The Black Seed (final)

THE IMPACT OF THE FIRST-EVER NATIONAL STRATEGIC INITIATIVE FOR BLACK THEATERS ACROSS THE U.S.

STORIES, FINDINGS, LEARNINGS, REFLECTIONS, IMPROVISATIONS, AND OBSERVATIONS FROM MORE THAN 100 BLACK THEATER LEADERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO SERVE 1.3 MILLION (AND GROWING) BLACK AUDIENCES IN PERSON.

A WALKER INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP REPORT COMMISSIONED BY THE BLACK SEED | 2021-2023

Impact on the Communities Served by Black Theater Institutions

72

Recommendations for the Future of The Black Seed

76 Endnotes

77

The Black Seed Team

The National Advisory Committee

The Black Seed Selection Panel

The Host Institution and Leadership

Notes from The Black Seed Master Classes

Transcripts from Grantee Interviews

The Black Seed Team Biographies

Walker International Communications Group Assessment Team Biographies

project, and all its possibilities.

As the result of facilitating the field-wide conversations and collective thought partnerships in 2021 and 2022, WICG was positioned for the formal assessment of all three years, which took place in Summer 2023. WICG took a neutral, and objective deep-dive during Year Three of The Black Seed to comprehensively assess: What was the impact of the first-ever national strategic initiative for Black Theaters across the U.S.?

To ensure the most comprehensive assessment, WICG assembled a team of esteemed professionals with extensive experience. Dr. Durell Cooper, Toni Hendrix, and Jeri Love embarked on the central activities during The Black Seed’s national convening as guest to the Black Theatre Network in St. Louis, MO, from July 20-22, 2023. As neutral observers, we delved into various events, such as panel discussions, keynote presentations, documentary interviews, workshops, and performance-based assessments, capturing crucial data and insights. This work was an intensive, three-day, field study of being engaged from morning through evening in diverse scenarios.

Dr. Cooper's expertise was instrumental in designing, facilitating, and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative methods to gauge the true impact of The Black Seed initiative, and also utilized an Embodied Research assessment tool. Ms. Hendrix has decades of experience as a consultant to performing arts organizations and conducting corporate assessments. Her exceptional ability to deeply listen to key stakeholders and extract important messages, which she then synthesizes into thematic buckets, provided invaluable clarity to the assessment process. Jeri Love served as the assessment team’s lead report writer and Butterfly East’s Najiyyah Bailey utilized her graphic design and production expertise to guide the digital and print publication of this assessment report.

The assessment process conducted by WICG analyzed and blended both qualitative and quantitative methods that resulted in keen insights into the overall effectiveness of The Black Seed initiative, as outlined in this report.

As an Assessment Team charged with telling the story of a collective of leaders and institutions who are from underrepresented, disinvested communities and who are in service to those communities every single day, WICG recognizes the historical, cultural appropriation that continues in those communities after centuries of economic, creative, and artistic inequities and losses. For that reason, WICG wholeheartedly acknowledges that the assessment work has integrated and leaned into the ethos of purpose, intent and language established and articulated in The Black Seed proposal that was shared with philanthropic institutions and leaders across the U.S. in the Fall of 2020 by Black Theater leaders—primarily Dr. Indira Etwaroo and the National Advisory Committee members, Gary Anderson, Dr. Monica Ndounou, and Shay Wafer. The language, ideas, philosophies, and values from The Black Seed are threaded throughout this assessment, deeply informing this report. However, the proposal, along with

other collective work created for The Black Seed, remains the intellectual property of the Black Theater field in the United States. “The Black Seed is not focused on the diversity and inclusivity efforts of predominantly white institutions nor artistic work by and with Black artists that will be viewed by predominantly white audiences. It is a brand agnostic endeavor that is not individualistic, celebrity-driven, or based on a scarcity-model geared towards creating a hierarchy of Black Theaters. This optimistic enterprise developed by everyday leaders who serve on the front lines of leading Black institutions for Black artists and Black communities IS impact oriented. The Black Seed is a synergistic solution to a long-standing problem of inequitable funding: we are greater—as a sector—than the sum of our parts.” (The Black Seed proposal, Fall 2020)

WICG takes great pride in its team of skilled experts who have a track record of unwavering dedication to providing comprehensive assessments that drive transformational impact. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this history-making endeavor.

“The Black Seed embodies the profound words of Richard Wright, as we – the Black Theater field –‘fling [ourselves] into the unknown . . . to see if we could grow differently, if we could drink of new and cool rains, bend in strange winds, respond to the warmth of other suns and, perhaps, to bloom.’”

-The Black Seed Funding Proposal, 2020

THE BLACK SEED ENVISIONED AND EMBODIED

For decades, Black Theaters have stood like solitary trees in an ancient forest, bound by a single root to the mission of being the channel for the dramatic narratives, dance, music, and rituals that celebrate and exalt the value of Black lives. Despite a history of operating within the tightest of budgets and the narrowest of margins, these vital guardians and champions of Black culture have continued to shoulder the responsibility for telling the stories and providing refuge, reaffirmation, and renewal to the communities they serve.

In 2020, COVID-19 amplified and worsened existing social inequities. With its disproportionate impact on Black communities, the pandemic’s catastrophic effects included heightened rates of hospitalizations, disproportionate numbers of fatalities, and crushing financial hardships that reflected the deep-seated discriminatory practices that exist in this country. The nation quaked under this sudden blanket of defenselessness and quickly shuttered the doors of schools, religious institutions, nonessential businesses, corporate offices, theaters, and arts institutions.

America’s collective trauma intensified when acts of entrenched racial injustice exploded in a succession of senseless murders by law enforcement officials of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others throughout the United States and led to global protests and demands to recognize and respect the dignity and humanity of Black people.

I always theorized that one day there would be a group of Black people that would see the value in funding Black people and what it means above board, below board, behind the scenes, in front of the scenes for the morale of it….And it was reaffirming. I used to always say this to people, and they would look at me like I was an alien: “And it was good to see the Mothership—The Black Seed—land.”

—Theater in the X Philadelphia, PA

During one of the most consequential times in American history, the convergence of these events not only threatened the future of Black Theaters, but also had the potential to silence the perspectives and voices of Black artists. This would have left the already fragile tapestry of America’s diverse narratives with gaping, irreparable holes.

The precipice jeopardizing the future of Black Theaters can be traced back to historical funding disparities, which were spotlighted 23 years ago by renowned award-winning playwright August Wilson during his seminal speech in 1996, The Ground on Which I Stand. These funding inequities have served as a de facto gatekeeper, ultimately determining whose stories were told, which communities had access to resources, and which artists were deemed to have “potential.”

—August Wilson

More than conjecture, the true story is detailed in the 2017 report, “Not Just Money: Equity Issues in Cultural Philanthropy:”

Of the $4 billion in philanthropic support given by foundations to arts organizations, 58 percent ($2.32 billion) of that support is divided amongst [a mere] 2 percent of the nation’s arts organizations. (1)

That means 98 percent of the arts organizations and the communities they serve are divvying up 42 percent of the pie ($1.68 billion). And of that $1.68 billion pie, the slice serving all communities of color (Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Asian or Pacific Islander, and others) was an inexplicable 4-percent or only $67 million. Furthermore, according to a survey (2) conducted by the DeVos Institute of the 20 largest arts organizations of color, the median budget was 90 percent smaller than their mainstream counterparts. Consequently, more than half of these organizations operated with severe budget deficits.

FUNDING FOR UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THEIR MAINSTREAM COUNTERPARTS

“If you do not know, I will tell you—Black Theatre in America is alive, it is vibrant, it is vital…it just isn’t funded.”

It was clear that a broad change could not happen without an understanding of the value of these cultural institutions and an audacity to take action to disrupt the impact the crucibles of longstanding racial injustice have had on Black Theaters. Often citing the 87 percent of Black Theaters that had to close their doors in the 1990s due to disinvestments, Dr. Indira Etwaroo, an award-winning arts executive, producer, and scholar, who served as Executive Artistic Director of The Billie Holiday Theatre in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York (2015-2020), and Executive Consultant from 2021-2022, recognized that the survival of the remaining Black Theaters was at stake.

Dr. Etwaroo secured seed funding in 2018 from the Kresge Foundation to address the question: What could the impact be for a first-ever national strategic initiative for Black Theaters across the U.S.? She organized and convened members of the field from diverse geographical locations into a National Advisory Committee—Gary Anderson from Plowshares Theatre Company in Detroit, Michigan; Dr. Monica Ndounou of The Craft Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, and Shay Wafer of the WACO Theater Center in Los Angeles, California—who met, beginning in 2019. Dr. Etwaroo drove the development of the fundraising proposal and strategic fundraising plan to raise resources that would lead to impact.

The Black Seed established key goals:

Create a Fund for Black Theater institutions. The initial goal was $10 million. Rebrand Ourselves: Rewriting the National Racial Narrative through Our Art and Narratives. Cultivate National Networks and Think Tanks.

Cultivate Strong Donors through a National Leadership Circle. Commission Artistic Work that will ignite national partnerships.

This became the catalyst for the formation of The Black Seed, a national, coordinated response to support Black Theater institutions whose contributions are central to the American narrative. The unprecedented effort was launched by The Billie Holiday Theatre, the Black-led theater institution based in the borough of Brooklyn, which is home to the largest African-American community in the entire United States. Dr. Etwaroo worked in collaboration with a National Advisory Committee to ensure that this initiative reflected the broadest scope and interests of Black Theaters nationwide, and to provide advisory support for the launch of the initiative.

These leaders, who represented geographically diverse locations, brought their experience in leading institutions and initiatives for underrepresented communities. To ensure no conflict of interest, the National Advisory Committee operated solely in this capacity during the development process, from the Fall of 2019 through the Fall of 2020, after which they moved into the role of grantee in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The Black Seed represents the forging of a partnership between Black Theater institutions and Black Theater networks across the nation to create a sustainable and thriving infrastructure that re-envisions the role that arts and cultural organizations that are for, about, by, and near people of African descent can play in transforming historically disenfranchised communities across the nation, while also creating space for Black artists and audiences.

BUILDING FUNDING PARTNERSHIPS

In 2020, the Mellon Foundation became the anchor philanthropic institution supporting The Black Seed, with a $5 million lead gift. Within an unprecedented period of three months, The Black Seed further raised institutional gifts from The New York Community Trust, Ford Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Trust, Howard Gilman Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Individual gifts, including a major, multi-year gift provided by Barbara and Amos Hostetter, allowed The Black Seed to not only meet, but to exceed its original goal of $10 million by $500,000.

Consequently, The Black Seed reached its goal of making possible the creation of the largest one-time investment in the Black Theater field in history. The vision for the initiative’s success was revolutionary in its conviction that providing frontline leaders with resources and the flexibility to utilize the investment to sustain their institutions, and provide opportunities to support artists would build a foundation for thrivability for the future. In addition, The Black Seed offered an opportunity for never-before collaborations and innovation by providing these institutional leaders with the opportunity to participate in nationwide Think Tank and Cohort convenings.

Like the seeds of a serotinous cone reviving a forest scorched by fire, The Black Seed emerged as the force for revitalizing Black Theaters seared by the convergence of the pandemics and the weight of longstanding funding inequities. It became the launchpad for a 21st-century ecosystem that advocated thrivability as the next, imperative step on the ever-evolving,

complex journey towards building a foundation for future generations, and the continuation of its unique and critical role as an advocate for freedom, justice, and equality.

Thrivability, as interpreted by The Black Seed grantees in survey results (see Mixed Methods Analysis of Survey Data), means more than just survival; it encompasses the ability to prosper, grow, and achieve excellence in the realm of the Black Theater. These organizations see thrivability as the capacity to create freely, collaborate with diverse individuals and institutions, attract high-quality talent, and sustainably produce groundbreaking work.

As the assessment portion of this report will further detail, the advocacy of thrivability was among the innovations The Black Seed brought to the field that impacted the Black Theater institutions, as well as the communities they served. The Black Seed credits the Yancey Consulting Report, “What are the Paradigm Shifts Necessary for the Arts Sector to Nurture More Sustainable THRIVING Institutions of Color?” (January 2018).

ESTABLISHING OBJECTIVES AND THE PROCESS OF CHOOSING THE BLACK SEED RECIPIENTS

From the outset, The Black Seed made it clear that it would not focus on the diversity and inclusivity efforts of predominantly white institutions (PWIs) or the development of artistic work by and with Black artists that would be viewed by predominantly white audiences. The Black Seed positioned itself as being centered in service to the national Black Theater community and its constituent audiences; a brand agnostic, collective endeavor that neither sought to foster celebrities nor a hierarchy of Black Theaters.

In its initial proposal, The Black Seed outlined its three-year vision for the initiative:

Year One: Grantmaking and Convening of the Think Tank and the National Cohort

Year Two: Sense and Meaning-Making for the Black Theater Field

Year Three: Creating Our Plan Forward as The Black Theater Field

In the Fall of 2020, The Black Seed reached out to a diverse group of Black Theater institution leaders from across the country to solicit their input on how to shape the Request for Proposal (RFP). The feedback from these leaders helped to ensure the greatest level of accessibility, inclusivity, and equity for potential awardees—from the smallest institutions that may not have received a grant before to the institutions with an operating budget of at least $3 Million.

In addition, six (6) national Black Theater networks, who were tapped as The Black Seed Cohort, used their networks to spread information about the RFP. These partners were Black Theatre Commons, Black Theatre Network, Black Theatre United, International Black Theatre Summit, Project1VOICE, and We See You White American Theater. In addition, Black Theater institutions nationwide also used their social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) to promote the RFP, and The Black Seed rolled out a national PR strategy, including a thought piece published in American Theatre Magazine (3) by Flowers PR Agency, led by Nina Flowers.

The Black Seed Team conducted three Zoom information sessions following the release of the RFP, which drew more than 300 participants. The information sessions lasted between 60 to 90 minutes and focused on the proposal process. The response The Black Seed Team received about the RFP was positive excitement. The Black Seed Program Manager, Shari Thomas, a seasoned fundraising executive, along with members of the Billie Holiday Theatre’s Development Team—Margaret Tansey, Karen Spolar, and Karlvy Smith—fielded inquiries, which included about 150 weekly emails and 40 to 50 weekly telephone phone calls and text messages during the RFP period from October to December 2020.

The Black Seed RFP invited Black Theater institutions from across the nation to submit a proposal. The requirements for submission included:

The theater, arts, or cultural institution must be “Black-led.” This was defined as a person of African descent serving as the Artistic Director, Executive Director, or President. If the institution had a Board of Directors, the chair and the majority of its members should be of African descent. The staff also should be a majority of people of African descent. Black-led theater organizations or cultural institutions producing, presenting, and/or commissioning new works and classic works, readings, conversations, festivals, summits and conferences, educational experiences, and performance art, as well as Black-led institutions, focused on Black audience development, all rooted in the full diversity, complexity, and intersectionality of the Black experience; and serving predominantly Black audiences. The criteria also required that applying organizations have 501(c)(3) status or be an unincorporated group applying through a fiscal sponsor with a 501(c)(3) status, with at least five independent board members. The operational budget could not exceed $3 million.

