The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce the 2016 Union County Advancing Community Theatre (UCACT) grant program.
The UCACT program aims to engage the creative life of Union County by supporting 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. “Through the UCACT program, the Freeholder Board is proud to provide opportunities that draw people together to participate in collaborative art experiences that enrich and engage the greater Union County community.”
The UCACT grant program continues on the footsteps of last year’s success, which included a diverse body of work including two original plays, a student production, a new community theatre organization, among others featuring the high-quality artistic talent of many Union County residents.
“Union County is home to a thriving, diverse theatre community that provides countless opportunities for enrichment and career development,” said Freeholder Vice Chairman Bruce H. Bergen. “The Freeholder Board is very proud to support the arts and the efforts of our local theatre organizations to help them bring the live theatre experience to new audiences.”
The mission of the UCACT grant program is to support and encourage the performing arts in Union County. The UCACT program began in 2015 as part of Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh’s “Building a Community of the Arts” initiatives.
The UCACT program seeks to assist the artistic community in Union County 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.
UCACT grants provide funding to cover the hard costs associated with putting up a production at the Union County Performing Arts Center, as well as marketing and publicity assistance for each production. Through creative partnerships and a holistic approach, the program aims to provide a strategic platform to support the development of Union County’s rich theatre talent by leveraging existing resources and broadening the definition of economic development and public recreation to include support for community theatre.
Grant applications can be downloaded online at ucnj.org/ucact. Applications are being accepted now on a rolling basis. Union County-based non-profit community theatre organizations are strongly encouraged to apply early as grants will be reviewed, announced and awarded on an ongoing basis based on funding availability. Qualifying performances must be presented between January and June 2016.
For additional information or to receive a grant application by mail, please contact Victoria Durbin Drake, Chief of Staff, Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, at 908-558-2278.