A new grant has been launched to recognize innovation in theatrical design, with a focus on environmentally sustainable practices in live performance in Toronto. The announcement was made by the Ontario Arts Foundation (OAF) and the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA).
The inaugural Ray Ferris Innovation and Sustainability Grant provides an annual grant of $25,000.
- Toronto-based theatre companies will be able to apply in early 2023 by submitting a proposal;
- It should detail the proposed improvements to sustainable practices related to a specific upcoming production;
- Examples of eligible projects include (but are not limited to) new methods of delivering narratives, set construction or the use and development of non-traditional spaces.
The Ray Ferris Innovation and Sustainability Grant
Ray Ferris was a Toronto artist, statistician and mathematician with an MSc, and a background working with NASA rocket scientists on the moon landings. He launched his own business in Toronto, R.M. Ferris Research Consultants, and worked on projects that combined digital art, math, and music.
“As a mathematician, visual artist, and lifelong fan of live theatre, Ray hoped to champion innovators of the stage, especially the designers,” says Ray’s spouse Leah Lambert in a media statement. “I’m confident that the Ray Ferris Innovation and Sustainability Grant will see that hope fulfilled.”
The endowment that funds the award will be managed by the OAF, with TAPA responsible for the selection process.
Applications will open in the spring of 2023, and the first grant will be awarded in June 2023. More information here.
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