CRITICAL FEEDBACK

Prior to the public announcement of The Black Seed, members of another theater coalition challenged the role of The Billie Holiday Theatre as the Host Institution; it was labeled as “a money grab.” The Billie responded that it intended to build a national initiative for Black Theaters, and the criteria for its Inaugural National Advisory Committee included geographic diversity, working against a history where a majority of arts funding was centralized in New York City, and moving away from further, longstanding disinvestments in other geographical regions across the U.S.

RESPONSE FROM THE FIELD

The Black Seed received 147 proposals by its deadline, which were carefully and thoroughly reviewed. Any proposal missing fiscal documentation—an audit, a 990, 990 postcard, fiscal sponsor with accompanying documentation, or without a note explaining the absence of it— were provided a short window to submit the missing documentation. If documentation was not completed, the proposal did not progress to the review round. Proposals missing multiple components, and/or organizations that did not fit the working definition of “Black Theater institution” outlined in the RFP also did not progress to the review round.

In total, 98 of the 147 submitted proposals moved to the review round.

The remaining 98 proposals were assessed over a two-and-a-half-week period by a panel comprised solely of people of African descent who had a long-standing history of work within the arts and culture field. The panel included Lisa Arrindell (actor), Stephen McKinley Henderson (actor and professor), Hollis King (creative executive), Sandi Haynes (arts and culture strategist), Donja Love (playwright), Dafina McMillan (arts and culture strategist), Rama Orleans-Lindsay (graduate student), Wendell Pierce (actor and philanthropist), Carl Hancock Rux (actor and writer), and Michele Shay (actor and professor). The review panel was anonymous to the field during the process. To ensure the greatest level of inclusivity and equity in the process, the review panelists committed to The Black Seed Team that they would dismiss their conscious and unconscious biases stemming from what they might know about the applicants and pledged to instead focus on what was shared in the proposals. The panelists also were encouraged to consider the culturally rich, diverse, and complex ways the proposals affirmed the sustainability and thrivability of these vital institutions and the field at-large.

Of note, is how moving the process was for the panelists. Here are some reflections from a few of the panelists:

“Audre Lorde said, ‘…we have been socialized to respect fear more than our own needs for language and definition, and while we wait in silence for that final luxury of fearlessness, the weight of that silence will choke us.’ My hope for the American Theater is that it becomes the international birthplace for that ‘final luxury of fearlessness,’ Lorde wrote about. As we boldly inaugurate The Black Seed, a lantern in this pandemic fog, my loud prayer for African-American Theatre artists is that we create uncompromisingly truthful language and definition, embodying our whole story. That our radical bravery renders enduring masterworks along with, not in spite of, all American theatre makers for generations to come.”

Lisa C. Arrindell

“As a revolutionary optimist it is my hope, actually my expectation, that this brilliant brainchild, The Black Seed, will take perennial root among philanthropic organizations. When it does, I envision the Black Theatre field blossoming with artists and audiences fully prepared to welcome the world. Welcome all arts lovers and friends of culture to witness the human spirit revealed through Black Lives. The second and third decades of the 21st Century hold the potential for renewed trust; a willingness to believe in our more perfect union through identifying our triumphs over an imperfect past. The crop that grows from the fertilized Black Seed will leave the Black community, America, and American Theatre the better for it.”

Stephen McKinley Henderson

“I look at The Black Seed as The North Star. It's guiding Black Theatre toward liberation. Never has an initiative come that holds such mighty space for Blackness. The Black Seed is saying all Black people matter. Black women, the Black queer and trans community, Black youth and elders, Black disabled folk. We all matter, and we are all worthy. Our future, as Black Theater makers, is bright because The Black Seed is lighting a new and glorious path. Here's to all Black people and all our stories!”

Donja R. Love

“The Black Seed Project isn’t just an aspirational endeavor. It is tangible and forthright. It is the manifestation of expanding the Black Theater of America to the level of cultural impact it has been deserving of for decades. The systematic racism that allows for so little resources to be granted and funding of our work has denied Black Theater to be consumed in the global discussion of humanity. That voice cannot continue to be silenced. The Black Seed exercises our right of self-determination.”

Wendell Pierce

It’s important to note the questions the panelists used to assess the proposals:

WHAT DO WE VALUE as communities of African descent that will inform potential impact?

COMMUNITY: Initiatives that are community-centric in that they are creating, developing, and fostering ideas that keep the positive impact of communities of African descent. “Will the communities of African descent be better because of this work?”

INNOVATION: People of African descent have, for centuries, been creators and innovators, bringing to the world incredible innovations that moved fields of study, communities, and humanity forward, including new ideas, new perspectives on current ideas, out-of-the-box thinking, and more. “Will this proposal honor this spirit of innovation for the field of Black Theater?”

ACHIEVABILITY: The Black Seed is a space to dream out loud. This ability to dream is coupled with the ability to do. “Does this proposal provide evidence (clear language and intent, staff size, budget, board support, a clear vision and strategy, etc.) that this proposal can be achieved at a high level?”

MEASURABLE IMPACT: Consider the measure of impact this proposal will have. Consider how it serves the three-part ecosystem. If it serves the institution, does it also have the ability to serve the community and be a best-practice model for the field-at-large?

Towards the end of its second day of discussing the proposals, by a strong consensus, the review panel determined to fund all 98 theaters that made it to the review round as a symbol of support, hope, and a reminder of their mission— “a lantern in the pandemic fog”—amidst the converging pandemics.

Following extensive deliberations, the panel determined to allocate funding based on the following criteria:

Tier One Awardees: Fifty (50) Black Theaters submitted institutional proposals that made the case for innovation, collaboration, community-centrism, and achievability, as well as presented initiatives that the review panel felt could be replicated and utilized to inform the field. In January 2021, those grants were awarded for two initial years of funding. The awards ranged in size from $30,000 to $150,000. Each Cohort network received $150,000 to $300,000 in funding.

Tier Two Awardees: Forty-seven (47) institutions received seed funding in January 2021 for $10,000 each. The review panel felt these proposals were important efforts, although they did not necessarily produce replicable learnings leading to impact. They were a seed of hope.

Awardees were notified via email in December 2020, followed by a letter of agreement. Once the requisite paperwork was received from the awardees, the Black Theater institutions were wired funding within two weeks. All awardees received their initial two years of funding by early March 2021.

In the spring of 2023, The Black Seed awarded grants to all 50 theaters for the third year of funding. The awards ranged in size from $15,000 to $75,000.

BLACK SEED THINK TANK AND COHORT

The Black Seed structure included the establishment of a national Think Tank consisting of fifty (50) Black Theater institutions and a national Cohort, consisting of six (6) Black Theater networks. These institutions received one to three years of investments in impact initiatives.

Focused on building a framework of both autonomy and accountability, The Black Seed provided a platform for the Think Tank to shape its own professional development format, schedule, and methodologies. The Black Seed Think Tank participants began the process of building a national Black Theater community, and they had the opportunity to self-select the most impactful format and topics (marketing, fundraising, board development, etc.) central to and authentic for professional development for the Black Theater field.

The Black Seed Cohort consisted of national networks and coalitions, including Black Theatre Commons, Black Theatre Network, Black Theatre United, International Black Theatre Summit, Project1VOICE, and We See You White American Theater. Launched outside of the realm of a conference, summit, or convening, The Black Seed Cohort was a historic effort charged with ways they could further connect Black Theater leaders and institutions with thrivability as the aim.

Both The Black Seed Think Tank and The Black Seed Cohort convenings over the course of two years were facilitated by Donna Walker-Kuhne of Walker International Communications Group (WICG), and Jason Gray, The Black Seed Fellow from the MFA and MBA program at Yale’s David Geffen School of Drama and School of Management, as an initial glimpse into the field.

A NEW PATH FORWARD

At its outset, The Black Seed was driven by a vision of innovation and a sense of what could be possible when Black Theater leaders were empowered and resourced to pursue solutions for their own communities. It also sought to document its activities, including those of grantees, to ensure that it was building a field-wide ecosystem that could support and advance Black Theater.

The following report represents a review of The Black Seed’s first three years, and an assessment of this investment using both qualitative and quantitative measures, on both a field-wide and individual institution basis—from increased audiences, works commissioned, and partnership programs launched to greater organizational stability, more effective governance, and innovative theater investments.

The Black Seed has been a transformational force for the Black Theater field, providing financial support, guidance, opportunities for learning, and instruction to help these important institutions within the American Theater ecosystem to flourish and to provide ongoing creative and artistic services for the Black communities they serve. In addition, the Black Seed became the catalyst for creating a nationwide network of Black Theater organizations and leaders, representing 1.3 million African-American audience constituents.

The Black Seed is on the precipice of radically disrupting a field that has been inequitable for many, many, many, many years. The Black Seed is possibility.

—Yendor Theatre Company

Newark, NJ

THE BLACK SEED INITIATIVE

YEAR ONE | OCTOBER 2020-SEPTEMBER 2021 GRANT MAKING AND CONVENING

Year One of The Black Seed initiative found the nation still deeply entrenched in an ineffective battle to stop the spread of COVID-19. By the Fall of 2020, the U.S. death toll had exceeded 200 thousand people (4). What was thought to be a few weeks or, at most, a few months of COVIDrelated closures of schools, nonessential businesses, corporations, government offices, churches, and theaters, carried over into 2021. The impact on the nation’s collective well-being was devastating, reaffirming that access to the arts was needed more than ever before. It also was clear that this need was particularly acute in Black and Brown communities, which bore the brunt of the COVID-19 fatalities and lethal encounters with law enforcement authorities.

At the same time, the nation continued to be rocked by racialized violence against Black and Brown Americans and numerous violent attacks on Asian Americans, who were being blamed for the COVID outbreak. The country was thrown into further turmoil with the near insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, protesting the results of the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, triggered by false claims of widespread election fraud. (5)

This successive string of events, which impacted every corner of the country, added a sense of urgency to the efforts to activate The Black Seed initiative and support Black Theaters as a much-needed reprieve and cornerstone initiative of the Black community in America.

YEAR ONE MILESTONES

Against this backdrop, The Black Seed Team, comprised of a Project Executive (Dr. Indira Etwaroo), a Project Manager (Shari Thomas) and The Black Seed Fellow (Jason Gray), in partnership with The Billie Holiday Theatre team, achieved the following milestones:

Developed RFP process with a Task Force from the field and launched RFP information sessions.

Finalized grantmaking process.

Fielded more than 150 emailed questions and 40 to 50 telephone calls and text messages about the RFP every week.

Accepted proposals through November 13, 2020.

Received 154 proposals of which 147 made it to the review process.

Tapped, convened, and compensated the Review Panel of experts from the field to go through the proposals.

Based on the Review Panel’s recommendations, all contracts for two to three years of funding were awarded to the Black Theater institutions.

Created a website and social media platforms for The Black Seed to support marketing.

Hired Think Tank and Cohort Facilitator.

Created the first-ever database of contact information for 154 Black Theater institutions and leaders.

Fielded questions and inquiries throughout the year from the Black Theater field.

Held two virtual meetings of both the Black Seed Cohort and the Black Seed Think Tank.

Awardees submitted Year One reports, which were collated into the creation of the Inaugural Monograph.

THE BLACK SEED COHORT—YEAR ONE

The Black Seed Cohort was composed of six (6) service organizations, and it met twice during Year One. The sessions were facilitated by Donna Walker-Kuhne of Walker International Communications Group and The Black Seed Fellow Jason Gray. During the four-hour sessions, the key theme that emerged was that The Black Seed was thought of as the missing link to establishing a stronger, more centralized nationwide network for Black Theaters. The Cohort recognized the value of collective advocacy and strategizing to move the field forward, and they set the stage.

The Cohort representatives were Hana Sharif and Reggie D. White of We See You White American Theater; Meredith Suttles of Black Theatre Commons; Audra McDonald of Black Theatre United; Erich McMillan of Project1VOICE; Andre Harrington and Chris Berry of Black Theatre Network, and Dr. Monica Ndounou of the International Black Theatre Summit.

After a contextual analysis of the state of Black Theater in 2020 based on a summary of recent national studies (6), as well as the sharing of the representatives’ personal experiences, the Cohort set about to determine how Black Theaters might best respond to a post-pandemic, post-Black Lives Matter landscape. Suggestions included:

1) Relationships to PWIs: We need to rethink our relationship to fundraising and soliciting giving from predominantly white institutions (PWIs) as a long overdue remuneration for injustice.

2) 3)

Community-Building and Individual Donors: The group examined the intersection of community-building and tapping individual donor pools, eschewing the traditional foundation-centric, nonprofit funding model for more grassroots relationship building that leverages a plethora of small gifts.

The Future of the Board of Directors: On an institutional level, the Cohort discussed the need to rethink the role and makeup of Boards of Directors. While some flagged that breaking up the traditional board structure may present legal challenges, others maintained that boards were a vestige handed down from PWIs, and their members too often did not reflect the communities served by Black Theater institutions. Instead of solely relying on board members for fiscal support, by opening the give/get to community

4)

cache and relationships, the Cohort recommended making spaces for more racially and socioeconomically diverse boards.

New Partnerships: The conversation then focused on the need for unconventional partnerships with community anchors such as recreation centers and hospitals, so that theaters might better establish their centrality to civic life.

THE BLACK SEED THINK TANK—YEAR ONE

The Black Seed Think Tank was composed of fifty (50) Tier One grant recipients. During Year One, the Think Tank convened in a Zoom call for a Project Launch and Orientation; fifty (50) Black Theater institutions had representatives in attendance. This meeting was an opportunity for The Black Seed Team to articulate a three-year timeline, as well as the goals and objectives of the initiative.

The Black Seed Team went around the Zoom, and everyone introduced themselves and shared their hopes for the initiative. It has been expressed that this time felt like a family reunion where attendees visibly and verbally reflected joy and an overwhelming sense of family being all together from across the U.S. for the first time ever in Black Theater’s history. Dr. Etwaroo emphasized that “we are the ones we have been waiting for” during the launch meeting.

One institutional leader wrote:

“It is a very deep honor to be a part of this groundbreaking and seismic shift in the American Theatre. As theatre practitioners whose artistic lineage extends from Katherine Dunham, Claude McKay, Langston Hughes, Lorraine Hansberry, James Baldwin, Geoffrey Holder, Josephine Premice, Amiri Baraka, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Ntozake Shange, Linda Patten Spruill, James Spruill, Madge Sinclair, Louise Bennett Coverley, Ranny Williams, Bob Marley, Ellen Stewart, Elma Lewis, Sierra Khan, and Ed Bullins (to name a few artists who have influenced our development), we see this gift from The Black Seed fund as a call to action and an investment in the future of that lineage. We understand the responsibility that comes with this gift, and we are ready to do the work. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And in the words of Harmond Wilks from August Wilson’s Radio Golf, please “Hold (us) to it!”

The Think Tank convened virtually for the second time at the annual Black Theatre Network (BTN) conference. The six-hour session also was facilitated by Donna Walker-Kuhne with Black Seed Fellow Jason Gray.

The Think Tank participants engaged in an impassioned conversation about issues they thought were key:

The Think Tank exchanged thoughtful ideas about the state of Black Theater, and opportunities for continued strategic growth. Acknowledging the wide array of ages and experiences represented within the group, the group discussed how best to foster connections between the older and younger generations of Black Theater leaders and audiences, without allowing the generational divide to become entrenched by prioritizing one group over the other.

