November 19 at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center Film House: Some of Vermont's most informed panelists gather in Chittenden County to share how to access the significant resources that are now traveling through the state to creative businesses and artists. Co-hosted by the Chittenden County Zone of the Vermont Creative Network and the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, free to all. Information to follow soon. Panel descriptions below; mark your calendar!
10am-11:00 Preparing for Incoming State Arts Funding
Through advocacy organized by the Vermont Arts Council, $9M in recovery funding for the creative sector are available through new grants, and millions more will follow including a $40M Community Recovery and Revitalization Grant Program. Panelists will help artists, businesses, nonprofit organizations and town leaders understand the legislation that made this possible and prepare to competitively apply for these funds.
11:15-12:15 Panel: Town ARPA Funding for the Arts
There is no guarantee that the $200M in American Rescue Plan Act recovery funding that is traveling through Vermont’s town governments will ever reach the creative sector. This panel prepares artists and community leaders to be effective advocates for this funding to serve the local industries that contribute so much to the economic and social vitality and wellbeing of our towns.
1:15-2:15 Panel: A Strategic Plan for the Whole State: The Vermont Creative Network, Supporting Community and the Creative Economy
The CreateVT Action Plan describes how investing in creative industries, steered by inclusive values, can result in a more prosperous Vermont. The award-winning plan is the result of three years of collaborative work by hundreds of Vermonters. This introduction to CreateVT is also an invitation to help make it happen. Learn about Vermont’s role in a national study of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry, the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6). Be introduced to how towns in Vermont strengthen their creative industries by integrating them into their strategic plans. Together, these initiatives grade the road for Vermont’s creators and innovators.
Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6)
"Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) is the sixth national study of the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in the United States. The study is conducted approximately every five years to gauge the economic impact (on employment, government revenue, and household income) of spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and the event-related spending by their audiences. Administered by Americans for the Arts, AEP6 will examine the economic power of the arts and culture in 387 participating communities representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In Vermont, the Vermont Arts Council, Paramount Theatre in Rutland, and Burlington City Arts have partnered to administer the study's field research in 2022 and 2023. Arts organizations who are willing to help administer these surveys at their own events are encouraged to contact AEP6 Coordinator Johanna de Graffenreid at [email protected]. Audience-intercept surveys will be collected from attendees to arts events in Vermont through April 2023. Nonprofit arts and culture organizations will be surveyed in 2023. More information can be found at https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/programs/aep6"
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Action Plan
"The event takes place every year during the High-level Week of the UN General Assembly. It’s a unique, collaborative space dedicated to accelerating action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Register now to join us from 21 to 23 September 2022, and hear from a range of speakers: from the highest levels of UN leadership, to committed governments, innovative business leaders, and the boldest activists and changemakers from around the world. The full program and speaker lineup are now live on our website: sdgactionzone.org"
Artists in the Workforce: National and State Estimates for 2015-2019
"A new resource, Arts Data Profile Series #31, examines artists in the workforce between 2015-2019. This includes three new research briefs looking at demographic and/or geographic characteristics of artists and arts managers, based on information from the U.S. Census Bureau: Follow the link below for full details, as well as an interactive map that for each U.S. state illustrates both counts and location quotients for the total number of artists, and for workers in the following selected artist occupations: architects; arts directors, fine artists, and animators; designers; dancers and choreographers; musicians; actors; entertainers; writers and authors; and photographers. The data cover the years 2015-2019, providing data just before COVID-19. While it will be a couple of years before we will understand precisely how COVID-19 impacted the demographic make-up and mobility patterns of arts workers, the data provide a good baseline. This trio of reports are reflective of the NEA’s five‐year agenda to monitor the state of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the arts." Learn more.
Serve as a Vermont Arts Council Reviewer/Panelist
External panel review is a key component of the Vermont Arts Council grantmaking, Poetry Out Loud, Vermont Arts Awards and other programs. A diverse pool of panelists is critical for equitable and inclusive grants. Nominate yourself or others to serve. Info.
Review the Congressional Arts Report Card 2022
Americans for the Arts shares the 2022 Congressional Arts Report Card.
