The Theatre Lab To Receive $38,000 In Grants From The National Endowment For The Arts

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018. Included in this announcement is a Creativity Connects grant of $18,000 to The Theatre Lab to support Life Stories programming for veterans and their families, and an Art Works grant of $20,000 to support and expand Life Stories theatre residencies in DC Public and Charter schools.

"The variety and quality of these projects speaks to the wealth of creativity and diversity in our country," said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. "Through the work of organizations such as The Theatre Lab in Washington, DC, NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are."

The Creativity Connects category advances the role of the arts in the nation's creative ecosystem by supporting projects featuring partnerships between the arts and non-arts sectors and Art Works is the NEA's largest funding category and supports projects that focus 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/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.

"We're grateful for NEA's continued support of Life Stories, which brings life-changing opportunities for dramatic self-expression to people whose stories too often go unheard and unseen," said Deb Gottesman, Co-Executive Director of The Theatre Lab. "We look forward to continuing our collaboration with The Wounded Warrior Project, our new partnership with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and expanding our work with low-income middle and high-school students in five DC schools."

The Theatre Lab's Life Stories program teaches people from vulnerable populations to create original dramatic works using their own life experiences. Since launching the program in 2000, Life Stories has brought life-transforming opportunities for creative self-expression to more than 3,000 youth and adults from age 3 to 100+. In addition to serving veterans and their families, Life Stories currently partners with nonprofits to serve seniors in assisted living, homeless women in addiction recovery, immigrant teens, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth, and more. The program is the subject of the award-winning 2014 documentary, How I Got Over (Nicole Boxer, dir) and its creators are the winners of the prestigious Linowes Leadership Award, "recognizing DC's unsung heroes." The Theatre Lab will host its annual Life Stories Institute from October 11-14, 2018 to train educators, artists, and social service providers to teach Life Stories in their own communities.

About The Theatre Lab

The Theatre Lab is Washington, DC's largest and most comprehensive independent, nonprofit school for the dramatic arts. The Theatre Lab's mission is to transform lives through theatre. Since its founding in 1992, The Theatre Lab has worked to make the real-life benefits of theatre training accessible to all regardless of age, income, or experience level. Program highlights include a conservatory to prepare actors for a profession in the arts, year-round multi-week courses for youth and adults, summer drama camps for kids and teens, and the nationally-recognized Life Stories program. Learn more at theatrelab.org

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