The Think Tank members also agreed that making theater spaces more accessible, rethinking patriarchal leadership structures, and producing more stories by queeridentifying Black artists would go a long way toward making Black Theaters relevant to the younger generations.

They also debated the necessity of robust fiscal support in ensuring the longevity of Black Theaters, with some suggesting that sustainability had more to do with battling institutional shortsightedness than purely securing funding.

The discussion next focused on the importance of forging stronger relationships between larger and smaller Black Theater organizations, with many noting that larger theaters do not have the smaller, grassroots theaters on their radar.

An inter-institutional mentorship program was suggested as a means for strengthening those connections and allowing for a sharing of operational know-how between theaters.

Looking towards building long-term stability, the Think Tank discussed the importance of reestablishing partnerships with core Black institutions, such as the National Urban League, the NAACP, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to reinforce the centrality of Black Theater to Black American life.

The following are direct statements from Session One of the Think Tank:

It is on us to keep the pressure on Broadway to do our work. Future is bright: funding, artists, community, collectively.

Power: space for young Black artists.

It’s important to uplift all artists, young and elders. The goal is to have Black people work for Black organizations. Understand the power we have and empower ourselves.

What do we have – Take it and make it viable for young people – bridge that gap. Hopeful about Black Theater – always about community, not just about the story.

Where you are is where the work is important. We don’t always need money to make it work.

On Ecosystems and Networks

The community should believe theater belongs to them.

The mission of the institution should fuse with BTN.

How to facilitate relationships within the community – one person at a time, thrivability and sustainability.

Small theaters need networks. Bigger institutions don’t collaborate with small theater organizations. How to create networks using resources to generate more income. Launch a national marketing campaign. Reach Black constituents such as the National Urban League, the NAACP, and HBCUs and be a part of their agenda. Lean on individuals who help build up and sustain the organization. Networking is not what I can get from you but what we can do together.

Ideas from the breakout sessions:

Sharing information on a clearinghouse platform accessible to all Think Tank member organizations, including an idea board.

Establishment of a monthly informal virtual gathering for Think Tank members to fellowship and brainstorm. Mentoring grassroots theater advocates to foster better avenues of connectivity between Black Theaters and their communities.

Creating better fundraising infrastructure for communities to invest in local theaters and performing arts.

Developing a stronger digital presence for Black Theaters, many of which lack sufficient physical signage due to sharing space with other businesses.

Recommended Next Steps from Session One of the Think Tank:

Identify a national spokesperson.

Telling our stories and the impact of the field. National marketing initiative.

Meet with local Black Theaters and learn how to support them.

HOW AWARDEES USED THE BLACK SEED FUNDING:

The Black Seed required all grantees to provide a Year One Report (See The Black Seed 2021 Monograph), which was to document the impact of Year One funding, as well as serve as a learning series for the arts and culture field-at-large.

The following are some of the ways recipients reported that they used Year One funding:

Expansion of programs

Opportunities for research

Forging community-theater partnerships

Collaborations with other theaters

Leverage to acquire more funding

Supporting Black playwrights

Expansion of audience base with specific programming

Support of virtual programming

Centennial Anniversary celebrations

Planning for reopening

Partnerships with HBCUs

Establishment of fellowships

I was in New York City during the pandemic. There were body trucks at the end of my block. It was not only about Theater and my organization, it was about our lives. People were dying all around. Theater doors were closed—regional to Broadway. And you know what Langston Hughes has said, “when white America gets a cold, Black America gets pneumonia.” So, we were sinking and sinking fast— mentally and physically—then along comes The Black Seed and says: “Here’s this gift. You are relevant. You are necessary…. Here is something that says you're gonna make it through.”

—New Professional Theatre New York, NY

YEAR ONE LEARNINGS AND GROWING PAINS

As part of its self-assessment, The Black Seed Team tracked and documented its Year One efforts. The following is a list of both learnings and growing pains:

First-time gatherings of leaders of Black Theater institutions were both historic and powerful.

The variety of ways that the financial support was used reaffirmed the dire needs created by funding inequities and exacerbated by the pandemic.

Establishment of the database, which served as the groundwork for building a network that could include production partnerships.

The program manager resigned due to a family situation. Their responsibilities were split between existing Black Seed staff.

Throughout the first year, the need for technical support was greater than the administrative staff’s best efforts. Rather than reallocate resources, they continued to push resources into the field to support the Black Theaters.

The brainstorming sessions by both the Think Tank and Cohort provided great ideas for the future direction of the Black Theater field. However, there was an expectation that “a leader” or “national spokesperson” would emerge to “take charge,” rather than recognizing and utilizing the power of collective efforts to advance the field. This was a position Dr. Etwaroo, with intention, articulated that she would not step into this expectation; rather, her hope was that the theaters saw themselves as a self-determined collective of leaders.

Institutional projects and first-ever national partnerships were taking root across the nation from the fifty (50) Black Theater institutions and six (6) Black Theater networks.

The Black Seed moved into the next phase of its evolving support of the Black Theater field, based on the belief that its audacious and aspirational national initiative could not only “address historic wrongs,” but also provide resources that helped to ameliorate historic funding inequities.

This was the year of Sense-Making and Meaning-Making—a year when The Black Seed Team looked back at what it learned during Year One and recognized some changes needed to be made, as noted in the following chart::

YEAR TWO MILESTONES

Established and met biannually with an Advisory Management Committee, composed of experts in the fields of fundraising, financial oversight, and non-profit institutional governance, to review The Black Seed's expenses and revenue.

Provided reports for philanthropic partners and major donors.

Launched a national social media campaign for “#BlackTheatreDay,” led by the International Black Theatre Summit, a member of the Cohort.

The Black Seed Think Tank and Cohort both met online and in-person for the first time for sessions facilitated by Donna Walker-Kuhne and The Black Seed Fellow Jason Gray.

The Black Seed staff continued to field questions and inquiries throughout the year from the Black Theaters and met with Black Theater leaders to support strategic planning.

Dr. Indira Etwaroo served as a thought partner to LatinX Theater Collective with the Mellon Foundation.

The Black Seed published a first-ever monograph with information about the Tier One awardees, which was sent to funders and to Black Theaters across the country, continuing across the nation from the fifty (50) Black Theater institutions and six (6) Black Theater networks.

YEAR TWO OF THE BLACK SEED COHORT AND THE BLACK SEED THINK TANK

For a forest to grow, many seeds must constantly be planted and sprouted; they also must have the necessary nutrients to thrive. The Black Seed was positioned to be the missing nutrient for that growth and thrivability. It also represented a new paradigm in funding—there was no one leader designated to drive the initiative, and it made concerted efforts to support as many Black Theaters as possible, rather than focus only on the top five or 10 in the country.

There are an estimated 1.3 million people of African descent connected to these 50 Black Theater institutions, as in person audience constituents, which not only indicates tremendous power but also an opportunity to foster change and transformation within those communities. The provided grants allowed individual Black Theaters to determine how best to apply the resources to their needs and efforts to serve their respective communities.

At the same time, participants were asked to operate as a forest, rather than a single tree, and share their collective energy to grow and expand the cultural traditions of Black Theater arts.

During Year Two, both The Black Seed Cohort and The Black Seed Think Tank continued to use their collective experiences to assess the state of Black Theater institutions and develop recommendations they believed would both serve and advance the field. Both the Cohort and Think Tank agreed to put ideas on the table and take time to ponder them. They also were encouraged to utilize the coming year to build connections; to be introspective, and to offer recommendations that were both substantive and meaningful.

The following is a list of the questions, issues, concerns, and recommendations that grew out of Year Two convenings:

How do we define community?

Gentrification and its impact in neighborhoods transitioning from primarily Black to predominantly white.

Creating welcoming spaces that feel like home.

Fostering collaboration between Black Theaters and developing allies.

Establishing youth-based Think Tanks composed of emerging artists and community youth. Engage and invest in succession planning. Making available leadership training and professional development. Legacy building through apprenticeships and fellowships.

Developing new models for Board structure.

Add younger people to the Boards of Directors and provide governance training.

Utilize the small-donor model employed by the 2008 and 2012 Presidential campaigns of Barack Obama, which fostered ownership of the movement.

Engage Panhellenic and civic organizations, all of which have arts education committees and include making donations to Black Theaters in their charters.

Increase opportunities for partnerships by hosting town halls at Black Theaters to engage, empower, and educate through the arts. Create a national Black Theater database.

Share information on a clearinghouse platform accessible to all Think Tank member organizations, including an idea board.

Hold monthly, informal virtual gatherings for Think Tank members to share ideas.

Mentor grassroots theater advocates to foster better avenues of connectivity between Black Theater and their communities.

Create better fundraising infrastructure for communities to invest in local theaters and performing arts.

Reignite the vibrancy that is Black Theater. Develop a stronger digital presence for Black Theaters, many of which lack sufficient physical signage due to sharing space with other businesses. Ensure the entire Black Theater community is being served because it has been the small Black Theaters that have paved the way.

Increase equity in the field demonstrated by increasing the numbers of Black playwrights being produced in the next 5 years.

How do we double or triple that number to provide and increase employment opportunities at Black Theaters?

How can we share the expenses of national touring of our productions to end our siloing, expand our national network, and minimize our costs?

FIVE POINTS OF THRIVABILITY

The Cohort and Think Tank also were engaged in an imperative dialogue about what it meant for the Black Theater field to move from sustainability to thrivability—to move from focusing on what it does not have to shift to long-term planning and training in fundraising and planning. The groups tackled the following questions:

How do we cultivate more donors for Black Theater?

How might we diversify sources of contributed income?

How do we encourage donors to fund our theaters more equitably, i.e., not just project-based support?

How do we bring audiences back post-pandemic?

How do we hone our marketing practices to reach more audiences interested in Black Theater?

How do we cultivate audiences to appreciate the history and importance of Black Theater?

How might we create and identify more ways for Black Theaters to collaborate?

What could collaboration look like among our theaters, i.e., co-productions, resource and equipment sharing, compiling audience lists, and touring networks?

With what other kinds of Black institutions might we foster collaboration?

What training and development opportunities might we create for the next generation of emerging leaders?

What development opportunities might we create for current and future staff?

How might we increase staff pay and pay parity to build retention?

How might we think differently about our board structures and functions?

How might we better invest in the development of ambitious new work?

How might we explore and invest in new modes of storytelling and theater-making?

How might we create more training opportunities for our artists to hone their techniques?

The outcome of these engaged dialogues was reflected in the survey results. (See Mixed Methods Analysis of Survey Data.)

YEAR TWO LEARNINGS AND GROWING PAINS

The Black Seed Team’s self-assessment for its second year of operation included the following points:

Black Theaters across the country were continuing to navigate the return of audiences while managing limited resources for serving communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the ongoing systematic inequities in funding.

The Black Seed Team fielded conversations about the challenges and devastation of COVID19 on Black communities, Black artists, and Black Theaters and began having discussions about how to address this issue on a long-term basis.

The Black Seed Project Executive (Indira Etwaroo) and The Black Seed Fellow (Jason Gray) tried to support smaller institutions struggling with planning. They learned they did not have the bandwidth and would need greater resources and planning in place to address this need.

After several convenings, it became clear that the field was not as interested in, nor did they feel the need for a huge investment in a national marketing campaign. Instead, a member of the Cohort—The International Black Theatre Summit—created a national digital campaign (#BlackTheatreDay) supported by the field, which was cost-effective and an easy lift for institutions of all sizes, while remaining impactful.

The resources for the national marketing campaign were moved to provide technical support and training for the field. There were critical needs consistently voiced during the Think Tank and Cohort sessions that The Black Seed Team sought to address as soon as possible.

The Black Seed Team’s plan for Technical Training and Support required the recruitment of experts in the field to provide training. The areas of interest included Board Development and Cultivation; Fundraising; Planning and Budgeting, Communications, and Audience Development.

Technical support also was assigned to individual theaters needing one-to-one support. The Team sought out an Independent Contractor who could serve as Project Manager for The Black Seed on a full-time basis.

Once again, The Black Seed required all grantees to provide a Year Two Report (See The Black Seed 2022 Monograph), in its continuing effort to make available a deeper body of knowledge and learnings for the arts and culture field-at-large.

The Black Seed is an organization that fertilizes the soil so that we're able to come together--not just as an individual theater, but as a community. It is an opportunity for collaboration of Black Theaters throughout the United States, and it makes it possible to talk about issues that all of us face day to-day. Through our discussions, we’re able to find solutions and share resources that ensure that we all will survive.

Washington, DC

Essential Theatre

admission fees to offset costs, making it tougher for families and residents of disadvantaged communities to have regular access.

As Karen Brooks-Hopkins, the president emerita of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, shared during the 2023 Black Seed conference in St. Louis, MO, which was held in conjunction with the Black Theatre Network (BTN):

“Many theaters are in free fall. They have shrinking donor bases; their audiences are down 30 percent, and their costs are up 30 percent. They have aging board members. Their donors have left town and there is no one to replace them…”

While the Black Theater field has historically dealt with financial instability due to funding inequities, the current industry disruptions have been instructive. Fortuitously, The Black Seed’s training opportunities offered during the Black Theatre Network’s conference included Master Classes in Integrative Marketing, Planning, Fundraising, and Board Governance, led by renowned experts in those fields. The workshops not only directly addressed the Year Two concerns and requests expressed by both The Black Seed Cohort and The Black Seed Think Tank, but also afforded them access to trailblazing arts leaders with successful track records.

SETTING THE TONE WITH GRATITUDE AND ABUNDANCE

The Black Seed’s Project Executive Dr. Indira Etwaroo opened the conference by equating the Black Theater field with an old-growth forest that survived and managed to thrive amidst both natural and human-made disasters. These forests sprouted from the seeds of Earth’s Indigenous wisdom, creating deep roots from which the stories of the past have emerged to inform the present and to help shape the future. The seed—its sprouting, growth, and emergence—is an apt description of the imperative mission of The Black Seed and the support it has provided to the Black Theater field.

The Black Seed Team expressed gratitude and presented commemorative tree artwork to the organizations and institutions whose support made the initiative possible: The Inaugural National Advisory Committee—Gary Anderson of Plowshares Theatre Company (Detroit, MI); Dr. Monica Ndounou, Associate Professor of Theater, Dartmouth College, and founder of The CRAFT Institute (Boston, MA), and Shay Wafer of the WACO Theater Center (Los Angeles, CA), who shared their experience and expertise to help shape the initiative; The Billie Holiday Theatre, which was represented by its newly-appointed Executive Director, Shadawn Smith, and the funding institutions that provided support—Mellon Foundation, The New York Community Trust, Ford Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Trust, Howard Gilman Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. A major, multi-year gift was provided by Barbara and Amos Hostetter.

Year Three also marked a time of transition to a new framework for The Black Seed. The Host Institution announced the transfer of the initiative—from The Billie Holiday Theatre, which served as its inaugural fiscal host, to the Black Theatre Network (BTN). BTN is a nonprofit organization of artists, educators, scholars, students, and theater lovers dedicated to the exploration and preservation of the theatrical visions of the African Diaspora. It supports the professional development of its membership, which is composed of individuals engaged in the full range of theatrical arts—professional and community theaters and organizations, as well as academic institutions.

