The statewide program is focused on supporting organizations “as they recover from the COVID-19 and racial justice pandemics,” according to a news release.

LPCA is distributing a pool of $650,000 to presenters of all sizes with $5,000 to $10,000 grants towards projects that are intended to grow and diversify audiences. By mitigating some of the financial risk involved in programming performing arts experiences that will appeal to a new or broader audience, the Audience Building Project aims to support arts organizations’ ability to develop deep, sustainable relationships within their communities.

The Audience Building Project received over 200 applications from about 155 organizations across the state and will issue 73 awards for projects in three categories.

¯ Reignite the Field grants support presentations of all kinds, such as awardee Central NY Jazz Arts Foundation and its presentation of bassist Endea Owens.

¯ Risk-to-Reward grants support presentations that involve a financial risk that, when overcome, will help to grow an audience base, including Tannery Pond Center’s concerts by Indigenous artists in conjunction with its exhibit “Indigenous Gifts: Tradition, Today, and Tomorrow.”

¯ Artists in Communities grants support additional engagement projects that will enhance and extend the time artists spend in a community around a performance, such as Kaatsbaan Cultural Park’s series of pre-performance workshops and community showings from the New York Theatre Ballet.

The full list of the Audience Building Project grant awardees can be found online at bit.ly/tabp-awards-2023.