Save-the-Date: The Creative Vitality™ Summit
"The Creative Vitality™ Summit is returning and will be held online Wednesday, November 30 and Thursday, December 1, 2022. Panelists will convene in person in Denver and participants will be able to attend virtually. This year’s Creative Vitality™ Summit will feature four panels with community-led discussions around how the creative economy intersects with technology, digital placekeeping, and more. These discussions will also delve into creative economy development through liberatory investment models, as well as belonging and civic imagination." More information.
10/10: Downtowns Celebrate Senator Leahy
October 10, Rusty Parker Memorial Park, Waterbury: "For more than four decades, Senator Patrick Leahy has been a champion of the historic built environments that help define Vermont and serve as the epicenter of Vermont life. Since establishing his first Senate office in the then-slated-for-demolition fire house in downtown Burlington in 1975, Leahy has put our historic downtowns at the center of his economic development agenda. He has championed investments in historic preservation programs that nearly every downtown has benefited from, created new ones (like the National Park Service Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program), earmarked grants for housing, sewer and water projects that have served as catalysts for redevelopment, and fought for the businesses that make our downtowns great. When tragedy has hit our downtowns, from fires in Randolph, St. Johnsbury or Brattleboro, and floods in Waterbury, Northfield and Montpelier -- he has made sure the federal resources were there to rebuild better. Now it’s time to celebrate those contributions! Vermont municipal leaders and downtown advocates invite you to celebrate Senator Patrick Leahy’s 47-year career revitalizing our historic city, town and village centers.
Agenda
1-2:30 PM: Music, snacks and drinks
2:30 PM: Program / Toast to Senator Patrick Leahy
3:30-5 PM: Live music featuring Vermont musicians
The event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are appreciated, and will sign you up for event updates and inclement weather plans. A taste of Waterbury’s downtown will be complementary, and there will be a cash bar." Info and RSVP.
Resources
Arts Council Creative Futures Grants
"The Vermont Arts Council is now accepting applications for its Creative Futures Grants to help the creative sector recover from economic losses due to the pandemic. Grants of up to $200,000 will be available to creative sector non-profits and for-profit entities, including sole proprietors, that have sustained substantial losses from the pandemic. Losses include decreased revenue or gross receipts; financial insecurity; increased costs; and challenges covering operating expenses. Grant amounts, which will be based on pre-pandemic operating revenue from 2019, may be used to cover a wide range of regular operating expenses, including payroll and office expenses; rent, mortgage, and utilities; and costs associated with ongoing Covid-19 mitigation and prevention. The creative sector economy is defined as the collective enterprises, organizations, and individuals whose products and services are rooted in artistic and creative content. Seven segments comprise Vermont’s creative economy: culture and heritage; design; film and media; literary arts & publishing; performing arts; specialty foods; and visual arts and crafts. The program will be open for three rounds. The first application deadline is Nov. 1, 2022, with subsequent deadlines in February and June of 2023. The Council will host two virtual grantseeker workshops for the first round – from 10-11 a.m., Sept. 19, and from 1-2 p.m., Oct. 7. If you’re unable to make the workshops, a recording will be available after." More information and the online application.
Workshops: How to Apply for Federal Grants
"Visit the Rural Workforce Innovation Network webpage, www.rd.usda.gov/rwin to sign up for regional virtual workshops on how to effectively apply for and manage federal grants. Join representatives from USDA Rural Development, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Economic Development Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, who will discuss how to locate federal grants, share tips on completing applications, and give an overview on federal grants management. Workshops will take place regionally, and you can attend whichever workshop is most convenient for you. The workshops will be recorded. You can access past workshop recordings at the USDA Rural Development YouTube Channel and at www.rd.usda.gov/rwin."
Free Music Production Workshops for Women (Online)
"Global teaching platform Music Production for Women (MPW) have announced a two-day Women in Music Tech Summit taking place on the 14th and 15th of October. The summit is being held online, opening accessibility to musicians worldwide who can join masterclasses to empower female and non-gender conforming musicians. The event will feature sessions with the likes of Berklee College of Music Fellow, Marcela Rada, Las Angeles based producer Lillian Frances and MPW’s award winning founder and CEO, Xylo Aria. More teachers for the event are to be announced over the coming month." Info.