About the transfer, BTN’s Board Chair K. Zaheerah Sultan stated:

I am excited when I envision the future of Black Theatre and new opportunities for the Black Theatre Network (BTN) and The Black Seed (TBS). TBS has been a vanguard in creating an unprecedented strategy for funding and growing Black-led theater institutions.

BTN and TBS bring the best and the brightest thought leaders together to share wisdom, ideas, and innovative skills to encourage professional development in the arts and culture industry. A partnership between the two organizations will allow us to focus on our unique strengths and foster “thrivability” in American theater.

The Black Seed Team announced that the focus of the transition year, 2024, from The Billie Holiday Theatre to the Black Theatre Network, would be strategic planning rather than grantmaking to strengthen The Black Seed as an umbrella organization that will continue to help develop the Black Theater field; leverage its history; grow its legacy, and move from sustainability to thrivability.

While acknowledging the challenges experienced in the wake of the nation’s converging pandemics, The Black Seed made it possible for its awardees to carve out ways to continue their mission of sharing and presenting narratives that not only reaffirm the value of Black lives and the impact of their myriad contributions to the country but also demonstrate their foundational connection to the American story.

In her Black Theatre Network keynote address, Dr. Etwaroo reminded the gathering of leaders that change only occurs when there is a shift in consciousness, understanding, and action. Quoting renowned social justice attorney Bryan Stevenson, she noted that “the opposite of poverty is not wealth…the opposite of poverty is justice.” She urged the conference participants to affirm the contributions that both they and their institutions have made for the betterment of society and to consider shifting their focus from scarcity to abundance. She shared 21 affirmations for abundance learned from Dr. Deepak Chopra, a medical doctor who also is a renowned spiritual teacher, which she adapted to address the needs of the Black Theater community and empower Black arts leaders.

“We are so powerful as a collective,” she said. “Lean into each other. We are ONE Black Theater.”

I’m gonna use an analogy to describe The Black Seed: I live in New York and if I were to fall on the ground, people would continue to walk by me and not do anything. But The Black Seed is that hand that reached out and helped us get back up. And I think The Black Seed is that for all of its Black Theater recipients.

—Harlem 9 New York, NY

Public acknowledgment and thanks to the people and the funders who helped to make The Black Seed possible.

YEAR THREE MILESTONES

Shared 2024 direction of The Black Seed and transition of fiscal responsibility from The Billie Holiday Theatre to the Black Theatre Network.

Brought together a panel of expert artists with decades of theatrical experience in storytelling to share their insights, considerations, and recommendations for advancing the Black Theater field. The session included opportunities for questions and answers.

In response to the Year Two request of The Black Seed Cohort and The Black Seed Think Tank, brought in renowned experts in the fields of Integrative Marketing, Planning, Fundraising, and Board Governance to provide Master Classes at the Black Theatre Network conference. Sessions included opportunities for questions and answers.

Provided a survey to all awardees for assessing qualitative and quantitative results of The Black Seed, which had a 44-percent response.

Collected information about the impact of the Black Seed from participants at the BTN conference.

Hired a firm to observe the conference and assess The Black Seed and its impact on the field of Black Theater.

Hired a production company to interview Black Theater leaders and create a documentary short on The Black Seed.

INSIGHTS FROM THE FIELD

Moderated by The Black Seed Project Executive Dr. Etwaroo, the participants in the “Telling Our Stories” panel were Carlos Hancock Rux, Curtis V. Hodge, Michelle Shay, and Hollis King. The themes explored were community, sharing, preparing youth, and the importance of technology.

Among the key points made by the panelists were:

Always make sure the community is at the center of programming. Great work should live in the city of our neighborhoods. We have to stand and plant where we are.

Share the voices of as many people as possible. Find a way that healing can happen. Find the pain but do not dwell there. Engage all of the senses. It’s time to unpack our spaces of extraordinary. Where does our strength come from? The joy and majesty of who we are! Suffering is not all of who we are.

Prepare students for the world they live in, not the one in which we want them to live. Encourage them to be multifaceted. Young people are committed to not suffering the way the older generation suffered…Our job is to help them lead.

Be willing to teach and be taught. Young people can help us remember what we’ve forgotten.

Maintain a conversation with the community. The theater is a multiplicity of expression—not just plays, dance, song—it’s all of it. Return to theater in a way that is new and refreshing; that speaks to communities in a way that they haven’t been spoken to before.

Theater is a coming together—a universal, spiritual experience—within our own communities. Intersectionality. Strategic thinking. Expansion and growth.

Embrace technology. It is going to help us tell our stories and, in some cases, lower our costs. We need to know it all and move forward as the world moves.

MASTER CLASSES

The Black Seed Conference provided four Master Classes, which included PowerPoint presentations, videos, and handouts. The key points are included in the Appendix. The following is a summary:

The “Integrated Marketing that Leads to Impact” workshop was presented by Noreen O’Loughlin, an award-winning marketing professional in both the nonprofit and commercial sectors. She emphasized the importance of vision and leadership, along with clarity of purpose, before embarking on a marketing campaign. And she urged the participants to integrate and unify messaging across all the platforms: media, e-newsletters, social media, direct marketing, digital, personal contacts, mobile and text, earned impressions, paid advertising, research, and planning.

“Strategic Thinking that Leads to Thriving Institutions” was presented by Lisa Yancey, President of Yancey Consulting. She emphasized to the attendees that the term “strategic planning” is a misnomer. Instead, she urged them to do “dream planning,” and to utilize strategy in service of the vision. She noted: “Planning has to name what we want to achieve. We lose momentum if we lead with strategy.” She also emphasized that it takes both time and planning to bring the vision to fruition.

Presented by Karen Brooks-Hopkins, President emerita of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), “Fundraising through Community-Building” offered deep insights into what it takes to be a successful fundraiser: Institutions must be seen as worthy destinations, which requires they be the best they can be, providing excellent programs and services. Fundraising demands that they become better at raising money. She also suggested that members of the Board of Directors be given fund-raising goals with the staff and administrative support to achieve those goals. Ms. Brooks-Hopkins also presented all of the workshop attendees with an autographed copy of her book, BAM…and Then It Hit Me.

“Building Stronger Governance and Stronger Boards” was a Q&A session moderated by Black Seed Fellow Jason Gray. He interviewed Patrick Bradford, partner at Bradford, Edwards & Varlack LLP, and Nataki Garrett, award-winning director, and former Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. They discussed the components of an ideal board; the steps necessary for achieving buy-in from the board; building a collective vision when there is a difference of opinion, and the future of boards.

Most notable was the high level of engagement by the conference participants in each of the workshops, from note taking and taking pictures of the slides to asking questions and crowding around the speakers at the end of each session. The depth of the questions asked during each session revealed that these sessions were key areas of business development that most of the participants were anxious to explore.

The Black Seed is a framework that is pushing the world of Black Theater forward by providing opportunity and an ecosystem for us to stand on, a foundation for us to stand on. As it seeds and sprouts, it is helping us build our institution’s framework for generations to come.

—Ensemble Theatre Houston, TX

ASSESSMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The establishment of The Black Seed in 2020 was a unique, audacious, ground-breaking, unprecedented, and profoundly meaningful effort to support fifty (50) Black Theater institutions and six (6) Black Theater networks whose work impacts the lives of 1.3 million people of African descent with in-person events and experiences. The audience online is still being gathered, but is estimated to be in the tens of millions. At the time of its establishment, the ability of these institutions to survive was being threatened by converging pandemics, while also dealing with a history of funding inequities.

The Black Seed also was established at a time when researchers were reaffirming that “financial sustainability undergirds the ability to maximize mission success” for the arts organizations, as noted in the SMU Data Arts Report, “The Alchemy of High Performing Arts Organizations, Part II, A Spotlight on Organizations of Color.” (7)

There are more than 150 Black Theater institutions across the United States—down from the 500-600 Black Theater institutions that were in existence in response to the Civil Rights and Black Arts Movements of the 1950s to the 1970s, whose historic missions were to utilize the arts and stories to dismantle injustice. These theaters have been producing, presenting, commissioning, staging readings, developing community programming, providing arts education, as well as expanding audience development and outreach efforts for decades. The majority of these organizations have survived on annual budgets that range between $200 thousand and $3 million.

It is important to note that The Black Seed, which became the first-ever national, coordinated response to support Black Theater institutions, recognized the importance of protecting their mission. It sought to address the critical funding gaps impacting the national Black Theater community, as well as its constituents. It not only set out to provide support in the following areas, but it also achieved great strides in the following areas:

Created a fund to support Black Theater institutions nationwide, open to organizations meeting its criteria.

Shifted the Black Theater field from a survivability mindset to a thrivability mindset. Cultivated a national network of Black Theater institutions as a dynamic Think Tank for institutional and sector growth.

Increased arts and culture access and participation in predominantly Black communities across the nation.

Fostered a synergistic partnership between Black artists, Black institutions, and Black communities.

The Black Seed Team initially consisted of a Project Executive, Project Manager, Project Fellow, and Project Facilitator, to handle day-to-day operations and Strategic Oversight in partnership with The Billie Holiday Theatre. Due to a family emergency—the illness and death of a parent— the Project Manager resigned in 2022. We concur with The Black Seed Team’s own assessment that a continued, full-time Project Manager is a necessary support to manage the daily operations going forward.

The Assessment Team utilized qualitative and quantitative methods to study the impact of The Black Seed. The tools utilized included:

A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Survey Data from The Black Seed Grantees created by the Assessment Team and distributed to all Tier One grantees for assessing qualitative and quantitative results of The Black Seed.

Embodied Research: An innovative and effective assessment tool that goes beyond traditional quantitative methods and delves into the realm of sensory experience, tapping into the participants’ emotional and physical dimensions. By encouraging creative expression and reflection, embodied research allows individuals to communicate their lived experiences profoundly and authentically.

We cite survey results and interviewee comments throughout the report.

In addition, through observations in meetings and workshops, engaging participants in dialogues, and witnessing the documentary interviews of the grantees, this assessment analyzes this landmark effort in the following areas:

Impact of the Establishment of The Black Seed

The Geographic Reach of The Black Seed

Adoption of A New Mindset

Innovation Resulting from The Black Seed

Professional Development of The Black Seed Grantees

Positioning for Growth of The Black Seed Grantees

Impact on the Communities served by Black Theater institutions

The report also includes recommendations for the future of both The Black Seed and Black Theater institutions.

We are thriving, we are growing, we are expanding, we are building on our founder Woodie King's legacy and taking it beyond and into the future, incorporating the seasoned and the new. And for me…the Black Seed was transformational; transformative for me as a new leader of the New Federal Theatre.

—New Federal Theatre

New York, NY

KEY FINDINGS

Among our key findings, it is important to note:

The Black Theater institutions leveraged The Black Seed resources to fulfill their historic mission of standing up for racial justice and continuing to make available the dramatic narratives created by Black writers, performed by Black actors, for the Black community. The Black Seed funded Black Theater institutions in nearly every region of the country, and included organizations located in nearly half of the nation’s states.

From the outset, The Black Seed sought to foster positive discussions about selfempowerment, opportunities, and possibilities, as well as engage grantees in discussions and workshops about thrivability.

The Black Seed’s vision included opportunities for leadership, professional growth, and development amongst the nation’s top Black Theater leaders. The Black Seed was not only a revolutionary concept, but it helped foster innovation.

MIXED-METHODS ANALYSIS OF SURVEY DATA FROM THE BLACK SEED GRANTEES

The following is a mixed-methods analysis of data compiled from an anonymous voluntary eight (8) question survey taken by a sample size of 22 of the 50 recipients of awards from The Black Seed. The survey of grantees was conducted during the Summer of 2023 following the conclusion of the national convening in St. Louis, MO, from July 20-22, 2023.

The sample size of 22 was sufficient to reach statistical significance in the data to surmise the insights of the entire grantee pool.

The survey data provided valuable insights into how The Black Seed funding impacted various Black Theater organizations and their perceptions of thrivability. From the responses, several themes emerge, showcasing the significance of the funding in promoting growth, stability, innovation, and community engagement.

The following is a summation of the results from questions 1-3 (Q1-Q3). Which were:

Q1

What does the term “thrivability” mean to you as it relates to your organization?

Q2 In what ways has The Black Seed helped to move your organization towards thrivability?

Q3

In what way(s) did your organization leverage The Black Seed funding as a springboard for your organization to develop new initiatives, new staffing, new Board members, and/or new ways of doing the work?

Interpretation of Thrivability: The term thrivability is widely understood as more than just survival; it encompasses the ability to prosper, grow, and achieve excellence in the realm of Black Theater. Organizations see thrivability as the capacity to create freely, collaborate with diverse individuals, attract high-quality talent, and sustainably produce groundbreaking work.

Impact on Organizational Growth: The Black Seed was instrumental in the growth and development of the organizations. It expanded their artistic footprint, increased the frequency of productions, and enabled the establishment of new initiatives and programming. The Black Seed also allowed organizations to attract renowned artists, elevate production quality, and broaden their audience base.

Capacity Building and Sustainability: Many organizations utilized the funding to build their infrastructure and strengthen their capacity. This included hiring new staff, developing innovative strategies, and bolstering partnerships with other theaters and institutions. The funding also improved financial stability, allowing organizations to focus on long-term sustainability rather than crisis management.

Empowerment and Validation: The Black Seed served as a validation of the organizations' work and provided them with credibility and visibility in the Black Theater community. The recognition opened doors to new collaborations and opportunities for artistic growth.

Leveraging Funding Opportunities: The Black Seed funding acted as a springboard for organizations to access additional grants and resources. Having this initial support allowed them to apply for other funding opportunities and build upon their work, expanding their impact in the theater community.

Advancing Theater Studies: Some organizations, such as the August Wilson Society, used the funding to advance scholarship and research in the field of Black Theater. The Black Seed allowed them to explore new subjects and create communities of like-minded scholars and enthusiasts.

Supporting Black Artists: The funding enabled organizations to support and empower Black artists by providing them with resources, safe spaces, and opportunities to create and collaborate. This resulted in the development of bold and imaginative work that resonated with the community.

Engaging Youth and Passing the Torch: Several organizations utilized The Black Seed to invest in the next generation of theater professionals. Initiatives like artist-in-residence programs and educational programming targeted at youth aimed to foster talent and ensure the continuity of Black Theater traditions.

Encouraging Innovation: The Black Seed encouraged organizations to explore new methods of operation, prioritize innovation, and prioritize the needs and interests of their communities. This emphasis on creativity and change has enriched the artistic landscape. Collaboration and Community Engagement: The funding facilitated collaborations with other theater organizations, universities, and community partners. It also enabled organizations to reach out to underserved Black communities, creating spaces for Black artists and audiences to thrive.

Furthermore, the survey data provided valuable insights into how the grantees leveraged The Black Seed grants and network to build community, their key next steps, the impact of funding on their organizations, and how the network of Black Theaters and The Black Seed influenced their thinking on succession and legacy planning.

Below is a detailed analysis of questions four (4) through seven (7):

How did your organization leverage The Black Seed Fund and Network to build community?

Many organizations used the funding to expand their outreach and engagement efforts to build a stronger sense of community. They focused on creating more access points and opportunities for the local and external community to come together. Initiatives such as pay-what-you-can performances and free/pay-what-you-can tickets allowed patrons who faced financial barriers or lacked exposure to access quality theater events.

