Florida Studio Theatre Receives Grant From The Florida Division Of Cultural Affairs 

Florida Studio Theatre has announced that the nonprofit has received a grant for over $48,900 from the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. These funds will provide vital support for several of FST's core programs: Mainstage, Cabaret, Education, and New Play Development.

"In these challenging times, grant support from agencies like the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs is essential," said Rebecca Hopkins, FST's Managing Director. "The arts have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 epidemic. We went from a company of over 90 full-time staff, front-of-house employees, and artists, to a group of about 30. This grant will help us have a strong reopening with our Winter Season in early 2021."

This year, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs awarded over $868,000 in funding to 27 arts and culture organizations in Sarasota County. FST has received over $1 million in grant support from the FLDCA since 1995.

With this funding from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Sarasota's Contemporary Theatre can advance its mission to "make theatre accessible and affordable to as many people as possible." As the state's largest subscription theatre, FST produced over 20 productions in 2019, reaching over 235,000 attendees. In addition, FST's award-winning arts-in-education initiative, WRITE A PLAY, reaches over 47,000 students throughout Florida each year.