BCA Elevation Grant for Artists
"This funding opportunity is designed to support regional artists and artist groups with grants between $500 and $5,000. The grant will help artists address the basic challenges of artmaking with funds that may be used at any stage of the creative process. Artists are invited to propose a broad range of activities, such as publication expenses, performance fees, special supplies, and other needs that are crucial to their art form. Priority will be given to artists whose applications include a defined presentation of artwork within or beyond the grant period, and who describe a strong connection to Burlington’s artistic community. The Elevation Grant is a one-year pilot program that will bridge support for artists as other pandemic-related funding sources reach their end. Applications are open now and close Tuesday, November 15. Still have questions after reading the grant requirements? Drop by our Zoom Q&A sessions on Thursday, September 22 at 12 pm & 5 pm or contact Colin Storrs, Public Art & Grants Program Manager, at [email protected]." Application.
VEDA Launches Forgivable Loan Program
"Vermont Economic Development Authority’s (VEDA) Short-Term Forgivable Loan Program (FLP) is now accepting applications from businesses, including sole proprietors and not-for-profits, experiencing continued working capital shortfalls as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Priority is being given to applicants from the hardest hit sectors including travel and tourism, food service, lodging, childcare, and agriculture. Applications from Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) owned businesses in all industry sectors will also be prioritized. Applicants must meet certain eligibility criteria and demonstrate economic harm caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. Loans of up to $350,000 may be used for eligible operating expenses such as payroll, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. Applicants are highly encouraged to seek technical assistance from the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) and use the FLP calculator tool available on the VEDA website PRIOR to applying. VEDA will host an informational webinar on Monday, September 19 at 2pm. For full details and to register for the webinar visit the VEDA website." Program details and registration.
Vendor Applications for the BTV Winter Market Now Open
"Calling all artists and makers! Vendor applications for the BTV Winter Market are now open. Building on 20+ years of BCA Holiday Artist Markets and the Love Burlington Winter Market, and following an uber-successful inaugural run of the summertime BTV Market, we're excited to join forces and turn the festivity up to a whole new level this year. The BTV Winter Market will offer a community-driven, cozy, month-long outdoor shopping experience in City Hall Park. Apply now to be part of the rotating group of 20 local artists, makers, and food vendors who will be bringing the spirit of the season to the park from November 19th - December 23, Fridays - Sundays (with some exceptions). Whether you're a seasoned maker or an emerging local vendor, we want you to join us in creating a vibrant, joyful space for our community to gather and celebrate the most wonderful time of year! Learn more at the link in bio and apply by Mon, 10/3 at 9 am." Learn more and apply.
Fully Supported Musician Incubator
"Music to Life, a national nonprofit founded by Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary) and his daughter, Liz, is launching its online incubator program - the Musician Changemaker Academy (MCA) - in February 2023. The MCA is a fully underwritten eight-month social change business accelerator (eight weeks of instruction, followed by six months of coaching; February-September 2023) for 10 competitively selected socially conscious musicians from around the country. Taught and facilitated by experts in the music, nonprofit, business and entertainment industries, musician participants come away with a concrete plan for their community change idea, local partner connections, program development skills and funding to execute their projects. Participating musicians will receive cash and services worth $7500 including: a $500 participation stipend, weekly instructional training in program and grants development, networking sessions with like-minded entrepreneurial artists and thought leaders, 30+ hours of intensive 1:1 coaching, and $2K seed funding to launch a program pilot in partnership with a local organization. Candidates will be selected based on their musical talent and their enterprising idea for a music-driven social change program in their community. Please note: given Music to Life’s commitment to racial justice, equity and inclusion, we strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and those who identify with or are members of historically marginalized or underrepresented communities. If you or someone you know might be interested, please share this and/or complete the MCA application (https://forms.gle/3hMWmQL2USci3iYA6) no later than Friday, September 30th. Questions can be directed to Verónica Pérez-Picasso, Director of Programs at [email protected]."
BCA New Year's Eve Highlight Festival Applications Open
"Share your brilliance with BTV through the Bright Ideas project! Pitch your original event idea for Highlight, Burlington's New Year's Eve festival, and you could receive up to $10,000 of funding to make your vision a reality. This NYE we'll bring our community together with events that will support, celebrate, and share what’s important to you. Whether you are passionate about the arts, community, the environment, culture, education, food, or more, we want to hear from you! From community mural projects, to mini music festivals, to nonprofit fundraising events, to pop-up food concepts, and beyond - think outside of the box! In-person happenings of all shapes and sizes will be considered, so help us Highlight the creativity of our Vermont community and submit your application by Monday, October 24. Head to highlight.community for more details and to apply."
