Union County, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce the 2015 Union County Advancing Community Theatre (UCACT) grant program. As part of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh’s “Investing in Union County” 2015 initiatives, the UCACT grant program aims to engage the creative life of our community through enriching community theatre experiences that promote economic and social well-being.
“Community theatre is a collaborative art with important economic, cultural, and social benefits,” said Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh. “Investment in community theatre is an investment in Union County.”
The UCACT grant program was created in response to the remarkable success of RENT at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway last November. The production was staged by the Linden-based community theatre organization Mystic Vision Players in partnership with the Union County Performing Arts Center, and sponsored by the Freeholder Board.
“The overwhelming audience response to the production is proof that community theatre has a place in Union County,” said Freeholder Chairman Jalloh.
The mission of the UCACT grant program is to support and encourage the performing arts in Union County. Recognizing the importance of the arts in society, UCACT seeks to fund Union County-based community theater companies that contribute to the advancement or preservation of theater as an art form.
“Public support is crucial to ensuring accessibility of the arts to all people,” said Chairman Jalloh. “UCACT aims to provide a venue that draws people together to participate in collaborative community theatre experiences that enrich and engage the greater Union County community.”
The UCACT grant program seeks to assist the artistic community in the County of Union by providing support that will promote high quality theatre productions, encourage new programming, set a high bar for artistic challenges, and help make live theater more accessible to all.
The application deadline for the UCACT grant program is March 1, 2015. Early submissions will be evaluated upon receipt. Applications submitted after the deadline will be considered based on funding availability.
Grant applications can be downloaded online at ucnj.org/ucact. For additional information or to receive a grant application by mail contact Victoria Durbin Drake, chief of staff, Freeholder Board at 908-558-2278.
##