Part of a Barr Foundation-funded accessibility initiative, Month-long Residencies subsidize all venue costs and provide $15,000 in discretionary funding to local creatives.
WORCESTER, MA – May 13, 2022 – After announcing the Barr Foundation’s support of a year-long accessibility initiative, the Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) and Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC) are pleased to announce the Month-long Residency recipients for summer 2022.
“These remarkable presenters and their creative projects manifest the Worcester Cultural Coaltion’s goal of making the JMAC accessible to local artists and organizations who represent and serve underinvested communities, thanks to the Barr Foundation,” noted Erin Williams, Executive Director of the WCC.
Over a dozen applications were reviewed and evaluated. The selected residencies are are:
- Woo Tap by Michael Skrzek presents WORCESTER ON TAP June 13 – July 10
- Darren Cole and Missy Whiteman present THE COYOTE WAY X: EXPANDED CINEMA July 18 – August 14
- Queer the Scene presents CLUB QTS August 22 – September 17
Queer the Scene shared their enthusiasm for the opportunity: “We have been building up to an opportunity like this since our inception through our community partnerships. It is our time to showcase the vision of Queer the Scene with the support of the JMAC – one of our partners from the beginning.”
Darren Cole and Missy Whiteman, presenters of The Coyote Way X: Expanded Cinema, described their project as a, “new life that rises up through the cracks of the broken sidewalks, built on ancestral ground, deepened in cellular memory and star knowledge.”
“Facilitating the growth of organizations this diverse requires more than the type of value signaling many of these folks have sadly come to expect from outside agencies so we’re excited to be able to provide a real opportunity, with real money, and real access to our amazing JMAC facility,” said Hank von Hellion, Managing Director of the JMAC’s PopUp.
Month-Long Residencies are just one of the JMAC’s Barr Initiatives. Applications for a second round of One-Day Sponsorships are available at JMACWorcester.org/BarrOneDay and due July 15, 2022, for Fall/Winter events. Other components of the Barr accessibility initiative include rental subsidies of the BrickBox Theater for eligible presenters. Learn more at JMACWorcester.org/BarrInitiative.
About the Jean McDonough Arts Center: Comprising the ever-changing “permanent” PopUp and the intimate BrickBox Theater, the Jean McDonough Arts Center is an initiative of the Worcester Cultural Coalition, and home to myriad creative events and cultural initiatives. Individuals and groups can present or develop a wide range of work at the JMAC, including but not limited to work in theater, dance, film, music, performance art, visual art, fashion design and video game design. Learn more at JMACWorcester.org.
About the Worcester Cultural Coalition: The Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) is a public-private partnership established in 1999 between the City of Worcester and 12 cultural organizations. In 2022, membership exceeds 80 organizations, which host over 2.7 million visitors annually, from Worcester and beyond. Its mission is to draw on Worcester’s rich and diverse cultural assets to foster economic revitalization, support active and creative engagement for all, and to promote a strong cultural identity for Greater Worcester. The WCC supports and encourages action that meets the creative goals of the Worcester Cultural Plan: promoting cultural equity and creative community engagement for all. Learn more at WorcesterCulture.org.