The Black Seed facilitated collaborations and partnerships among Black Theater organizations across the nation. This support went beyond financial aid—it also helped establish connections and networking opportunities that strengthened the community. By introducing grantees to a plethora of other Black Theater organizations and practitioners, The Black Seed created alliances and friendships that enriched organizations and broadened their reach.

Furthermore, through participation in national collaborations, Black Theaters and organizations came together to address unique challenges and opportunities collectively. These collaborations not only provided valuable insights and solutions but also fostered a sense of unity and camaraderie, reinforcing the belief that they are stronger together.

Q5

What are some key next steps for your organization?

The grantees identified several key next steps for their organizations. These steps included planning, scaling the organization, increasing earned revenue while keeping tickets free/pay-what-you-can, developing new performance projects, cultivating additional national relationships, and increasing staff capacity.

Other key next steps involved finding a building, expanding programming, seeking funding for continued financial freedom, increasing the organization's profile, and focusing on succession planning. The grantees emphasized the need to be intentional and deliberate in their efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability and impact of their organizations.

Q6

What do you believe would have happened to your organization if you did not receive funding from The Black Seed?

Many grantees expressed that without funding from The Black Seed, their organizations would have faced significant challenges and may not have been able to achieve their goals. Some organizations mentioned being behind on finances or having to decrease staffing and programming to ensure survival during difficult times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Black Seed was seen as crucial in enabling grantees to continue programming, retain employment for artists of color, and create new performance projects that were wellreceived. For some organizations, the funding from The Black Seed was the difference between staying afloat and closing their doors.

Q7

In what ways has The Black Seed Fund and Network influenced your organization's thinking and/or actions on succession and/or legacy planning?

The Black Seed grants and network had a profound impact on organizations' thinking and actions regarding succession and legacy planning. Grantees acknowledged the need to attract and compensate the next generation of leaders within their companies. The support from The Black Seed empowered organizations to think about their long-term futures and consider succession planning as part of their strategic approach.

The Black Seed’s focus on community-building and empowering Black Theaters fostered a shift in perspective for organizations. They began to envision abundance and sought to become financially independent from mainstream funding models. The Black Seed provided cultural fluency to foster understanding of the significance of their seasons, programs, and needs. It encouraged grantees to explore sustainable funding models and consider supporting the next generation of theaters after completing their funding cycles.

Q8

Table 1.1

Board Development

Strategic Planning

Fundraising Development

Please assign a percentage based on the impact to your organization in increments of “10” to each of the following areas that benefited from The Black Seed’s support. 0255075

To analyze the survey data quantitatively for Q8, WICG assigned a percentage based on the impact of The Black Seed’s support to ten (10) specified areas for each respondent. The percentages were assigned in increments of 10, with 0% indicating no impact and 100% indicating maximum impact. For areas that were not applicable or were left blank by the respondents, we did not include them in the analysis.

Table 1.1 shows the weighted average of all 22 respondents to the designated areas. Please note that these categories are not listed in priority order, only the order they appeared in the survey.

The results are as follows:

Programming:

Impact ranges from 0% to 100%, with an average impact of approximately 64%.

Staffing:

Impact ranges from 0% to 100%, with an average impact of approximately 57%.

Branding:

Impact ranges from 20% to 100%, with an average impact of approximately 72%.

Facilities:

Impact ranges from 0% to 50%, with an average impact of approximately 11%.

Artist Development:

Impact ranges from 10% to 100%, with an average impact of approximately 61%.

Develop/Strengthen Partnerships:

Impact ranges from 20% to 100%, with an average impact of approximately 68%.

Reaching New Audiences:

Impact ranges from 0% to 100%, with an average impact of approximately 66%.

Board Development:

Impact ranges from 0% to 50%, with an average impact of approximately 24%.

Strategic Planning:

Impact ranges from 10% to 100%, with an average impact of approximately 55%.

Fundraising Development:

Impact ranges from 10% to 100%, with an average impact of approximately 57%.

The additional comments section showed mixed sentiments, with many expressing gratitude for the support provided by The Black Seed. Some comments mentioned disappointment with certain initiatives that they said did not materialize, or they made suggestions for improving communication and engagement among members.

Overall, the survey data indicated that the support of The Black Seed had a significant impact on branding, artist development, reaching new audiences, and planning, with an average impact of approximately 65%. Areas such as facilities and board development showed relatively lower impact, with an average impact of approximately 18%. The data also highlighted the diverse experiences of different organizations and their unique needs and priorities.

Our assessment of the Mixed Methods Analysis of Survey Data is that The Black Seed has been a transformative force in the Black Theater landscape, supporting organizations in their pursuit of thrivability and enabling them to flourish creatively, financially, and artistically. The funding empowered Black Theaters to elevate their work, expand their reach, and build sustainable models for the future. The Black Seed grants and network played a critical role in empowering and uniting Black Theater organizations across the country, helping them overcome challenges, and envisioning a more sustainable future for their institutions.

The funding and support provided through The Black Seed had a profound impact on these organizations, reinforcing the importance of building a resilient and united Black Theater community.

We wouldn't have been able to initiate our program, our sustainability program, without the funding from The Black Seed. We brought in apprentices to learn marketing, arts administration, as well as the artistic sides of the theater. To sustain for years to come, we have to train people and people have to know what to do in the theater. And once we received the funding, it helped us to bring those people on board to train them so that they can take on the next leg of our organization’s journey.

—Star Center Theatre

Gainesville, Florida

During the first day of The Black Seed’s 2023 annual meeting, held in collaboration with the Black Theatre Network’s annual conference, Dr. Durell Cooper led the thought-provoking Embodied Research activity titled “Performing Our Experience,” which was developed by Dr. Indira Etwaroo as part of her doctoral graduate work from 2001 to 2003.

Dr. Cooper instructed participants to utilize unique and artistic methods to explore the question, “What would have happened in the field were there no support from The Black Seed?” The diverse group of approximately 50 individuals was divided into five, randomly selected groups, each composed of approximately 10 members. The groups were given the freedom to express their responses through various artistic forms such as poems, dances, theater pieces, or any other medium that resonated with the collective. They also were given a focused timeframe of 40 minutes to prepare their artistic pieces, reflecting their experiences and emotions connected to The Black Seed's support. This short period encouraged spontaneity and authenticity, allowing artistic expressions to flow from the heart.

All The Black Seed grantees gathered to witness the creative offerings of each group. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation and excitement, as participants bravely took center stage to share their artistic works. In just two minutes each, they conveyed a plethora of emotions, thoughts, and insights that were captivating, deeply moving, and introspective.

Through this activity, valuable data was gathered, revealing a rich tapestry of themes that emerged from the participants’ artistic presentations:

Moving the Needle and Growth: The Black Seed's support acted as a catalyst for progress and growth in the field, pushing boundaries and facilitating positive change.

Life Support and Revitalization: The organization's backing breathed life into initiatives and projects, providing much-needed support for sustainability and rejuvenation.

Gratitude and Collaboration: Participants expressed deep appreciation for The Black Seed's collaborative approach, fostering bridges between organizations and enabling mutual support.

General Operating Support and Freedom: The Black Seed's unrestricted funding allowed grantees the freedom to utilize resources creatively, empowering them to pursue their visions without constraints.

Spirit of Play and Connection: The sense of playfulness and camaraderie among the grantees encouraged genuine connections and a shared sense of purpose.

Building Together and Equitable Grantmaking: The activity highlighted the importance of collaborative working groups and the significance of equitable grant allocation to drive collective success.

The Personal vs. The Collective: Participants explored the delicate balance between personal aspirations and collective efforts, understanding how individual experiences contribute to the broader field.

Room to Grow and Sustainability: The Black Seed's support provided a nurturing environment for projects to flourish, fostering sustainability and long-term impact.

“Performing Our Experience” not only captured the essence of The Black Seed's impact on the field but also allowed participants to connect with their own emotions and experiences in a deeply meaningful way. The artistic expressions served as a mirror, reflecting the collective journey of the Cohort, and revealing insights that might have otherwise remained hidden.

Embodied Research is a powerful assessment tool that utilizes artistic expression to capture the nuances of human experiences and emotions. It provided a holistic understanding of complex issues, enriching traditional research methodologies with profound insights. The “Performing Our Experience” activity conducted by Dr. Cooper exemplified the effectiveness of Embodied Research, fostering connections, understanding, and appreciation among the participants while shedding light on the impact of The Black Seed's support in the field.

IMPACT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BLACK SEED

The Black Seed was successfully funded by six foundations and a few individual donors, raising $10.5 million within three months. The Billie Holiday Theatre served as The Black Seed’s Host Institution. Offering transparency and, in our estimation, representing the highest of ethical standards, The Billie recused itself from receiving any funding from The Black Seed as a grantee, and received administrative overhead to host the fund and to manage all administrative tasks of paying the grantees.

A structure was put in place to accept the proposals, which led to a successful submission process and the distribution of the funds. An estimated 300 people attended The Black Seed’s virtual information programs, demonstrating the vital need for the fund.

The virtual information program also turned out to be a skills development workshop. The programs were praised by participants as being accessible and easily understood. As a matter of fact, one grantee shared that because of the information session, they felt the courage to apply for a grant for the first time.

The interviews conducted during the 2023 Black Seed conference revealed how some of the organizations were impacted by the award of funding:

“The Black Seed funding gave us the power to do productions. We were able to commission Black and Brown playwrights to write new works; tell new stories and share them directly with community members located in some of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in Newark. It gave us an opportunity to share the empowering possibilities of theater. So, it really was a vital lifeline.”

Yendor Theatre Company, Newark, NJ

“To plant new seeds utilizing technology, helping us move forward in the 21st century to increase our patron base and provide spaces for the younger community to join us in the world of Theater. And that was through a program called ‘The New Voices Festival,’ where we brought in writers from across the US who were between the ages of 18 and 35. We fostered and nurtured their works so that they could be staged, and these young writers could join the canon of African-American works. “

Ensemble Theater, Houston, TX

Of the organizations surveyed, the percentage of the grants spent on reaching new audiences and programming exceeded their spending for staffing by nearly 10-percent. These institutions leveraged The Black Seed resources to fulfill their historic mission of standing up for racial justice and making available the dramatic narratives created by Black writers, performed by Black actors, for the Black community.

The Black Seed did have some administrative challenges resulting from the different levels of experience, expertise, as well as needs for technical support and guidance among its grantees, creating an overload on the staff, which The Black Seed Team also noted in its self-assessment. The staffing recommendations contained in the section, The Future of The Black Seed, will help address this issue.

THE GEOPGRAPHIC REACH OF THE BLACK SEED

The Black Seed funded Black Theater institutions in nearly every region of the country, and included organizations located in nearly half of the nation’s states. In addition to the traditional funding of theaters based in California and New York, The Black Seed grantees included theaters located in the states of Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey. The collective audiences covered by these Black Theater institutions represent 1.3 million Black residents nationwide.

One of the most moving testimonials about the impact of the Black Seed came from the Executive Director of the Black Liberated Arts Center (BLAC), incorporated in Oklahoma City, OK, 50 years ago.

Although BLAC is in a community with a 14 percent African-American population, Oklahoma is a state made famous in African-American history by unspeakable acts of racialized violence against the Black community of Greenwood, located in Tulsa, OK. In addition to helping the center keep its doors open, the grant was used to stage a production about the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre of Black people living in that community (8).

“We ran out of money during COVID, and so that was quite the setback. But thanks to The Black Seed, we were able to put together a plan of operation going forward so that we could attract other funds and survive COVID and all its ramifications.”

“Since we were granted Black Seed funds, we have been able to soar. We have done things that are unbelievable-- that Oklahoma City and the world, I might add, would find hard to believe. As a matter of fact, some of our projects have gone international and we're proud about that.”

Black Liberated Arts Center, Oklahoma City, OK

The incorporation of geographic diversity as part of the distribution of The Black Seed grants made it possible for a broader range of important narratives to be produced and added to the canon of African-American theater. This system also elevated the value of these narratives as integral to the telling of the African-American experience.

ADOPTION OF A NEW MINDSET

Black Theaters have a history of operating within the tightest of budgets and the narrowest of margins. Yet, many of these institutions have continued to keep their doors open—like the communities they serve—determined to survive. From the outset, The Black Seed sought to foster positive discussions about self-empowerment, opportunities, and possibilities, as well as engage grantees in discussions and workshops about thrivability.

The Black Seed provided the critical resources for the grantees to survive. Simultaneously, it introduced and reiterated the concepts of thrivability and abundance as proposed mindset shifts for Black Theater institutions to envision opportunities for further growth, and legacybuilding.

Thrivability, as defined in The Black Seed’s RFP, is having the resources to:

Produce and commission work. Expand key programs.

Strengthen marketing and audience development. Develop strategic fundraising opportunities. Leverage partnerships and community input.

This is a critical mindset for arts organizations and a growth area. Our question is whether The Black Seed is seeking a unified view and movement towards the implementation of this concept, or is it possible for thrivability to be community-specific?

In our review of the available data, we found multiple understandings and perceptions of this concept by the grantees. The grantees defined thrivability as freely creating; openly collaborating; attracting high-quality talent, as well as producing groundbreaking work, which leads to community support and financial stability.

Some of the theaters see themselves as already thriving because of the Black Seed. During the interviews, a grantee shared their understanding of thrivability, based on the needs of that organization:

“The fund gave us this infusion of cash that allowed us to make our dreams come true. Before The Black Seed, we were making dreams come true, but we were doing them with a shoestring. But what The Black Seed did was give us the ‘thrivability’ that we needed to sustain ourselves. I am just grateful to The Black Seed for its vision, for its vision of creating a space of vitality, for Black Theater companies and black creativity in this entire country.”

Project1VOICE, New York, NY

From what we have ascertained, thrivability is not only based on the assets, programming, community relations, and partnerships that Black Theaters can create and build, but also encompasses the vision and aspirations of its leaders. Because the national African-American community is not monolithic, the definition of thrivability will continue to evolve based on the city, state, region, economic and social conditions of the community where these Black Theater institutions are located.

How can these theaters be supported in their efforts to define and set goals towards their respective concepts of thrivability? It is important to encourage these organizations to selfdefine thrivability based on their specific needs, and leverage the networks, relationships, and support developed and received through The Black Seed to strengthen and build their foundation and plans for long-term growth.

It is important to note that some of the theaters only thought about The Black Seed as the key to their survivability. For some theaters, it was akin to the federal government’s “CARES” program during the COVID-19 pandemic, for which most of the Black Theaters were ineligible to apply. The announcement of the transition year with no grantmaking led one participant to say, “We now have to figure out how to get off the ‘crack,’” equating The Black Seed funding to an addictive drug.

The converging pandemics forever changed the world of the arts, and recovery will be an ongoing process. The thrivability mindset shift advocated by The Black Seed is an important component of recovery. But it must be a multi-prong approach, allowing it to be different for each organization, based on what the Black Theater institutions need to not only do business and interface with its artists, but also to successfully curate the best possible programming for its audiences, and keep their doors open to the communities they serve.

