IndieSpace Highlights Since Our Wedding
On June 28, 2022, IndieSpace and the Indie Theater Fund officially merged into one organization, IndieSpace. We celebrated this merger by holding a wedding ceremony!
As we look back over the last year since the wedding ceremony, we can see how the merger helped IndieSpace grow our capacity and ability to serve the indie theater community.
These are just some of the highlights and accomplishments from our work since June 28, 2022.
We moved our first employee onto our board and hired our second and third employees.
Gave out an amazing 55 Pay Your People grants to indie theater venues and companies at The Big Give 2022 hosted at the Chelsea Factory.
Created the Deep Roots Grant for small-budget arts orgs that have been holding it down in the community for 25 years or more.
We maintained our monthly Growing Small Budget org calls through Culture@3.
Continued investing in our Mental Health Micro Grants program - we’ve given out 562 grants totaling $281,000 so far.
We met quarterly or more with our brilliant Artist Committee.
Instituted a monthly wellness stipend for all employees, an indie theater ticket reimbursement, an internet stipend, and paid professional development.
We opened the West Village Rehearsal Co-Op, which has hosted more than 400 artists already - thank you, David Gruber.
We presented about artists’ mental health at the Grantmakers in the Arts conference.
After hearing from artists in our survey that they needed support due to the increased cost of living in NYC, we created the Milk and Eggs Micro Grants. We’ve given 199 grants so far.
We were featured in New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix with the Milks and Eggs grants.
Successfully went through the ULURP process with the Entertainment Community Fund and signed the LOI for a 60-year lease - well below market rents - on a new rehearsal, performance, and co-working space in Hell’s Kitchen.
We welcomed seven small-budget arts organizations to meetings with large foundations through our Seat At the Table program, with 56 companies waiting to participate in those meetings.
Continued our monthly co-working in the Signature Theater Lobby.
Participated in the Grantmaking working group of the Mosaic Fund and Network.
Started our first funded research project, studying the long-term impact of the Cultural Solidarity Fund. And we have been able to award 20 more artists grants - over 2,000 grants have been given, with just over 200 artists left that still need support.
Attended the groundbreaking for the Bushwick Starr’s new permanent home that we helped by connecting them with their broker and financing and advising on the various real estate options.
We conducted an Access Audit of our programs and website.
Did an incredible Community Resource Lottery with all free resources: six months of grant writing support (thank you, Benvenuti Arts), a writers retreat and strategic planning (thank you, Forge), headshot sessions (thank you, Joseph O’Malley), ASL interpretation (thank you, Inclusive Communication Services), Restorative Practices for Theater Production workshops (thank you, J Stephen Brantley), and anti-oppressive rehearsal culture, bystander intervention trainings (thank you, Theater Advocacy Project.)
Submitted our first capital application to the city.
Gave an employee health insurance for the first time.
We gave Randi a raise.
Were featured on NPR for the first time - thank you, Emily Owens.
Created a Governance committee that reworked our by-laws to reflect the work we were doing - to include the requirement of our board to represent the true demography of NYC and that requires artists and staff on the board (which we were doing anyway, but made it official in our new By-Laws).
We continued our no-interest loan program and made our largest loan to date - $20,000 (which has already been paid 50% back early, because that’s how artists do).
Launched our first official regrant program with the Howard Gilman Foundation - The Little Venue That Could.
Worked with 26 venues on their real estate issues.
Began a real estate council with professionals from the industry that will help IndieSpace and the venues we serve continue to work in NYC.
Started the process with a second company to buy their permanent home.
This work over the last year was possible due to support from the IndieSpace community.
Please consider contributing to IndieSpace with a donation of any size. Your investment in our work will ensure that we can continue to strengthen the indie theater community with radically transparent, responsive and equity-focused funding, real estate programs, professional development, and advocacy to individual artists, theater companies, and indie venues.
If you would like to donate by check, please make it payable to IndieSpace and mail it to us at 4815 28th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11103.
Thank you for everything you did to make our first year as merged organization such a positive year for IndieSpace. We appreciate your support!