$100K in federal funds take stage at Kansas City theater forced to relocate because of COVID
January 13, 2024 | Startland News Staff
Challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact the arts, said Evie Craig, whose organization was forced to relocate because of an unexpected revenue drop caused by the global health crisis.
A recently announced $100,000 in American Rescue Plan grant funding from the Entertainment Industry Grant Program administered by the State of Missouri Department of Economic Development is expected to help Kansas City-based The Arts Asylum rebound, Craig said.
Performers at The Arts Asylum are pictured during a production of “Bat Boy: The Musical”; photo courtesy of The Arts Asylum
“The Arts Asylum is extremely gratified to have received this award from the State of Missouri,” the organization’s executive director said. “The process was very competitive and the Department of Economic Development staff were thoroughly professional throughout.”
Click here to learn more about The Arts Asylum.
The first round of awards under this category, which benefits performing arts agencies in the state that had significant losses during the pandemic, were awarded in summer 2023 and funds were distributed in the fall. The Entertainment Industry Grant Program is intended to further the statewide recovery of the entertainment industry from the negative economic impact of COVID-19. This grant program will help existing entertainment venues that plan to expand, upgrade, or improve operations.
“We will use these much-needed funds for operations and necessary renovations to our new location in the East Brookside/South Troost corridor,” Craig said. “Like so many of our partner performing arts agencies, The Arts Asylum experienced unanticipated revenue losses in the early days of the pandemic that extended well into the 2021 recovery.”
U.S. Reps. Cori Bush and Emanuel Cleaver, D-Missouri, and U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, a member of the House Small Business Committee, supported and voted for the American Rescue Plan. All Republican members of both the Missouri and Kansas Congressional delegations in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate voted against the $1.9 trillion stimulus package.
Board and management at The Arts Asylum made the decision to leave its original location and to relocate to a smaller space with minimal overhead/occupancy costs in order to maintain and sustain our financial and operational stability, she noted.
“COVID-19 relief funding, including the recent award from the State of Missouri, gave us the support we needed to be nimble enough to make this change and to continue to be a ‘safe place to create,’” Craig said.
The Arts Asylum is the only live theater in the Brookside/South Troost area and offers off-street parking, a ground-level entrance, brand-new bathrooms, and a fully accessible theater, she noted.
The mission of the Arts Asylum is to create a safe space for Kansas City artists, performers, educators, and creative companies to develop new work. The Arts Asylum focuses on new, locally grown programming through its producing division to support its mission.
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
From Google to KC, Beth Ellyn McClendon’s advice to startups: Test everything
Don’t fall in love with an idea, Beth Ellyn McClendon said. “Test everything, especially your assumptions, and allow yourself to be persuaded by data,” said McClendon, a seed investor who formerly worked with Google, Android, YouTube, Cisco and Netscape. “Try to remember — tattoo it on your eyelids if you have to – anecdotes are not…
Bodyrite duo cooks meal prep into personal training concept
Don’t just go with the flow at a traditional gym, Jamil Nelson said. Go with Flo. “Treadmills and ellipticals are pretty archaic to us,” said Nelson — or “Mr. Bodyrite” to his wife, Florese. “A jump rope is way better because it’s going to blow up your heart rate.” Modern workouts are all about functional,…
Tech tracks workplace bias: It exists ‘whether you want to face it or not’
During a summer internship with a large Kansas City corporation, college student Louis Byrd was unexpectedly called into the HR office. Although the incident was about 10 years ago today, it has not yet left his mind, Byrd said. “I’ll never forget this,” he said. “HR told me that the people on my team had…
EyeVerify explains why it changed name to Zoloz
More than two months after revealing a curious name change, EyeVerify is offering details behind its evolution to become “Zoloz.” The fast-growing biometrics tech firm announced in August that it was rebranding as Zoloz, but initially offered little information about the reason for or meaning behind the name change. Headquartered in downtown Kansas City, a…