It would be invaluable for the grantees to have access to a forum for discussion, planning, and establishing metrics for thrivability, and to receive strategic assistance to incorporate these metrics into visions and plans for their theaters’ future development in five years or 10 years. It also will be important to address, in advance, the question of whether the metrics pertain to individual theaters or to the field at large. Another important question to ask is whether the outcomes will be measured individually or based on/compared to the development of the field.

A self-defined thrivability, including metrics, is one of several spokes in a larger wheel of viable Black Theater organizations.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE BLACK SEED GRANTEES

The Black Seed was formed to help each seed grow with the goal of strengthening the entire forest. Its vision included building into its program opportunities for professional growth and development amongst the nation’s Black Theater leaders.

The two years of annual convenings for the National Cohort (Theater Networks) and the Think Tank (Theater institutions) offered camaraderie, support, and opportunities for sharing and dreaming out loud. They were incredibly important to the process of building a national network of Black Theaters, and they were the source of many suggestions about what was needed to grow and advance the field. The participants engaged in critical dialogues, systems analyses, and assessments of the current state of the field.

The Black Seed provided travel honorariums of $1,200 per person for all 50 Black Theater leaders to attend the convenings to cover travel and hotel.

However, to be most effective, both groups needed more time and more space to cultivate their ideas and create intersections for uniting the field. One of the insightful comments illustrating this point was shared during Year One:

“The Black Seed has felt like a whirlwind of activity with theater leaders seemingly feeling pressured to produce quickly and create impact without leveraging the time to develop long-term strategies.”

The theaters initially were engaged in survival mode, and they could not yet see the forest for the trees. Nonetheless, both groups were encouraged to continue exploring the challenges they outlined and were urged to recommend potential solutions.

The groups also were not used to working without a designated leader and sought outside direction, despite being empowered by The Black Seed and assured by the facilitator that they could utilize the meetings to dream out loud and brainstorm ideas that they could help implement to advance the field. In a discussion with a cohort member, the facilitator asked how things were going. The answer was, “We need leadership.” The facilitator pointed out that they already had everything they needed—they were already leaders. However, the cohort member responded with dismissive skepticism.

It was The Black Seed’s expectation that leadership for directing the implementation of these ideas would emerge from either of these cohorts, however, that may not have been received by the participants as a directive. There were some pockets of resistance amongst the Think Tank and Cohort participants to lead the effort due to their own needs to expend their energies to deal with the cluster of public health, racial, and social justice issues impacting their institutions. They were more focused on their day-to-day operational struggles and needed the opportunity and time to heal; they needed time to take a deep breath.

Both the Think Tank and the Cohort, however, made several recommendations that were implemented in Year Three as part of the 2023 Black Seed conference. The Master Classes offered in the areas of storytelling, integrated marketing, planning, fundraising, and board governance were not only much needed but appeared also to be well-received. Planning and fundraising are critical growth areas and the workshops supported thrivability, as well as future growth (See the section: Positioning The Black Seed Grantees for Growth)

As one of the imperative outcomes of the Year Three conference, we recommend that sessions be held for both the Think Tank and the Cohort to discuss their learnings from the Master Classes and how best to implement the tools shared by the speakers. These dialogues would not only help the individual theaters but also help advance the field.

There is merit in The Black Seed’s self-assessment that there were redundancies in the dialogues and outcomes of the Think Tank and Cohorts. A realignment of this effort, along with structured engagement that is outcome-driven can help to expand the impact of these groups, which represent decades of experience and insights that can be widely shared.

While the survey did not specifically capture the impact or intersection of the network of Black Theater institutions as a dynamic Think Tank for institutional and sector growth, we surmise from the interviews that the grantees appreciated the opportunities for connectivity, engagement with the national community and shared learnings from their dialogues:

The Black Seed is validating and inspiring. I've been doing this mission impact work for about 10 years, and I realize that's in its infancy compared to a lot of other Black Seed recipients. However, when I was applying for The Black Seed grant, it was the first organization that literally cared about our story. We were embarking on a five-year strategic plan, and The Black Seed actually encouraged us to dream out loud. That was new for me. Normally it's all about programming.

It also was empowering for me because I was considering leaving the industry. I previously spent more than 25 years in corporate and I wanted to give back to the community; that was the whole reason that I was at Black Arts. The Black Seed inspired me to go forward. The cohort and the networking have been priceless to me, especially in a city like Milwaukee.

Black Arts, MKE, Milwaukee, WI

In addition, the Embodied Research activity, “Performing our Experience,” offered new strategies for professional development. The performance-based methodology, which was developed by Dr. Etwaroo as part of her doctoral graduate work from 2001 to 2003, required participants to collaborate in teams and leverage their collective skills as the catalyst for gleaning lessons from their experience. Within a short period of time, participants created a two-minute presentation about their experience with The Black Seed. The exercise resulted in shared insights about the impact of The Black Seed while challenging the grantees to use their improvisational theater skills. The themes included life support and revitalization; gratitude and collaboration; building together, and room to grow. It also injected a light-hearted and playful spirit into the opening of the conference.

The Black Seed was a huge lifeline for us and it provided us the opportunity to really explore innovation in a way that we would not have been able to do so. And so, it’s been a true blessing.

—Black Lives, Black Words International Project Houston, TX

INNOVATION RESULTING FROM THE BLACK SEED

The Black Seed was not only a revolutionary concept, but it also fostered innovation. Unlike traditional funding from foundations, from its inception, The Black Seed was structured to provide flexibility and freedom to its grantees to utilize the funding where it was most needed.

Despite the depth and breadth of issues triggered by the converging pandemics of 2020, The Black Seed was a lifeline opportunity for self-determination. It also was innovative and groundbreaking in other ways: It sought to create a “shared authority” structure that seeded the foundation for building a national approach to managing Black Theaters—from funding to marketing. The fund offered a potential model for future funders—shifting away from the hierarchical distribution of funds to the forging of partnerships; towards trusting the grantees would use the funding wisely. That latitude created breath in building thrivability. While the structure for this idea is still in development, the input received from the Cohorts was instrumental to the process.

The Black Seed also advocated for the creation of programming partnerships that would allow theaters to showcase performances of nationally touring productions by sharing expenses. There were discussions about changing the current model of Board management to migrate from a “committee focus,” to a more fluid “meet the moment” approach.

Some theater organizations also were able to utilize virtual technology to continue serving their community:

With funding from The Black Seed, we were able to do a virtual musical from our own homes, which eventually made it to the stage in 2022. And we did a stage presentation of Roost, an original work by playwright Lee Olsen, which had never before been produced.

Plowshares Theatre Company, Detroit, MI

POSITIONING THE BLACK SEED GRANTEES FOR GROWTH

The Black Seed positioned Black Theater institutions for growth in two very important ways: Providing unrestricted funding and making available planning and fundraising training from top experts in the field.

Providing access to funding with the freedom to apply it as needed positioned Black Theater institutions for continued growth in the future through new partnerships and/or expanding their outreach. Interviewees cited some of the new directions the grantees were able to explore:

With The Black Seed funding and support, we established our foundational programming; we introduced ourselves to our community; we were able to gather information from the people we wanted to serve, and actually implement and execute all of the things that they needed us to do—all because we were backed by The Black Seed. So, we are now a service organization that is truly serving. We got our wings through The Black Seed.

—Support Black Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

“We also have acquired several different projects. We have a two-year residency with the University of Pennsylvania because we were still able to produce during COVID as the result of The Black Seed. We also had a commission project with Columbia University. The Black Seed raised the visibility of the Negro Ensemble Company, and it helped us tremendously. “

Negro Ensemble Company, New York, NY

“With the support of The Black Seed, we were able to build out a multinational residency program where we were supporting four artists and residents that were all based in the United States. We now have a collective of Black artists from across the Caribbean and the United States who are making work about slavery, justice, and freedom in liberated, transformative ways. And not only are we able to support them because of The Black Seed, we also are able to convene them…. We've been able to host two convenings centered around this kind of wider cipher of Black radical performance-making. And that is all entirely possible because of the support from The Black Seed.”

Black Spatial Relics, Providence, RI

“The funding from The Black Seed allowed us to expand and give exposure to new artists, new playwrights, and new directors. It supported the vision of so many people in South Los Angeles, and it helped us build new partnerships that put us in the limelight.”

Black Creators Collective, Los Angeles, CA

The development of truly synergistic partnerships will take more time and require an intentional strategy, as well as the resources for ongoing cultivation. The Black Theater institutions can glean lessons from the Hip Hop industry, which built synergistic partnerships with multiple entities that resulted in billions of dollars pouring into their industry. There is a potential foundation from which the collective of Black Theater institutions could build that could result in passive revenue generation to fund their work.

Regarding strategic planning and fundraising, this was an important growth area for executive leadership development and thrivability. At the same time, this notably has been an area of struggle for many nonprofits. The information at both Master Classes held during The Black Seed 2023 conference was direct, thorough, and easily applicable to any Black Theater institution, irrespective of its size.

“Strategic Thinking that Leads to Thriving Institutions” was presented by Lisa Yancey, President of Yancey Consulting. She emphasized to the attendees that the term “strategic planning” is a misnomer. Instead, she urged them to do “dream planning,” and to utilize strategy in service of the vision. Ms. Yancey emphasized that it takes both time and planning to bring the vision to fruition, and she offered access to a downloadable workbook to help the theaters launch their planning process.

“Fundraising through Community-Building” was presented by Karen Brooks-Hopkins, President emerita of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). A renowned, multimillion-dollar fundraiser, who transformed BAM into a first-class global arts institution and developed a neighborhood around it, Ms. Brooks-Hopkins offered deep insights into what it takes to be a successful fundraiser. She emphasized the importance of excellent programming and services and assigning fundraising goals to Board members while providing the administrative staff to support their efforts.

Both workshops were well attended, with more than 50 attendees. The participants were engaged and asked many questions. It is interesting to note, however, that survey respondents ranked The Black Seed as having an impact in these two areas at 55 percent and 57 percent, respectively. This compares to 72 percent for branding and 68 percent for developing and strengthening partnerships.

Nonetheless, the continuation of this type of support from The Black Seed, including virtual workshops, would go a long way in positioning the field for growth, financial stability, and thrivability.

THE BLACK SEED’S IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITIES SERVED BY BLACK THEATER INSTITUTIONS

According to the interviewed arts leaders for the SMU Data Arts Report cited earlier, the formula for strategic vision lies in the organization’s answer to the question, “How will you have created value, and for whom?” (9)

Based on the interviews and responses to the written surveys, participants emphasized the importance of community access; of providing a voice for the community:

“Without The Black Seed, I think organizations like ours that are trying to do work in communities like the Southside of Chicago would have been lost. I think we are far too often overlooked. We’re smaller and we’re serving people that often do not have a voice. Without The Black Seed, we wouldn't have been able to give those folks a voice. The Black Seed funding has allowed us to further our mission. We have been able to keep our doors open and we have been able to continue to serve our community. It's exciting that we get to continue to do that work and we're privileged to be able to do that work.”

Definition Theatre Company, Chicago, IL

Providing Black Theaters with the resources to reopen and to be available to the community offered a much-needed respite; a connection to social norms during the converging pandemics, while also being a safe space where Black voices could be elevated during a time of confusion, conflicting messaging, isolation, and racialized violence.

THE FUTURE OF THE

BLACK SEED

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THRIVABILITY PROVIDED BY THE BLACK SEED TEAM AND BLACK THEATER INSTITUTION LEADERS

Recipients of The Black Seed funding have clearly demonstrated the positive impact of this project. The following action steps support the continuation of The Black Seed vision and the work that still needs to be done. The future is bright and full of promise with the implementation of these resources, tools, and opportunities.

Full-time resources for The Black Seed. Establishment of a Technical Support Network to provide customer service—to field questions about marketing, strategic planning, financial and technology issues.

Meet regionally with Black Theaters to find out the needs for support and to foster collaborations. Create a “Green Book” of Black Theaters. A national Black Theater database.

Create a curriculum and make available virtual leadership and professional development workshops. Reach out to Black constituent organizations, such as the National Urban League, NAACP, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Panhellenic organizations.

Develop a stronger digital presence for Black Theaters, many of which lack sufficient physical signage due to sharing space with other businesses.

Identify a national spokesperson to help promote Black Theaters via social media.

Continue meeting with regional Black Theaters to prepare to launch touring productions. Determine how to utilize access to the market coverage of the Black Theaters (an estimated 1.3 million people of African descent) to develop ongoing and sustainable sources of income. Engage in training for and investing the resources to facilitate succession planning. Make a concerted outreach to add younger people to Black Theater Boards of Directors and provide training in governance.

Increase opportunities for partnerships by hosting town halls at Black Theaters to engage, empower and educate through the arts.

CONCLUSION

When we look back 10 or even 20 years from now, we will say with certainty that The Black Seed has been the most ambitious and optimistic enterprise in the history of Black Theater institutions. Rather than providing “game-changing” money for the organizations struggling in the post-COVID era amidst ongoing demands for racial justice, The Black Seed “changed the game.”

The Black Seed sought to address long-standing funding inequities and provide sorely needed resources and support to the Black Theater field during a time of national crisis that could have permanently closed many of its doors. But rather than dictate how the funding was spent, The Black Seed empowered Black Theater leaders with the flexibility to determine how best to utilize the grants. At the same time, The Black Seed sought to activate a new model of thinking for the future of Black Theater—thrivability.

From its inception, The Black Seed sought to empower The Black Theater field with the technical support and the knowledge needed to thrive. Despite administrative challenges often encountered in a start-up, The Black Seed Team created numerous opportunities for learning and growth. It brought in a diverse group of esteemed and experienced arts and culture executives with unmatched expertise in marketing, budgeting, planning, fundraising, audience development, and board governance to expose the field to the possibilities that exist, even within the context of a history that has been defined by inequities. While there was consternation overheard about some of the experts not being Black, the sessions were nonetheless well-attended. The participants took notes, snapped pictures of the slides, and asked questions.

The Black Seed Team carefully curated its roster of experts to ensure that they provided Black Theater leaders with information that was relevant to and needed by the field. The goal was not for these experts to dictate what to do. Instead, they offered Black Theater leaders an opportunity to build upon their skills, determine how best to utilize the information and decide the optimal direction for their respective organizations. Ultimately, knowledge is power—the power to keep the doors open; to continue to serve their respective communities, and to build a solid foundation for the future. Technical support is integral to this process and an ongoing need. It will require a sustained effort, continued access to best practices, and financial backing if the impact is to be long-term and future-forward.

The Black Seed successfully affirmed the relevance and value of Black Theaters as integral components of America’s cultural heritage, making it possible for these cornerstone institutions to remain vital cultural touchstones for the more than 1.3 million (and growing) audience members belonging to the African diaspora, and continue support of Black artists. It is important to note that the grantees were not only leaders of long-standing institutions but also new organizations being led by next-generation theater professionals who will be the future of the field.

Another goal The Black Seed sought to accomplish was to build a foundation to expand the field by creating a first-ever, national network of Black Theaters engaged in milestone projects, such as a national touring production, that would unite the field and launch a new era of growth and cultural tourism that could yield long-term, financial benefits. Although this goal was discussed by both the Cohort of Black Theater networks and the Think Tank of theater leaders, there was minimal momentum.

While some collaborations were developed, we found that understandably the major focus for most of the Black Theater leaders was the survival of their individual institutions. Given the historic nature of The Black Seed and its potential impact on future generations, however, it’s important to examine the other barriers that may have been a factor preventing the implementation of this goal.

