Robey Theatre Company Awarded California Arts Council Local Impact Grant

Today the California Arts Council announced a grant award of $18,000 to The Robey Theatre Company to assist with its Community Creatives project.

A new play is being commissioned from the critically-acclaimed playwright Levy Lee Simon (whose plays The Magnificent Dunbar Hotel and the For the Love of Freedom trilogy received Critics Choice designations from the Los Angeles Times). The play is being crafted with input from members of the community in regards to its themes and content, and will constitute a true collaboration with the community.

The Robey Theatre Company's Producing Artistic Director and Co-Founder Ben Guillory states, "Accomplishing Robey's mission and continuing to make significant contributions to the Los Angeles community especially at this time would not be possible without the on going support of the California Arts Council. Thank you CAC for your work."

The Robey Theatre Company was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council of more than 1,500 grants awarded to nonprofit organizations and units of government throughout the state for their work in support of the agency's mission to strengthen arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. The investment of nearly $30 million marks a more than $5 million increase over the previous fiscal year, and the largest in California Arts Council history.

Organizations were awarded grants across 15 different program areas addressing access, equity, and inclusion; community vibrancy; and arts learning and engagement; and directly benefiting our state's communities, with youth, veterans, returned citizens, and California's historically marginalized communities key among them. Successful projects aligned closely with the agency's vision of a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Arts Council recognizes that some grantees may need to postpone, modify, or cancel their planned activities supported by CAC funds, due to state and local public health guidelines. The state arts agency is prioritizing flexibility in addressing these changes and supporting appropriate solutions for grantees.

"Creativity sits at the very heart of our identity as Californians and as a people. In this unprecedented moment, the need to understand, endure, and transcend our lived experiences through arts and culture is all the more relevant for each of us," said Nashormeh Lindo, Chair of the California Arts Council. "The California Arts Council is proud to be able to offer more support through our grant programs than ever before, at a time when our communities' need is perhaps greater than ever before. These grants will support immediate and lasting community impact by investing in arts businesses and cultural workers across the state."

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