The American Theatre Wing has announced the recipients of the 2021 Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative Classroom Resources Grants, which represent $150,000 in grants awarded to 12 Title 1 schools across nine different states.
The recipients are Bronx Charter School for the Arts in Bronx, New York; Calumet New Tech High School in Gary, Indiana; Central Middle School in Weslaco, Texas; Jesús Moroles Expressive Arts Vanguard in Dallas, Texas; Mary R Stauffer Middle School in Downey, California; Memorial High School in West New York, New Jersey; Miami Coral Park Senior High in Miami, Florida; Morehead Elementary in Greensboro, North Carolina; Newnan High School in Newnan, Georgia; P.S. 345 Patrolman Robert Bolden in Brooklyn, New York; PS 214K in Brooklyn, New York; and Taos High School in Taos, New Mexico.
This year's recipients were chosen from grant requests from 135 schools across 35 states. With each applicant able to request up to $50,000 in grants, the Initiative received more than $6 million dollars in requests this year.
The grants are part of the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative, which was launched by the American Theatre Wing in 2016 thanks to a seed grant from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation to create systemic change in the theatrical training pipeline with scholarships and grants. The Wing has distributed more than $2.3 million in grants, scholarships, and support to students and schools nationwide since the Initiative's launch. These Classroom Resources Grants specifically look to ensure theatre teachers at under-served public schools have access to the resources they need to strengthen their schools' drama programs, including musical instruments, lighting and sound equipment, costumes, and more.
“I don’t know anyone in our community who lacks an intrinsic understanding of the giant impact that access to the arts can have on a student’s life," says Wing President and CEO Heather Hitchens. "By ensuring this access, we don’t just help instill a lifelong appreciation for theatre; we also support empathy-building, problem-solving, creative-thinking, and a whole range of crucial life skills. We are so proud to support these 12 Title 1 schools and their educators, who go above and beyond to provide quality arts education to their communities."
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