The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation has provided nearly $90,000 in grants this year to support professional development opportunities for Chicago’s small to midsize arts and culture organizations.
MacArthur-Driehaus Professional Development grants support opportunities for lead staff to build new skills or enhance existing skills in the service of the grantee organization. Current grantees are eligible to receive this additional support to improve administrative and management skills by attending professional conferences, trainings and workshops, or through residencies and masterclasses aimed at enhancing artistic practices through immersive training.
The Poetry Forum/RHINO took advantage of the Professional Development grant opportunity to send its associate editors to attend the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference in Philadelphia, PA in March 2022.
“Participation in the AWP conference is essential to… maintaining and improving the content of our programming, as well as our organizational capacity for best editorial practices. The editors left the conference with new ways of thinking about poetry and concrete ideas about how to improve the programming and capacity of RHINO. We are deeply grateful to the Driehaus Foundation for subsidizing this key opportunity for professional development!” said Virginia Bell, Editor at The Poetry Forum/RHINO.
This year’s grants are supporting 51 organizations across an array of artistic disciplines.
6018North
$2,000 for the Executive Director and Curators to develop an actionable work plan with consultant Leslie Watson from April–October 2022
A Red Orchid Theatre
$2,000 to work with Flanders Consulting from April–September 2022 on board training in fundraising and governance
Artemisia – A Chicago Theatre
$350 for the Managing Director to complete a grantwriting workshop at the University of Illinois Chicago in April 2022
Asian Improv aRts Midwest
$2,000 for the Program Coordinator to develop two performances with grandmaster Kimiei Fujima in December 2022
Bohemian Theatre Ensemble
$2,000 for the Artistic Director and Executive Director to attend the Theatre Communications Group conference in Pittsburgh, PA in June 2022
Broken Nose Theatre
$2,000 for the Managing Director to complete philanthropy courses and a certificate program for nonprofits at Northwestern University from June–November 2022
Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre
$2,000 for the Artistic Director to attend the Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference in New York, NY in January 2023
Chicago Chorale
$1,300 for the Managing Director to take the grantwriting certificate course at DePaul University in September and November 2022
Chicago Dance History Project
$2,000 for the Executive & Artistic Director to attend the 2022 Dance Studies Association conference in Vancouver, Canada in October 2022
Chicago Dancemakers Forum
$2,000 for the Executive Director to complete two philanthropy and nonprofit program courses at Northwestern University from November 2022–April 2023
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble
$2,000 for the Executive and Managing Directors and the Community Engagement Manager to work with BOTA in August and September 2022 on strategic plan updates
Chicago Fringe Opera
$1,800 for the Creative Director to attend the Opera America conference in Minneapolis, MN in May 2022
Chicago Tap Theatre
$2,000 for the Artistic Director, Artistic Associate, and Rehearsal Director to work with Heather Cornell on artistic practices and repertoire in October 2022
Chicago West Community Music Center
$2,000 for the Executive Director and Managing Director to receive training in InDesign from AMT Center in April and May 2022
Clinard Dance
$2,000 for the Artistic Director to study improvisation mechanics and techniques with Nino de los Reyes from May–August 2022
Eighth Blackbird
$2,000 for the Executive Director and Finance and Grants Manager to benefit from training sessions with development specialist Toni Paz in May and June 2022
Experimental Sound Studio
$2,000 for the Studio Associate and Media Manager to work with consultant Andy Slater to audit current digital accessibility from September–December 2022
Filter Photo, NFP
$700 for senior staff to work with consultant Elizabeth Burke Dain on communications strategies in April 2022
First Floor Theater
$1,800 for staff members to participate in anti-racism training with The Chicago Inclusion Project in October 2022–May 2023
Full Spectrum Features
$2,000 for staff to receive training from Camera Ambassador on the basics of cinematography in June 2022
HotHouse
$1,000 to engage consultant Lennie Cicero to support and advise a Project Manager on exhibition development and best practices in May and June 2022
