A group of Seattle nonprofits aiming to boost exposure to and participation in the arts among young people will receive nearly $7 million in funding from Allen Family Philanthropies.
The organizations — all leading projects on the Seattle Center campus — include independent radio station KEXP, the Museum of Pop Culture, Pacific Science Center and others.
Allen Family Philanthropies (formerly known as the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation) is a charitable entity started by the late Microsoft co-founder and his sister, Jody Allen, in 1988. The philanthropy invests in a number of areas, including arts and culture, science and technology, and research in all areas of bioscience.
The grants are aimed at projects intended to grow opportunities for diverse creators, increase access to arts programming and engagement, and reimagine spaces, according to a news release Wednesday.
Here are the eight nonprofits and their plans for how grants totaling $6,868,990 over three years will be used:
- KEXP will support emerging artists and cultural workers and enhance audience diversity through extended programs for youth and their families, including the youth DJ programs, all-ages events, expanded youth outreach and programming engagement, and live music events and other activations in the KEXP Gathering Space and courtyard. ($879,700 in funding).
- Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) will develop a residency program that will expand free youth access to interactive, culturally relevant learning experiences ($696,176 in funding).
- National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) will scale and grow festival programming into year-round, accessible opportunities for film education, mentorship, and professional development for aspiring youth filmmakers at Seattle Center ($480,882 in funding).
- Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) will unify PNB’s emerging artist efforts into a singular choreographic dance program with more technical training and performance opportunities, increasing engagement for young artists aged 10-26, and expanding the Community Stages program ($1,250,000 in funding).
- Pacific Science Center (PacSci) will connect arts and culture with science, reimagining spaces with public artwork and cultural installations commissioned by Pacific Northwest Indigenous artists and culture bearers, through a new artist-in-residence program within the Maker & Innovation Lab ($997,632 in funding).
- Seattle Repertory Theatre & Seattle Children’s Theatre will expand their theatrical partnership model with a multi-year initiative to co-produce one main stage show each season aimed at teens and their families ($1,320,000 in funding).
- TeenTix will support a new Teen Connectors program in partnership with Seattle Center arts venues to increase access and engagement of teen audiences in arts and culture experiences ($250,000 in funding).
- The Vera Project (Vera) will launch All Ages / All Access, a new slate of all-ages music and arts programming centered on concerts, gallery openings, and creative workforce development opportunities by and for young people. ($994,600 in funding).
Seattle Center draws more than 12 million visitors annually, and is the most visited arts and cultural destination in the Pacific Northwest.
“By investing in arts organizations that engage young people, we invest in the creators, audiences, and advocates who will contribute to and sustain a vibrant arts and culture sector in Seattle for years to come,” said Anh Nguyen, director of arts, youth and community for Allen Family Philanthropies. “These organizations excel at engaging young artists and young audiences — and know how to ignite curiosity. The grants will ensure youth arts and culture programming can continue to grow and evolve to meet community needs.”
Allen Family Philanthropies’ funding for Seattle Center organizations follows previous arts investments from the foundation, including $9 million to eight downtown arts organizations to support nearly 1,200 public events, and the Community Accelerator Grant Program administered by ArtsFund, which has awarded $30 million in funding to 930 arts and culture organizations across Washington state over the last three years.
Previously:
- Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s final act: New $3.1B foundation bets big on science and tech
- In an age of billionaire backlash, Paul Allen’s lasting legacy stands out in Seattle
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