Congratulations to four Arizona organizations awarded Mini Grants to support humanities projects totaling $8,000.
Arizona Humanities Programs Manager Ellie Hutchison shared, “Congratulations to our fall round of Mini Grant recipients. These humanities projects encourage a deeper understanding of ourselves and our communities through the exploration of poetry, music, film, and more.”
Read below for more information about each grant. Mini Grants are small grants of up to $2,000 that are available year-round to support innovative public programs that increase understanding of the human experience. Organizations interested in learning more can visit our Grant Opportunities page or call us at 602-257-0335.
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City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture – Phoenix, AZ
BreakBeat Poets and Book Tour
Total Mini Grant Award: $2,000
Project Director: Ashley Hare, 602-262-6164, Ashley.hare@phoenix.gov
The City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with the City of Phoenix Library and Parks department, will host the BreakBeat Poet book tour at Cesar Chavez Library and Park. This event brings local and national hip-hop literary artists together to activate the new stage ramada at the park, engaging a multigenerational, diverse group of people in a conversation about hip-hop, culture, race, and community. The event takes place on Saturday, December 3, 2016, and starts with free, intergenerational poetry workshops at the Cesar Chavez library from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., followed by a community arts cookout, and culminates with a performance and book signing. The BreakBeat Poets: It’s Where You’re At Description (1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.) / Writing Workshop Description (2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.) / Community Arts Cookout (4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) / Evening Reading/Discussion and Performance (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.).
Coolidge Performing Arts Center Foundation Inc – Artisan Village – Coolidge, AZ
A World of Music with Todd Green
Total Mini Grant Award: $2,000
Project Director: Corianna Lee, 520-370-8132 / info@coolidgeperformingartscenter.org
On Tuesday, February 21, 2017 the Coolidge Performing Arts Center will host a free musical demonstration and lecture, “A World of Music with Todd Green” featuring 25 acoustic, indigenous string, flute and percussion instruments from the Middle East, Central Asia, Far East and South America. The presentation relates the instruments historically, geographically and culturally and shows how our own familiar western musical instruments were derived from these traditional ancient instruments through the ages. Mr. Green will also cover some of the religious and philosophical influences on Middle Eastern and Indian traditional music. After a brief intermission, the program will be followed by a discussion moderated by local scholar, Victoria Shaw, where audience participation will be encouraged. Todd Green’s artistic mission is to “help break down the barriers that divide us by experiencing other cultures through their music.”
Primavera Foundation – South Tucson Youth Leadership Council – Tucson, AZ
South Tucson Youth Leadership Council Capacity Building
Total Mini Grant Award: $2,000
Project Director: Sabryna Alers, 520-305-8737 / salers@arizonaserve.org
The South Tucson Youth Leadership Council (STYLC), an all-volunteer, youth-led coalition whose vision is to engage South Tucson youth ages 9-24 as leaders in their community. The youth will explore, preserve and reinterpret the unique history and culture of South Tucson through education and hands-on engagement. The Youth will be given tools and opportunities for community engagement, beginning with a retreat in January, where they will participate in activities to prepare them to lead the Council. Topics will include: cultural relevance and heritage; learning your industry and telling your story; facilitative leadership (learning to lead groups without being hierarchical); presentation practice/skill-building; asset mapping and needs assessment; outdoor adventures; and planning of their future activities including one community engagement event. Youth will continue to meet on a regular basis to deepen their community engagement and plan activities rooted in connecting with their culture.
Arizona State University West – School of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies – Glendale, AZ
The Endgame Project
Total Mini Grant Award: $2,000
Project Director: Patrick Bixby, 602-543-4561 / patrick.bixby@asu.edu
Over a million Americans are afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease, with 50,000 to 60,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Arizona is faced with a disproportionately high number due to our aging population. The Endgame Project is a documentary film about an extraordinary production of Samuel Beckett’s darkly comic play – extraordinary because it was organized and acted by Dan Moran and Chris Jones, two seasoned film and stage actors who live with Parkinson’s Disease. The film follows Dan and Chris through rehearsals, doctor visits, physical therapy, and the challenges of daily life, culminating in their poignant performance of the play (one uniquely suited to the circumstances) in an off-Broadway theater. Their story offers inspiration to the growing number of people directly impacted by Parkinson’s Disease and, just as important, it provides the general public with a model for appreciating those around us with chronic illnesses and neurodegenerative conditions. The reception, screening, and Q & A session will take place on April 6th, 2017 in the Armstrong Great Hall at the new Beus Center for Law and Society (centrally located in downtown Phoenix) before an audience of PD patients, family members, friends, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, as well as ASU students and members of general public. The reception and Q & A session will allow members of the audience to reflect on these challenges and discuss the many ways that art – not just acting, but the related fields of dance, music, and literature – can help those suffering from chronic illness to meet these challenges, to endure, and even to thrive in the face of disease and disability.
Any findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these projects do not necessarily reflect those of Arizona Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.