Vermont Receives $249,000 for Export Assistance Grants
"Vermont has received an additional $249,000 in State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Eligible Vermont businesses may apply for STEP funds to offset costs associated with entering or expanding into international markets, including trade shows, foreign trade missions, export training and compliance, and developing company websites and advertising campaigns. Vermont has received an award in each of the ten consecutive rounds of funding, totaling more than $2.5 million. For details on eligibility and the application process, visit www.accd.vermont.gov/STEP."
Grass Roots Fund 'Grow Grants' & 'Seed Fund'
The Grow grant program is geared towards groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community. Grow grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes. Grow grants prioritize support for community groups who represent a broad range of voices in their community and who are not being reached by other funders. The Grassroots Fund interprets the word 'environment' broadly and provides funding for a wide range of activities. Deadlines: Third Tuesday in March & September. Funding decisions are generally made by the end of May and early December, and funding is received after grant agreement paperwork is signed. Grant size: $1,000 - $4,000. Direct questions to: Abby Burkland at [email protected]." Info.
The Seed grant program is geared towards groups launching new projects or starting to significantly change the direction of an existing project. Most often, groups have been working on the project less than a year and usually don't yet have much direct experience with implementing the idea. Seed grants prioritize support for community groups who represent a broad range of voices in their community and who are not being reached by other funders. The Grassroots Fund interprets the word 'environment' broadly and provides funding for a wide range of activities. Deadline: rolling - you can apply for a Seed grant any time of year. A final decision generally takes 4 to 6 weeks and you can expect to hear from staff to schedule a follow-up call in about 2 weeks from the date you submit an application. Grant size: $500 - $1,000. Direct questions to: Tess Beem at [email protected] if you cannot find the answers to your questions on this page. Info.
NIVF/Calling All Crows' #HereForTheMusic Sexual Violence Prevention Program (Free, Online)
"The National Independent Venue Foundation has partnered with Calling All Crows' #HereForTheMusic Sexual Violence Prevention Program to bring free anti-harassment safety training and policy workshops to everyone in the independent live entertainment community. Sexual and interpersonal violence are pervasive problems in our communities and in our industry. Calling All Crows launched this campaign in 2017 to bring effective sexual violence prevention and response strategies to the music industry to make our work places and the community spaces safer, more equitable, and more joyful. At NIVF, we want to be leaders in creating events and spaces that bring our communities together. That means creating environments that are inclusive, responsive, and caring. This partnership with Calling All Crows provides practical tools to achieve this. We are excited to offer their signature online training course, free of charge, this fall. Learn to identify potentially harmful behaviors, strategies to safely/effectively disrupt harm, and how to respond to reports of violence in a trauma-informed way. A license gives you 30 days access to a 1.5-2 hour self-paced course (that meets the state requirement for sexual harassment training for those of you in CA, CT, DE, IL, ME, and NY!). In addition, we will be offering two live online workshops to build an anti-harassment policy for your company. You will learn best practices in setting/updating your anti-harassment policy, communicating it to key parties, and finding your company's voice on this issue. This is an hour-long workshop, which we will offer Sept 13 and Nov 10." Info and registration.
The Made Here Fund for Content Creators
"Calling all storytellers! Vermont Public has launched the Made Here Fund, a new initiative designed to 'pass the mic' to content creators throughout our region. Storytellers from across the state are invited to apply for special funding for a wide range of projects and formats, including documentary storytelling, nonfiction audio projects, digital video content, podcasts, and multimedia projects. Applications are open to all Vermonters, and submissions from creators of color, rural and youth residents of Vermont will be prioritized to advance equity in public media. Be part of sharing stories from every corner - apply or share today!"
Point Your Musician Friends to the Vermont Music Industries and Band Guides
A new interactive directory of Vermont’s music industries has been published to bigheavyworld.com, a website celebrating the original music of the state. It is the result of a collaboration between Big Heavy World, Vermont’s independent, volunteer-run music office, and Northern Vermont University-Lyndon, where students provided research to update and expand the music sector content. The new map-based guide shows the music sector ‘ecologies’ of five regions of the state: Southeast, Southwest, Central, Champlain Valley, and the Northeast Kingdom. It includes filterable listings for broadcast media; festivals; instrument shops; music venues; print media, record labels, record stores and recording studios. Future additions will include instrument makers, music-specific healthcare providers, and other sectors recommended by the music community and public. The directory is free to the public. As a community-driven arts nonprofit, Big Heavy World welcomes anyone to reach out if they have updates or additions to this first draft of the living document, [email protected].
