Grants To Aid Theatre Programs In California Schools Impacted By Wildfires

The Educational Theatre Foundation is pleased to announce that high schools and middle schools in California that suffered damage to their theatre programs from the wildfires that plagued the state in 2018 are eligible to apply for a grant funded by licensing agency Music Theatre International (MTI).

The 2018 wildfire season was the most destructive on record in California, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the National Interagency Fire Center. The MTI California Fire Relief Grants offer ten $1,000 grants to high school and middle school theatre programs in California that were negatively impacted by wildfires in 2018. Impact may include damage or destruction of equipment and facilities, cancellations of events, loss of projected revenue, dislocation of faculty and students, and related issues.

The ETF grant application site is now open with applications due March 15 at 11:59pm PST. Grant recipients will be notified and announced by mid-April.

ETF President, Julie Cohen Theobald, said, "We are so grateful to generous donors and partners such as MTI who appreciate how having theatre in schools has a positive impact on the entire school and its community. These grants are in direct support of ETF's mission to provide financial support to enhance theatre education and expand access to school theatre programs for every child in America."

MTI President and CEO, Drew Cohen, said, "MTI is pleased to offer our support to some of the schools affected by the devastating wildfires throughout California. The arts have a unique power to make a difference in people's lives, and we hope that these grants enable the theatre programs impacted by these tragedies to flourish and help heal their communities."

About Music Theatre International

Music Theatre International (MTI) is one of the world's leading theatrical licensing agencies, granting schools as well as amateur and professional theatres from around the world the rights to perform the largest selection of great musicals from Broadway and beyond. MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these shows to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 70,000 theatrical organizations in the US and in over 60 countries worldwide.

MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City (mtishows.com), with additional offices in London (MTI Europe: mtishows.co.uk, mtishows.eu), and Melbourne (MTI Australasia: mtishows.com.au).

The Educational Theatre Foundation was launched November, 2017, as the philanthropic arm of the Educational Theatre Association, which is the home of the International Thespian Society. ETF provides essential financial support to enhance excellence in theatre education and to expand access to school theatre programs for every child, putting them on a more positive life path. ETF is focused on three areas: JumpStart Theatre-to create sustainable musical theatre programs where there previously were none; need-based grants to schools-to provide teaching and performance resources and equipment in under-resourced schools; and, merit and need-based grants to individuals-to nurture the next generation of theatre teachers and artists. In its first year ETF has awarded more than $650,000 in grants, directly impacting high school theatre programs in 50 cities, and enabling the development of musical theatre programs in underserved middle schools in six states.