Several years ago, WICG worked on an initiative designed to create a unified marketing plan for the founders of several African-American cultural organizations. The plan would have offered a unique discount program for the community and cultural tourists to experience performances, events, and exhibits via an easily accessible platform. There was a launch event announcing the project, and it was well-supported by the community leaders in attendance.

However, once the program entered the planning phases, the participation by the cultural leaders became inconsistent. Some of this may have been the result of executive leaders at Black-led institutions having to wear many hats. However, at one point, the intention of this effort was lost when some leaders continued to focus on their perspectives and their individual institutions and not the field, as a whole. As the project developed it became clear that there was a reluctance to assume the best of intentions; to share space, offer recognition, or cede partnership or authority to one another. Rather than willingly collaborate in a way that reflected mutual respect for their respective institutions, they acted as if the program did not require mutually respectful, field-centric, leadership. Unfortunately, the project never got off the ground and became a missed opportunity for mutual support, shared financial benefit, and for offering expanded services to the Black community.

These situations reflect the “divided state of Blacks in the post-civil rights era” (10), as described by Nigel I. Malcolm, Ph.D., in his book, Rethinking Racial Uplift: Rhetorics of Black Unity and Disunity in the Obama Era. The values that have historically promoted our interconnected fates; the “strength in numbers” that Dr. Indira Etwaroo talked about during the Year Three convening, are in further peril in this era of divisiveness, heralded individualism, and the desire for organizational hegemony.

Unity requires a shared vision and shared values. It requires selflessness; mutual respect; the willingness to let go of power dynamics, and the desire to understand how fiscal responsibility and ethics work with philanthropic partners and other partners. Unity also requires the commitment to release the fear of losing something when working for the collective good, and the determination to create the space necessary for bringing to life something new, beneficial, and transformative.

How can these points be converted into actions that solidly prepare the field for growth? The vision promoted by The Black Seed of building a foundation for the future is both possible and necessary. However, it will require additional deep thought, discussion, and engagement. It is not a quick fix. The energy, passion, and excitement resulting from these three years of work can be the catalyst for a breakthrough if all participants are willing to roll up their sleeves and work together.

“The Black Seed will play an essential role in giving Black artists, theatres, and creative communities the firm financial stability they need to soar,” said Mellon Foundation president Elizabeth Alexander in a statement when the foundation announced its $5-million anchor donation. “We…look forward to the transformative and deeply necessary creative work this initiative will support.”

The Black Seed has sown fertile and productive new ground for the future of the Black Theaters, and it is imperative that this network continues to flourish. It is our recommendation that philanthropic partners and individual donors continue to partner with this audacious endeavor to ensure that Black Theaters remain “vital guardians and champions of Black culture” and can continue to tell the full, unabridged American story, while providing refuge, reaffirmation, and renewal to the communities they serve and assuring the future of this integral cornerstone of America’s cultural heritage.

ENDNOTES

1. Helicon Research: “Not Just Money.”

https://heliconcollab.net/our_work/not-just-money/

2.

http://devosinstitute.umd.edu/What-We-Do/News-andAnnouncements/Announcements/Announcements/Diversity%20in%20the%20Arts%20paper

3.

https://www.americantheatre.org/2021/01/18/the-black-seed-unveils-generous-grant-program-for-black-theatres/

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/09/22/911934489/enormous-and-tragic-u-s-has-lost-morethan-200-000-people-to-covid-19

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/us/politics/trump-election-lies-fact-check.html

Organizations: A Spotlight on Organizations

https://culturaldata.org/pages/the-alchemy-of-high-performing-arts-organizations-a-spotlight-on-organizations-of-color/

https://www.tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre/

A Spotlight on Organizations

https://culturaldata.org/pages/the-alchemy-of-high-performing-arts-organizations-a-spotlight-on-organizations-of-color/

of Black

and

in the

Devos Institute Study on Arts Organizations of Color.

“The Black Seed Unveils Generous Grant Program for Black Theatres.” American Theatre Magazine.

4. “Coronavirus Death Toll tops 200,000” National Public Radio

5. Fact Checking Election Lies, The New York Times

6. SMU Data Art Study: “The Alchemy of High-Performing Arts

of Color.”

7. Ibid.

8. Tulsa Historical Society and Museum

9. SMU Data Art Study: “The Alchemy of High-Performing Arts Organizations:

of Color.”

10. Malcolm, Ph.D., Nigel I., Rethinking Racial Uplift: Rhetorics

Unity

Disunity

Obama Era. University Press of Mississippi Press, 2022.

THE BLACK SEED TEAM

The Black Seed Host Institution (2020-2023)

The Billie Holiday Theatre

The Black Seed Administrative Team

Project Executive, Dr. Indira Etwaroo

Project Manager, Shari Thomas

Black Seed Fellow, Jason Gray

The Black Seed Funding Partners

The Black Seed Fund raised $7.4 million of its $10 million goal from the following sources:

Mellon Foundation

Ford Foundation

The New York Community Trust

Doris Duke Charitable Trust

Howard Gilman Foundation

Bloomberg Foundation

Individual gifts, including a major, multi-year gift provided by Barbara and Amos Hostetter, allowed The Black Seed to not only meet, but to exceed its original goal of $10 million by $500,000.

The Black Seed Inaugural National Advisory Committee

Gary Andersons of Plowshares Theatre Company (Detroit, MI).

Dr. Monica Ndounou, Associate Professor of Theater, Dartmouth College, and founder of The CRAFT Institute (Boston, MA), and the International Black Theatre Summit.

Shay Wafer of the WACO Theater Center (Los Angeles, CA)

The Black Seed Advisory Management Committee

Comprised of experts in the fields of fundraising, financial oversight, and Non-Profit Institutional Governance to review Black Seed expenses and revenue.

The Black Seed RFP Review Committee

Lisa Arrindell (TV, Film and Broadway actress)

Stephen McKinley Henderson (OBIE Award-winning actor)

Michele Shay (Tony Award-nominated actor and theater faculty at NYU, Juilliard, and Columbia)

Hollis King (five-time Grammy Award-nominated Creative Director)

Rama Orleans-Lindsay (Black Arts Institute Alumni and recent graduate of Pace’s Theater program)

Carl Hancock Rux (award-winning performance artist and faculty member in theater at Yale and CalArts)

Wendell Pierce (Tony Award-winning actor, producer, and director)

Donja R. Love (award-winning playwright)

Sandi Haynes (Non-Profit executive recruiter and strategist)

Dafina McMillan (non-profit strategist and philanthropic administrator).

The Black Seed Host Institution (2023-2024)

The Black Theatre Network

NOTES FROM THE BLACK SEED MASTER CLASSES

Integrated Marketing that Leads to Impact:

Presented by Noreen O’Loughlin, an award-winning marketing professional in nonprofit and commercial sectors.

Key points:

It’s important to integrate and unify messaging across all the platforms: media, enewsletters, social media, direct marketing, digital, personal contacts, mobile and text, earned impressions, paid advertising, research, and planning. To pursue a practice of integration that goes well beyond classic marketing begins with vision and leadership, along with the clarity and capacity to communicate it. Everyone who is essential to your work has a voice—interactions with focus groups, artists, community partners, funders. Seek opportunities to expand marketing opportunities—add in new platforms, new voices, venues, locations, manifestations of programming. Convene many different touch points. Think of partnerships through the broadest of scopes:

-Artists and celebrities: Bring the halo of their work and their extensions.

-Public officials can be essential in getting something done.

-Partnering with government organizations.

-Colleges and universities. What do they bring to the table?

-Specialists outside the organization, such as an outside PR person or historical expert who can offer new avenues and/or short-term benefits.

-Theater community for ideas, inspiration, and support.

Be willing to reuse and reinvent. Also look for opportunities to utilize the arts and theater to help people heal.

Strategic Thinking that Leads to Thriving Institutions:

Presented by Lisa Yancy, President of Yancey Consulting

Key points:

“Strategic Planning” is a misnomer. We aren’t planning to be strategic. We want to create magic. We are Dream Planning. Strategy is in service of the vision. It’s in service of the dream. Planning must name what we want to achieve. We lose momentum if we lead with strategy.

Plans only work if they serve a vision that is so irresistible that people can’t wait to get started. (She works long hours because her ancestors worked long hours for her.)

Visions are the dreams that plans are made of.The clearer you are about your future the easier it is for others to see themselves in it. We spend too much time planning and not enough time dreaming. What is getting in the way of it?

What’s it like? Feel it through your senses—envision it, taste it, name the people in it. What’s in the way and how does your vision become their vision and answer that call?

How can you move from convincing to connecting?

Make sure the vision is worthy of your time, labor, social capital, and genius. Think generationally (clusters of 20+ years). We are Sankofa. Based on the 7-generation principle, hold them in your vision. The plan is a result of that. You need all those people in your planning.

Nothing takes a year. We over and underestimate how much we can accomplish. Any vision worth your pursuit will take time. It is more dynamic and iterative. Values guide everything. Our abundance is endowed to us. No one should have to go to your website for your values.

Information is essential. Data is not loyal.You need a consistent way to collect data. The analysis must be layered and longitudinal. That’s where you see the real trends over time. Hope is not a strategy. It is not tactical. Strategies are value aligned, advance the vision, are generative, and they do not leave you, your people, or this planet depleted of your/its resources.

Know your numbers and your business model’s viability. What is the cost implication of your strategy? A plan without financials is hope. If there are butts in seats you need to know the status of those butts.

Fundraising through the lens of Community-Building:

Presented by Karen Brooks-Hopkins, president emerita of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

Key points:

Fundraising is not for the thin-skinned or easily discouraged. It is the necessary glue and bond that connects institutions to their public in a profound way.

To receive financial support, audiences, people in the community, tourists, etc., must see these arts institutions as worthy destinations which requires that we must be the best we can be, providing excellent programs and services.

Fundraising also demands that we become better at raising money. There must be alignment: right project/right organization.

The Board of Trustees (/Directors) is most important. They are the larger contributors/connections to larger contributors and ambassadors for the organizations. They become involved for business reasons, they love the work of the institution, and/or they believe board service is the best way to enhance the community.

At BAM, we set annual contribution goals for the board members and assigned staff to support and keep track of their efforts. Each trustee at the beginning of the fiscal year made a plan and had our administrative support to help them achieve it.

They were encouraged to cultivate and invite close friends or colleagues to get involved. We also met with each of them to evaluate their performance. This was critical to measure on a regular basis.

Funding sources: Foundations want to save the world. They primarily fund large scale projects with multi-year grants, based on in-depth proposals. Corporations are looking for opportunities to improve their image. High worth individuals—80 percent of gifts to arts institutions are received come from 20 percent of their donors. Capital support: government and high net-worth individuals.

Cultivating donors: Galas and special events – great for winning members. Smaller, in-home, cocktail parties with artists. Let the work tell your story. Art auctions, raffles. Create fundraisers with layers of benefits available. Break it down to align with the right prospect. And then determine who is the right prospect for which package.

You can entice smaller donors to begin with memberships so that they can grow into lifetime members.

Be concise, efficient, and grammatically correct. Keep it real. Be diligent.

Visionary programs always win the day. Package with great design – great ideas bring great returns.

Building Stronger Governance and Stronger Boards:

A Q& A between Black Seed Fellow Jason Gray and Patrick Bradford, partner at Bradford, Edwards & Varlack LLP, and Nataki Garrett, award-winning director, and former Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Key Points:

Jason: What is an ideal Board of Directors?

Patrick: Boards grow and change as do organizations. The most important thing for the board is that there is a leader with a vision worthy of support. Where is the company on its journey? How can the board and staff get it from point A to point B? How can we get to point Z with Black Theaters today? Getting there is the responsibility of the trustees.

Nataki: You build a board that reflects the time and the culture. It is a call for change. You met a moment, and that moment has passed for you. When a board is not fluid, it is not there to meet the moment. It is there to meet something before.

Jason: Your role at OSF was really about innovation. How do you get buy-in from the board?

Nataki: You work with the willing.

Jason: Will boards still exist as we know them 50 years from now?

Nataki: Will nonprofits exist 50 years from now? Create an operational framework around the strategic plan. Otherwise, the strategic plan won’t work. Implement pillars instead of committees. The pillars are focused on solving the problems of today. I don’t know if the profit can be maintained. We didn’t really evolve from that moment in the 70s in theater. Now we really have to build a new structure. What will be left are the organizations that are nimble and can change.

Patrick: The most creative people are Black people. To me, at the end of the day, we make the best out of what we have from what we do. Board should function in ways that meet the moment. I think the structure is changing all the time but the need for boards will be determined by funding. The board is dealing with a big problem in the funding from day-to-day.

Question from the audience: How do artists serve on boards in effective ways?

Nataki: Sometimes artists experience imposter syndrome sitting on boards. Remember you’ve been engaged based on what you do bring to the table not what you don’t bring to the table. Serve on the board even if it is only for 15 minutes. You are not serving on the board you are serving as the artists’ voice at the table.

Patrick: Yes, but it depends on which board and what reason(s). The right person with the right skill set. CTH (?) may not have existed if an artist was not on the board.

Question from the audience: I have an LLC that is fiscally sponsored. How can we envision a future if we do not have support from individuals or foundations?

Nataki: We come when we are called. People have to be invited and led in the same way. Actually, you do have to start where you are. Who is Black and giving money in NY right now? How do you work with CTH & Schomberg? Bring together theaters that are working under an LLC to start a conversation. Advocacy works better in collaboration.

BLACK SEED GRANTEE INTERVIEWS

APPENDIX

Carlo Campbell, Co-founder and Co-Artistic Director of Theater in the X, Philadelphia, PA

Black Theater is everything. Everything we've ever been, everything we have the capacity to become, and to remind us and to come find us.

The Black Seed is affirmation. For a long time, as a Black Theater company, I always felt an enmity with the idea of being funded by white people that would fund us as a novelty, or as a sideshow, or as a pet. And I always theorized that one day there would be a group of Black people that would see the value in funding Black people and what it means above board, below board, behind the scenes, in front of the scenes for the morale of it.

And it was reaffirming. I used to always say this to people, and they would look at me like I was an alien: “And it was good to see the Mothership land.”

The Black Seed really supported my morale as it relates to dreams. You know, it's good that somebody came along that was already sprouting from the seed. I was always looking for something to germinate, you know, so we would've been determined to germinate, and we would've chugged along with all our deficiencies and defects without this recognition. I mean, rather without this recognition or affirmation we would've made a go at it. But to know that there are people that see you, I mean, people that know and see it's different than when, uh, say for instance, you know, that when Shakespeare throws Hamlet that line when he's talking about, you know, your Groundlings and he's talking about speak to speech, I pray you. It's when your grandmom says something and like, how do you know all those lines? Boom. Somebody that really knows what that is, and they see you knowing it and going at it and they're funding it.

Mm-hmm. There’s just something, there's something more than money in that. Mm-hmm.

Black Theater is revolution. Black Theater is joy. It is pain, it is struggle. It is the celebration of everything and anything that has built this country and the globe. Black Theater is excellence.

The Black Seed has been a lifesaver. The Black Seed is a lifesaver. It's been an avenue to encourage innovation and excitement during a time when, when Art and the World were truly struggling.