Fall 2022 Shared Webinar Calendar via Common Good VT
"No matter what your training needs are, you can find it on our fall calendar! Common Good VT has partnered with nonprofit associations across the country to make this exciting lineup of shared webinars available to Vermont organizations at discounted rates! Find these upcoming offerings and more on our Fall 2022 Shared Webinar Calendar:
Doing Our Own Work: Personal and Professional Anti-Racism 9/20-10/25
Leading Through Change: Champions, Barriers, and Wins 9/20
Practical Leadership 1.0: Cultivating Thriving Supervisory Relationships 9/20-9/22
So Many Donors, So Little Time: Donor Engagement for Small Nonprofits 9/21"
Catapult Research Grant for Filmmakers
"The Catapult Research Grant will open Monday October 17th, 2022 and closes Monday November 14th, 2022 at midnight PST. Grantees will be announced early January 2023. The grant provides five filmmakers with $10,000 grants plus six months of mentorship and professional development." Info.
Free Emergency Preparedness Workshops for the Performing Arts
"The Performing Arts Readiness (PAR) project is offering the free emergency preparedness webinars listed below that are tailored to the needs of performing arts organizations. The better prepared an organization is, the more quickly and effectively it can respond to emergencies and crises, re-open for performances and programs, and return to normal operations.The PAR project is also excited to announce the launch of dPlan|ArtsReady, an online emergency preparedness and response tool for the arts and cultural heritage sectors. This tool guides users through risk assessments and preparedness actions and produces elements for your disaster plan. A limited number of free 1-year subscriptions are available to arts organizations using this form. The dPlan|ArtsReady online tool can be found at: https://www.dplan.org/."
Fire Safety and Preparedness for Performing Arts Organizations: Sept. 22, 2022 at 2:00pm ET
Description: Fire Safety is an essential element in the day to day preparedness of any organization, especially in the unique environment of the performing arts. In addition to sound emergency management principles, the application of National Fire Protection Association Standards (NFPA) will ensure that a comprehensive protection plan is developed in cooperation with appropriate emergency response partners. This free webinar will provide fire safety considerations and introduce best practices from the fire protection industry, which offers a road map to achieve fire safety benchmarks. Participants will learn how the Life Safety Code and the Code for Protection of Cultural Resource Properties can help you protect your patrons, staff, and facility. Instructor: Chris Soliz
Introduction to Festival Safety: The Art of Mass Gatherings Approach: Sept. 28, 20022 at 2ET
Description: Embracing a whole community approach to safety and preparedness means helping event producers master the art of mass gatherings. Gatherings like festivals, concerts and other special events are simultaneously powerful and vulnerable. They can be joyful, life-giving experiences, but they can also be a forum for disaster. They can elevate a community's sense of pride and identity, yet they can be a source of enormous waste and missed opportunities. Instructor: Matthew Che Kowal
Disaster Response for Performing Arts Organizations: Oct. 4, 2022 at 2pm ET
Description: Emergency response can be a daunting prospect for performing arts organizations. This webinar will lay out the basic tenets of responding to an emergency including support organizations, working with vendors, and helpful resources for organization and planning. There will also be a brief introduction to the Incident Command System so that performing arts centers can work more seamlessly with their local first responders. Instructor: Donia Conn
AARP VT Winter Placemaking Projects Grants
"AARP Vermont is committed to helping towns and organizations create livable, vibrant communities for older adults to live and thrive. We know that great communities take a long time to build and sustain, but ‘quick actions’ can be the critical spark for longer-term progress. This is the fourth year of AARP’s Placemaking Grant Program which aims to help communities build social capital that can help lead to permanent change that supports healthy, active lifestyles for people of all ages and abilities. AARP Vermont’s 2022 Winter Placemaking Grants will provide financial support in the amount of $4,000 per project to non-profit or ad-hoc groups, whom meet the eligibility requirements, and are focused on reinventing or activating a public space during the winter months through programming or infrastructure improvements to enhance the safety, accessibility and overall appeal. Grant program RFP and Applications are posted here with all the details for eligibility, project criteria and submission. Applications should be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 to be eligible for consideration. Questions: [email protected]."
