National Endowment for the Arts FY 2017 Fall Grant Announcement

shows, and social media. Students also will receive post-secondary advising, including support through the
college application process.
New York Youth Symphony, Inc. (aka New York Youth Symphony)
$15,000 New York, NY
To support the Youth Symphony Composition Program. Students receive training in music composition by
working closely with professional composers, and compose original music that is performed publically by
professional artists and student musicians. The program is free to the students, and consists of seminar-style
sessions exploring the musical thought of a wide variety of composers, with a focus on instrumentation and
orchestration. Students cultivate their own artistic voices through class discussion, written exercises, and free
composition. Acclaimed composers and artists such as Samuel Adler, Matthias Pintscher, John Corigliano, Maria
Schneider, and Derek Bermel may visit the seminars to offer broad expertise on the field.
Opening Act, Inc (aka Opening Act)
$20,000 Brooklyn, NY
To support the After-School Theater Program. Taught by professional teaching artists, youth from underserved
communities across New York City will be guided through a free, year-long program that uses improvisation,
acting games, and writing exercises to develop creativity, collaboration, and acting and improvisational
techniques. During Saturday Master Class, students will learn how to audition for college theater programs, take
part in a workshop on the process of applying for college and financial aid, and engage in mentoring sessions
with professionals in the field. Select students will be invited to audition for the Summer Theater Arts and
Leadership Conservatory and to join the Student Leadership Council. These students, along with alumna of the
program, will further develop their leadership skills, create original theater, and serve as ambassadors for the
organization. The culmination of the program is an original production, created and performed by the students
in professional theaters.
P.S. Arts
$20,000 Venice, CA
To support Inside Out Community Arts, a theater-based youth development program. Students, many of whom
are at-risk for delinquency, truancy, and academic failure, will participate in artist-led workshops studying
multiple arts disciplines and elements of theater, which will empower them to become strong civic leaders and
learn to make responsible life choices. Students will create plays based on themes inspired by important issues
in their lives and communities, such as racism, gang violence, bullying, and teen pregnancy. In addition to afterschool
workshops, students will participate in Saturday family workshops, a camping retreat, a theater field trip,
a three-day rehearsal/outdoor education retreat in the Santa Monica Mountains, and a culminating
performance for their communities in a professional theater venue.
Partners for Youth with Disabilities, Inc. (aka PYD)
$25,000 Boston, MA
To support Access to Theatre, a program providing after-school and summer performing arts workshops and
classes for youth with and without disabilities in the greater Boston area. Students with physical, learning,
cognitive, intellectual, mental health and sensory disabilities will learn acting/improvisation, movement, music,
and visual arts that also promotes self-esteem, creativity, healthy lifestyles, and career development. Using a
flexible structure and principles of Universal Design for Learning, the curriculum is designed around each
beginning and advanced student and their participation in groups. Partners include VSA Massachusetts, Boston
Center for the Arts, and the Massachusetts Hospital School.
Some details of the projects listed are subject to change, contingent upon prior Arts Endowment approval. Information is current as of
December 7, 2016.