The Dax Foundation - a Los Angeles-based private, non-profit philanthropic foundation dedicated to helping people and animals around the world - announced today that it is significantly increasing its support for the arts by establishing its new Performing Arts Charitable Trust (PACT) and has awarded its first grants to four outstanding Los Angeles-based theater groups: Shakespeare Santa Monica, Veterans Center for the Performing Arts, Not Man Apart Physical Theatre Ensemble and Independent Shakespeare Company.
PACT grants are unrestricted financial awards designed to help growing arts groups enhance their performance capabilities, increase awareness of their theatrical projects, and better connect with their local communities. Key goals of the Trust include:
• Identifying exceptional performance arts groups & providing them with the funding, support & resources needed to build sustainable organizations that can grow, flourish & thrive over the long term.
• Enriching the lives of arts lovers of all ages through innovative, memorable performances of moving works from Shakespeare & other great playwrights & composers.
• Forging a tighter bond between arts groups & their local communities that fosters increased local support of the arts & continued enjoyment for residents, families & visitors for many years to come.
"At a time when funding for the arts from both public and private
sources is declining precipitously, we felt compelled to increase our
long-standing commitment to the arts in Los Angeles," said Dave
Weisman, the Dax Foundation's Executive Director. "After privately
supporting and watching dedicated theatrical companies face
significant challenges in bringing vital cultural arts to their
communities, we decided to expand our support for these groups."
Weisman noted that PACT will not just provide one-time grants to
"talented groups with an extraordinary passion to perform," but will
nurture them & continue to provide assistance over the long run.
"Beyond just financial support, the Foundation offers them a
supportive environment to expand their thinking and take bold steps to
deliver powerful performances the entire community can enjoy," Weisman
added.
The Dax Foundation is also announcing that award-winning Shakespeare
Santa Monica and Not Man Apart director John Farmanesh-Bocca will
serve as PACT's Program Director. "I'm thrilled to be working with the
Dax Foundation to identify and support outstanding arts groups to help
them realize their full potential," Farmanesh-Bocca said. "There are
many talented performance groups that could benefit from additional
help to bring brilliant arts entertainment to their communities."
In 2008, Shakespeare Santa Monica produced one of the most innovative
and engaging productions of Shakespeare's famous Pericles in years.
With the help of a $50,000 performance grant from the Dax Foundation,
Shakespeare Santa Monica will be performing several benefit
performances of their acclaimed interpretation, Pericles Redux this
summer at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles to benefit
Shakespeare Santa Monica's ambitious 2009/2010 season. Tickets for
these upcoming benefit performances and will be available in the
coming weeks via the Center Theatre Group
(www.CenterTheatreGroup.org).
Dax Foundation officials say the other grant recipients are equally impressive.
"The mission of the Veterans Center for the Performing Arts is to
celebrate military veterans by developing & producing their original
works, providing world-class theatrical training and enabling positive
artistic expression by delivering thought provoking works from a
veteran's perspective," said Stephan Wolfert, Founding Director of the
Los Angeles-based organization.
"We're pleased that the Dax Foundation shares our commitment to
veterans and their families," he said. "The Foundation's generous
support will help us continue to provide great theater, such as our
well received current production of Richard III to our friends,
neighbors and communities."
David Melville, Managing Director of the Independent Shakespeare
Company added, "This year is our 10th anniversary, and we have much to
celebrate. Our summertime Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park program
continues to grow and we anticipate performing for more then 12,000
people in 2009. The sponsorship and support of the Dax Foundation is
critical to our continued success and will enable us to enhance our
performance capabilities and make this our most artistically
successful season to date."