News & Thought
2022 Vermont Arts Awards Announced
“The Vermont Arts Council is proud to honor and celebrate the creative practice and accomplishments of these six extraordinary artists,” said Arts Council Executive Director Karen Mittelman. “Together, they exemplify the rich, vibrant, and diverse artistic landscape across Vermont.” We are thrilled to honor the recipients of the 2022 Vermont Arts Awards: Jarvis Green, Larry Bissonnette, Christal Brown, Eugene Uman, Judy Dow, Robert Resnik." More.
Vermont Arts Council Executive Director Search Underway
"With the departure of Vermont Arts Council Executive Director Karen Mittelman at the end of October, the Council has retained the executive search firm, Arts Consulting Group (ACG), to begin a national search for a new executive director."
Commentary by Justin Salisbury: Expanding BIPOC Enhances Colonization
"When I was an undergraduate student over 10 years ago, “BIPOC” meant “Black and Indigenous People of Color.” Before the pandemic, Black and Indigenous communities used the BIPOC label to unite as we worked on decolonization projects. Most of the time, we either operated specifically within monoracial groups or as People of Color (POC) collectively. When it was time to talk about taking down a Christopher Columbus statue, “BIPOC” identified a specific subgroup of POC with a special relationship to colonization. We would also use “BIPOC” while addressing violence against BIPOC folks committed by settlers, including settler POC. Black and Indigenous people should still have agency over the BIPOC label, but the term has been co-opted — stolen — by colonizing neoliberal Whites and settler POC. Now, we are being told that BIPOC stands for “Black, Indigenous, and People of Color,” thus including all the same people as the term “People of Color.” Read the full commentary at VTDigger.
Urban Vegetation and Its Inequities
"A segment written by Mona herself exposes that the city’s highest income neighborhoods have almost three times more trees than the lowest income ones. “The correlation between income and trees means that neighborhoods with more rich people, which are also the neighborhoods with more White people, have cleaner air,” she writes." The story on Hyperallergic.
Shuttered Venue Operator Grants Total $14.57 Billion
"A total of $14.57 billion in COVID-19 economic relief has been awarded to 13,011 performing arts venues and organizations, movie theaters, talent representatives, producers, and museums. The Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that it has officially completed grant decisions on all outstanding appeals and reconsiderations. To see the full list of 13,011 grantees and their award amount, download the Excel data document from the SBA’s site."
Arts and Public Policy Lecture: Ayad Akhtar, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author and President of PEN America
Free live stream September 21, 7:30pm ET, featuring Performances by guest artists Rez Abbasi and Kiran Ahluwalia. "Ayad Akhtar is a novelist and playwright. His work has been published and performed in over two dozen languages. He is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Edith Wharton Citation of Merit for Fiction, and an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Akhtar is the author of Homeland Elegies (Little, Brown & Co.), which The Washington Post called “a tour de force” and The New York Times called “a beautiful novel…that had echoes of The Great Gatsby and that circles, with pointed intellect, the possibilities and limitations of American life.” Homeland Elegies was named one of the Top 10 Books of 2020 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and TIME Magazine. Former President Barack Obama named Homeland Elegies one of his favorite books of 2020. Akhtar's first novel, American Dervish (Little, Brown & Co.), was published in over 20 languages. As a playwright, he has written Junk (Lincoln Center, Broadway; Kennedy Prize for American Drama, Tony nomination); Disgraced (Lincoln Center, Broadway; Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony nomination); The Who & The What (Lincoln Center); and The Invisible Hand (NYTW; Obie Award, Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Award, Olivier, and Evening Standard nominations). Among other honors, Akhtar is the recipient of the Steinberg Playwrighting Award, the Nestroy Award, the Erwin Piscator Award, as well as fellowships from the American Academy in Rome, MacDowell, the Sundance Institute, and Yaddo, where he serves as a board director. Additionally, Ayad is a board trustee at New York Theatre Workshop and PEN America, where he serves as president. In 2021, Akhtar was named the New York State Author, succeeding Colson Whitehead, by the New York State Writers Institute.To read more about Ayad Akhtar and reviews of his highly reviewed publications, please visit his website." More information about the lecture.
United States