Joel Hall Dancers & Center
$2,000 for the Artistic Director to attend Bates Dance Festival’s Professional Training Program in Lewiston, ME in July 2022
Khecari
$2,000 for the Co-directors and artists to collaborate in residence at Trillium Arts in Mars Hill, NC in August 2022
Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago
$2,000 for an Artist in Residence to work with consultant Yun Park to compose new dance pieces in September and October 2022
Latitude, Inc NFP
$1,300 for staff to receive training from Liat Noten and complete Adobe Photoshop certification from June–September 2022
Live the Spirit Residency
$2,000 for the Executive Director to work one-on-one with Afable Consulting LLC from September–December 2022 on bookkeeping practices
MAKE Literary Productions
$2,000 for the Executive Director to work with Executive Service Corps on the development of a strategic plan from August 2022–February 2023
Mandala South Asian Performing Arts
$1,400 for the Executive Director and Office Manager to train with Poongodi Velayutham in marketing and search engine optimization from April–June 2022
Media Burn Archive
$2,000 for the Executive Director and Senior Archivist to attend the Association of Moving Image Archivists conference in Pittsburgh, PA in December 2022
Midsommer Flight
$2,000 for the Producing Artistic Director to attend the Shakespeare Theatre Association conference in Nassau, Bahamas in January 2023
National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial
$1,450 for a Dance Instructor to receive training sessions with dancer Charya Burt from May–December 2022
Otherworld Theatre Company
$1,600 for the Artistic Director to attend the Denver Immersive Gathering in Denver, CO in November 2022
Pivot Arts, Inc.
$1,900 for the Executive Director to attend the IETM Belgrade Plenary Meeting in Belgrade, Serbia in September and October 2022
Public Media Institute
$2,000 for administrative staff to work with Executive Service Corps on the financial and human-resource impacts of expansion in November and December 2022
RE|Dance Group
$1,000 for financial management training with Afable Consulting for the Executive Director and Artistic Director/Board Treasurer from April–June 2022
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
$1,200 for the Managing Director to attend the Theatre Communications Group conference in Pittsburgh, PA in June 2022
Roman Susan
$2,000 for staff and board members to create a strategic framework with consultant Cheryl Yuen from May–September 2022
Shattered Globle Theatre
$2,000 for the Director of Marketing & Community Engagement to work with Dragonfly Virtual Marketing & Design on capacity building from August–December 2022
Silent Theatre Company
$2,000 for the Artistic and Managing Directors and ensemble to attend Bright Angel Retreat in Union Pier, MI in September 2022
South Chicago Dance Theatre
$2,000 for the Executive Artistic Director to participate in a Cultivating Better Tomorrows DEI course in September 2022
Spudnik Press Cooperative
$1,350 for the Executive Director to attend The Impact of Equity program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in October 2022
Synapse Arts
$1,250 for the Founding Director to work in September 2022 with mentor Karen Christopher at South House Artists Residency in Faversham, England
Tango 21 Dance Theater
$2,000 for the Artistic Director to attend the Full Radius Dance Summer Intensive in Atlanta, GA in August 2022
The Gift Theatre Company
$2,000 for staff and board members to work with consultant Melissa Thornley on organizational development and branding in September 2022
The Miracle Center
$2,000 for four senior staff to work with Sarah Barr on a facilities development and organizational sustainability plan from September 2022–February 2023
The Neo-Futurists
$2,000 for staff and ensemble members to participate in a de-escalation training series with anti-hate coordinator Cat Shieh from July–August 2022
The New Coordinates
$2,000 for staff and board members to participate in anti-racism workshops with Chicago Inclusion Project in April 2022
The Poetry Forum/RHINO Poetry
$1,000 for staff editors to attend the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference in Seattle, WA in March 2023
The Seldoms NFP
$600 for the Artistic Director, ensemble, and two artistic collaborators to travel to a creative development residency at Björklunden, WI in September 2022
Water People Theater Group NFP
$2,000 for the Executive Director to attend the Intensive Course in Positive Discipline in Madrid, Spain in November 2022
Winifred Haun & Dancers
$2,000 for the engagement of circus artist Natalie Abell to train artistic staff and ensemble members in acrobatics from June–August 2022
