in the coming year."

The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State's arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $162 million in FY2025, serving organizations and artists across all 10 of the state's regions. The Council on the Arts further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit arts.ny.gov.

Co-Artistic Directors James Clements and Sam Hood Adrain stated "[W]e are thrilled to have been recognised once again by NYSCA, and to be part of the rich arts ecosystem in our city and state. We are privileged to serve New Yorkers, and folks further afield, and support like this is essential to our work."

What Will the Neighbors Say? is an investigative theatre company that provokes questions through untold stories. Led by a collaborative cohort of International Artists, the Neighbors present overlooked social, cultural and historical narratives that challenge the audience to reflect on the current moment. Through a combination of original plays, arts education workshops and dynamic community gatherings, the troupe incites rowdy and rigorous debate at the theatre and throughout the Neighborhood.