Since its founding in 1995, About Face has been dedicated to developing new work in Chicago and supporting LGBTQ+ artists at different stages in their process and careers. To date, About Face has presented 48 world-premiere plays, which have won critical acclaim and major recognitions including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and 16 Joseph Jefferson Awards.

The cast of About Face Youth Theatre’s production of 20/20. Photo by Michael Brosilow

About Face educational programs combine learning techniques of theatre as a means of activism with a brave space for LGBTQ+ community building. About Face Youth Theatre, now in its 22nd year, provides free theatre training, leadership development, and opportunities for developing and performing in new plays for public audiences.

About Face recently took its commitment to education and the community even further when it announced its new Green Room Collective, which is a paid mentorship program for early-career LGBTQ+ arts leaders. And in June 2021, AFT awarded grants to two local LGBTQ+ playwrights to support their creative work. The playwrights each received $2,000 grant awards for use in their art-making processes.

Scott Bradley in Packing. Photo by Nathanael Filbert

All AFT programs are designed to empower people of all generations within the LGBTQ+ community and its Equity mainstage productions speak to the political urgency of this moment by addressing challenging social problems. The work onstage as well as auxiliary programs reveal community strategies for persistence and joy, acknowledge specific ways that social inequalities impact LGBTQ+ people, and strengthen networks of support.

The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation (PMAFF) has been a proud supporter of About Face Theatre (AFT) since 2015. AFT currently receives general operating support from PMAFF. Past support has included production-specific funding so AFT could share LGBTQ+ stories such as Audrey Cefaly’s THE GULF and R. Eric Thomas’ TIME IS ON OUR SIDE.

Kelli Simpkins and Deanna Myers in The Gulf. Photo by Michael Brosilow

For more information, visit aboutfacetheatre.com

The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation is pleased to have provided funding to Growing Home over the last six years.

 

 

Growing Home believes that everyone deserves a good job, to eat well, and to live in a vibrant, supportive community. The organization proudly runs three of Chicago’s first high-production, USDA-certified organic urban farms in the Englewood community of Chicago. Their mission is to operate, promote, and demonstrate the use of organic urban agriculture as a powerful and therapeutic vehicle for job training, employment, food access and community development. Through this innovative workforce development program, Growing Home helps individuals overcome the barriers created by criminal records, homelessness, or lack of job histories to become successful members of Chicago’s workforce. Growing Home also partners with local community organizations to offer workshops on gardening, nutrition, and cooking with produce.

 

 

 

Despite the global pandemic, Growing Home continues to grow to meet community needs. In April, the organization opened a new Honore Street South farm for more growing and training space. Growing Home was able to train over 50 people in the workforce development program by transitioning the classroom portion to a virtual format, including virtual elevator pitch workshops. Additionally, staff made wellness check calls to over 500 past participants to ensure they could meet basic needs and connect them to emergency assistance when necessary. Growing Home also partnered with local organizations to offer CSA’s in Englewood at no cost to residents as well as engage in door-to-door delivery and food drives.

 

 

 

For more information on Growing Home, visit https://growinghomeinc.org

 

 

An internship can be one of the most valuable experiences for an aspiring young arts professional. It provides valuable training within a working organization. It serves as a base for networking with other colleagues from throughout their field. [Read more…]

The LOI process for our Spring 2021 grant cycle is now closed. Thanks to all who submitted. We are currently reviewing them and will be returning decisions in the coming weeks.

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The Foundation is pleased to announce the grant cycle calendars for 2021. Please note, all LOIs are due on the deadline date on or before 11:59 PM, Central Time, unless otherwise noted.

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Thanks to all who submitted LOIs for our Fall 2020 Cycle. Decisions have been sent to applicants and the LOI process is now closed. For those who have been invited to complete full applications or who are renewal applicants, applications are due August 10th.

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The foundation’s Fall 2020 grant cycle is now open. The deadline for receipt of LOIs is Monday, June 15th at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

First time applicants should examine our online guidance within the FOR APPLICANTS tab, above, particularly the page, HOW TO APPLY.

Click here to access the complete 2020 Grant Cycle Calendar.

** Please note, for the Fall 2020 cycle only, the Social Causes focus area will not be accepting new applicants. Given the COVID-19 crisis, the foundation will continue to support current grantee partners as well as contribute to collaborative emergency funds. We anticipate opening the opportunity for new applicants for our Spring 2021 cycle and beyond. Returning grantees are encouraged to apply as usual.

 

Since 2015, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation (PMAFF) has been a proud supporter of the Broadway School of Music & the Arts (BSMA). PMAFF funding has enabled BSMA to increase onsite student private lesson enrollment, create new participatory music education opportunities, and engage over 150 low income and homeless citizens through its Musical Meals program.

The Broadway School of Music & the Arts has its roots in Broadway-Slavic Village, a diverse Cleveland neighborhood edging the industrial valley just southeast of downtown, where close to 80% of school-age children attend Cleveland public schools, 30% of residents lack a high school degree, and 28% are unemployed. Housed in a historic former music conservatory, for 38 years BSMA has remained committed to enriching lives by providing access to high quality, diverse arts and music instruction and programming. BSMA provides these services to all individuals regardless of age, race, religion, level of ability, or financial means.

Last year, 2,075 individuals directly benefited from BSMA’s programs, including 1,095 youth. To keep its onsite private lessons affordable BSMA has provided over $111,000 in tuition assistance over the past 20 years. Close to half of students receive such assistance covering up to 95% of their tuition, and sometimes a loaned instrument as well. BSMA has also reduced financial barriers to participation in it onsite youth drum corps, which costs just $10 per year.

Over the past decade, in response to dramatic changes in the demographics of the Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood and the needs of its residents, BSMA has transformed its focus to engaging underserved urban residents in high quality arts and music education programs through partnerships with 22 community-serving organizations across Cleveland. By taking more of its programming into the community, it has increased access to arts participation, particularly to underserved children, its primary audience.

All of BSMA’s offsite programs are free to participants, and include after-school and summer visual art, dance and music classes, and older adult storytelling and watercolor classes. Its pre-K Eurhythmics and visual art program helps young children develop not only musically and artistically, but also build literacy, math and social skills, imagination and physical dexterity. The Musical Meals program provides music by top-notch Cleveland musicians once a month at a free community dinner at a nearby hunger center.

For more information on the Broadway School of Music & the Arts, visit www.broadwayschool.org

Since 2014, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation (PMAFF) has been a proud supporter of the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC). PMAFF funding has enabled ELPC to expand their staff to add talented public interest environmental attorneys and other advocates who work tirelessly to promote ELPC’s environmental program.

 

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Since 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has worked tirelessly to champion populations who have traditionally been denied their rights. Today, with more than 1.5 million members, nearly 300 staff attorneys, thousands of volunteer attorneys, and offices throughout the nation, the ACLU continues to vigorously defend individual freedoms.

 

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