If Black Lives, Black Words didn't receive The Black Seed grant, we would've had to close. We’re a grassroots organization. We don't really thrive (or) depend upon grants. We are purely and truly a community-funded organization. Gaining The Black Seed grant kept us afloat; provided me and my co-founder the opportunity to have an actual salary for once in our lives and allowed us to be able to launch “Films for the People,” a project that we worked diligently to bridge our activism with art entrepreneurship. We found local Black writers within various and different communities across the United States. And matched them with Black businesses within those same cities and we created hybrid films—monologue pieces—inside of those Black businesses.

The Black Seed was a huge lifeline for us, and it provided us the opportunity to really explore innovation in a way that we would not have been able to do so. And so, it’s been a true blessing.

Black Theater is telling our stories through our lens; stories that inform, uplift, entertain, educate, and heal. Stories that invoke the truth through the beautiful and artistic recreation of ourselves.

The Black Seed is fueled, positive energy; positive direction, light, love, possibility, the realization of one's highest and a collective highest.

Reginald Edmond, Co-Founder and Managing, Curating Producer of Black Lives, Black Words International Project, Houston, TX

Elizabeth Van Dyke, Producing Artistic Director, New Federal Theatre, New York, NY.

I think without the support of the Black Seed, New Federal Theater was existing in the modality of survival going round and around, I liken it to a plant. We’re just still in the same plant pot, watering, and watering. But it needs to be transplanted. For it to grow, it needs to understand that it can grow.

So, The Black Seed gave us remembrance of the language of limitlessness. It said, “Dream out loud!” “Thrive!” “Be holistic, love, light.” “You can, you are, you do!”

So, for us, suddenly we went from one to two full-time staff in 50 years—two people doing everything. So now—we have three full-time, two part-time staff, and digital marketing. We went from doing solo pieces and two-character plays because that's all we could do within the constraints of our funding to now doing five-character plays and seven-character readings, along with a revival of “A Long Time Since Yesterday.” We are thriving, we are growing, we are expanding, we are building on our founder Woodie King's legacy and taking it beyond and into the future, incorporating the seasoned and the new.

And for me…the Black Seed was transformational. Transformative for me as a new leader of the New Federal Theatre.

Black Theater is alive and well and thriving in the land of the USAA. That's the United States of African-Americans.

The Black Seed is an equalizer, a game changer, and an engine that has allowed Black Theaters to prosper with the others and to be recognized and to be a platform for us to speak our voices and share our cultural stories.

Without the support of The Black Seed during the pandemic, we would've remained stagnant. We would've continued scraping the bottom for pennies in order to pay hundreds of dollars and bills, and it just would've remained a heavy load.

Darryl Ruben Hall, Executive Director and Founder of Stage Aurora Theatrical Company, Jacksonville, FL

I'm at this stage now where I'm tired, I'm exhausted from wearing 50 hats over the years. But The Black Seed has allowed me to hire some employees. Receiving this funding also allowed us to receive national recognition that came along with the award. We're trying to multiply those funds that we received from The Black Seed in order to get to the next level and continue moving forward.

I'm really looking forward to having the time to bring forth the original works that are within me; that I can give birth to these projects—projects that are based on Black history and based on our culture. These are stories that relate to the human experience for all to share; stories from which all cultures can learn about what we endure every day. The Black Seed has really been a blessing.

Black Theater is joy. Black Theater is celebratory. Black Theater is life. Personally, Black Theater is my existence. It is my story, it's my song, it's my love. Uh, the universality of Black Theater is amazing because it is globalist in its sense, because it's everybody's story, but at the same time, it's indigenous to us, and I love it so much.

The Black Seed is inclusive, A lifesaving life raft, a shelter in the time of storm. The Black Seed is everything that every Black Theater company ever needed because we need funding. But we also need encouragement. We also need empowerment. We also need a vehicle for our trauma. You know, we need a lack of stress. We need mental health. All of that has been provided through The Black Seed.

What happened (during the conference) was transformative. It was a sermon on the Mount, and we all got it. We all got the message, and we will all leave this conference in a much better place. We can't stop talking about it. And some of us have really been around a long time, but we feel renewed.

I was in New York City during the pandemic. There were body trucks at the end of my block. It was not only about Theater and my organization, but it was also about our lives. People were dying all around. Theater doors were closed—regional to Broadway. And you know what

Sheila K. Davis, Founder and Artistic Director of New Professional Theatre, New York, NY

Langston Hughes has said, “when white America gets a cold, Black America gets pneumonia.” So, we were sinking and sinking fast—mentally and physically—then along comes The Black Seed and says: “Here’s this gift. You are relevant. You are necessary…. Here is something that says you're gonna make it through.”

And that meant everything to an organization like mine. Everything. And then the special gift at the end of it all…that was just icing on the cake. I couldn't believe it. So, the Black Seed is planted; it is pollinating, and it is growing. So now we're trying to multiply those funds that we received from The Black Seed in order to get to the next level and continue moving forward.

Director,

Black Theater is necessary. I once had a board member tell me that my job was to eliminate my job in the organization. And while I understood the rationale of the message it was, at that time, that I knew the true purpose of our organization in Milwaukee. There's lots of excellent programming. However, W.E.B. Du Bois says, Black Theater is about us, for us, needs to be near us and we need to tell our own stories. That was very important and eye-opening for me and the organization.

The Black Seed is validating and inspiring. I've been doing this mission impact work for about 10 years, and I realize that's in its infancy compared to a lot of other Black Seed recipients. However, when I was applying for The Black Seed grant, it was the first organization that literally cared about our story. We were embarking on a five-year strategic plan, and The Black Seed actually encouraged us to dream out loud. That was new for me. Normally it's all about programming.

It also was empowering for me because I was considering leaving the industry. I previously spent more than 25 years in corporate and I wanted to give back to the community; that was the whole reason that I was at Black Arts. The Black Seed inspired me to go forward. The cohort and the networking have been priceless to me, especially in a city like Milwaukee.

Barbara Wanzo, Executive

Black Arts, MKE, Milwaukee, WI

Our institution, I think, would have succeeded. We applied for every RFP dollar that was out there, trying to make sure we left no money on the table. But The Black Seed enabled us to not only survive but thrive and get going on that five-year strategic plan. This money also helped us to take over the Milwaukee Black Theater Festival, which its previous sponsor could no longer do. My board thought that the festival was important. We also were able to hire more full-time employees and two or three part-time employees. I was the only employee for more than 8 years. So, The Black Seed made a priceless investment in us and one we will always be grateful for.

Black Theater is a way of life. It is our strength; it is our treasure. It's our lifeblood.

The Black Seed is one of our saviors. It is extraordinary and important, and it’s been very relevant to the efforts to keep Negro Ensemble Company alive.

Without The Black Seed, we would have struggled tremendously just to maintain. We are a small company at this point. We do maintain a season. However, during COVID, it was far more difficult. Without The Black Seed, I'm not sure we would've been able to do that. As a result of this funding, we have solidified our existence as a producing entity for Black Theater. We also have acquired several different projects. We have a two-year residency with the University of Pennsylvania because we were still able to produce during COVID as the result of The Black Seed. We also had a commission project with Columbia University. The Black Seed raised the visibility of the Negro Ensemble Company, and it helped us tremendously.

Black Theater is a tangible invitation into the Black experience that is often imitated and often misunderstood. But it is joy, it is laughter, it is pain, it is sorrow. Most of all, Black Theater is healing.

The Black Seed is the new catalyst for uplifting what may have been endangered works of art, our cultural experience.

Karen Brown, Artistic Director, Negro Ensemble Company, New York, NY

Brian Brown, Managing Director, Ujima Theatre Company, Buffalo, NY

I started off at Ujima Theater as an actor and singer. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, we lost our founder and artistic director, Lorna C. Hill, who also was my mentor. She really steered us into a new lane, always keeping the Black excellence at the forefront of our work. During that time, our company moved into a state of transition, and during that transition funding from The Black Seed made it possible for me to have a paid position as the new managing director. We also could increase our staff, expand our season, and pay more to the actors.

Black Theater is a safe space in the Black community where we as a people can discuss complex issues; issues that maybe create pain, but where we can begin to find a way to think about solutions to our day-to-day issues and problems. Black Theatre also is an intergenerational place, where there's a gathering of grandparents, parents, and children, thinking about the past and where we're going to go in the future.

The Black Seed is an organization that fertilizes the soil so that we're able to come together-not just as an individual theater, but as a community. It is an opportunity for collaboration of Black Theaters throughout the United States, and it makes it possible to talk about issues that all of us face day-to-day. Through our discussions, we’re able to find solutions and share resources that ensure that we all will survive.

Without the support of The Black Seed, Essential Theatre would have continued to provide services to the community. However, we would not be able to expand our programming, nor could we do the outreach we believe is necessary in order to build community. With The Black Seed support, we were able to not only think about what we're going to be producing for that year, but also be able to have staff for a longer period of time so that we could really plan and do the legwork that's gonna bring the audiences in and create some excitement for the coming season.

We have problems similar to other theaters in terms of part-time staff. But with The Black Seed funding, we were able to make improvements to our website and make it more user-friendly. We also were able to begin to be more strategic in terms of reaching our target population, which is primary people on fixed incomes. Consequently, we could offer “pay what you can” performances.

Claude Elliot, Development Officer, Essential Theatre, Washington, D.C.

So, The Black Seed made a big difference in terms of our vision and our ability to really serve the community.

J. Morris, Artistic Director, Ensemble Theatre, Houston, TX.

Hemphill Dixon Bold, Associate Artistic Director, Ensemble Theatre

Eileen: Black Theater is stories that are being told from our perspective. Black Theater is community. Black Theater is enriching our lives in a way that no one else may understand, but they really get it because it's really theirs as well. Black Theater for us at the Ensemble is where theater is for everyone, and everyone counts.

Eileen: Black Theater is stories that are being told from our perspective. Black Theater is community. Black Theater is enriching our lives in a way that no one else may understand, but they really get it because it's really theirs as well. Black Theater for us at the Ensemble is where theater is for everyone, and everyone counts.

Rachel: The Black Seed is a framework that is pushing the world of Black Theater forward by providing opportunity and an ecosystem for us to stand on; a foundation for us to stand on. As it seeds, sprouts, it is helping us build our institution’s framework for generations to come.

Eileen: We were very fortunate with The Black Seed to be able to plant new seeds utilizing technology, helping us move forward in the 21st century to increase our patron base and provide spaces for the younger community to join us in the world of Theater. And that was through a program called “The New Voices Festival,” where we brought in writers from across the US who were between the ages of 18 and 35, and, uh, fostered and nurtured their works so that they could be staged and these young writers could join the cannon of African-American works.

Rachel: We also created an Ensemble Theatre App, which affords us the opportunity to let people know about our programming, as well as offer a way for them to learn about what we do each and every day.

Eileen: It's been a great experience to have The Black Seed as a part of what helps us move forward and become a stronger institution and forge our sustainability as we go forward. We were fortunate to be able to start new things and nurture things that we already have in place.

Eileen

Rachel

Michele Shay, Actress, Director, Acting teacher, and current Chairperson of Performance at USC in the School of Dramatic Arts, Los Angeles, CA

It has been my privilege to be one of the people who reviewed the applications for The Black Seed. I'm somebody who's been around for a long time in this business. I've sat on state arts councils and NEA panels and helped give away money. But there has been nothing I've done, nothing, that has given me more pleasure than being part of the panel that chose the theaters to receive support from The Black Seed.

First of all, it's such a phenomenon that The Black Seed was created in the first place; that an allBlack selection committee was giving money to our own theaters. I cannot find the words to express what it felt like to be in that position. And also, to be so moved by all of the applications and the love that we all felt for each one of the theaters…so that we could not choose. Everybody had to receive some money; we wanted everybody to get some. Each of their plans were so great.

Three years later and we're all together, we can see the fruit of our resolve to fund all of the theaters. We can see the fruit of Indira’s efforts to create The Black Seed.

I am working with two of the grantees on this new project called Echoes of Us. Without The Black Seed, we couldn't be doing the good work that we're doing; it's fantastic.

Nella Mupier, Director of Programs, Girl Be Heard, Brooklyn, NY

Black Theater is the pathway to tell our story. It’s our means for shining the light on the histories that have laid the foundation for a world built by men and women of color; people who are able to use Black Theater to share the narrative of who they are; who we are.

The Black Seed is revolutionary. It is a lifeline for many theater companies, performing arts organizations, and performing artists. It also has been a safe and supportive program where Black Theater organizations can network with one another, learn from each other, and grow the Black Theater network.

The mission of Girl Be Heard is to develop social justice leaders through storytelling. We center the voices of youth--specifically girls, young women, femme-identifying, nonbinary youth—to hold spaces for them to speak. Without the support of The Black Seed, the voices of the youth in our program would have been silenced.

Through the support of The Black Seed, we were not only able to continue our programming and maintain our level of engagement, but we also were able to expand on our mission to include multimedia, documentaries, and short films. We also launched a podcast titled What's Good?, which explores a wide range of issues, including environmental and educational justice, and global solidarity amongst girls.

Black Theater is vital. It is the thing that allows us to capture and protect and preserve the stories of African people. It also allows us the opportunity to inspire and empower the next generation with those stories about the lives of African people.

The Black Seed is vital. It was a realignment and a reassessment of the vitality and importance of Black Theater provided to the landscape of American Theater. It provided us with an opportunity to look at what was necessary and invaluable to sustaining the community of the Black Theaters and the artists that we have here.

If we had not had support from The Black Seed during the pandemic, a number of the very important programs that we had created at Plowshares would not have existed. Our main mission is to help cultivate new work and provide those works for an audience. It provides opportunities for groups of artists to work, learn, grow, and cultivate their talents.

With funding from The Black Seed, we were able to do a virtual musical from our own homes, which eventually made it to the stage in 2022. And we did a stage presentation of Roost, an original work by playwright Lee Olsen, which had never before been produced.

Gary Anderson, Producing Artistic Director, Plowshares Theatre Company, Detroit, MI

Andrew Binger, Artistic Director, Yendor Theatre Company, Newark, NJ

Black Theater is transformational storytelling. It is the opportunity for us to tell our own stories in a way that's authentic and provides educational power.

The Black Seed is on the precipice of radically disrupting a field that has been inequitable for many, many, many, many years. The Black Seed is possibility.

Without the support of the Black Seed in 2021, during the pandemic, Yendor Theater Company would've really struggled to find stability. We had an ambitious project in the works—an inresidence program—and The Black Seed funding helped bridge some very long gaps and pauses.

In addition, The Black Seed funding gave us the power to do productions. We were able to commission Black and Brown playwrights to write new works; tell new stories and share them directly with community members located in some of the most economically challenged neighborhoods in Newark. It really gave us an opportunity to share the empowering possibilities of theater. So, it really was a vital lifeline.

Spencer Scott Barrows, Co-Founder and Producer, Harlem 9, New York, NY

Black Theater is the mirror that we hold up to the rest of the world that shows our authentic selves, and the African diaspora.

I’m gonna use an analogy to describe The Black Seed: I live in New York and if I were to fall on the ground, people would continue to walk by me and not do anything. But The Black Seed is that hand that reached out and helped us get back up. And I think The Black Seed is that for all of its Black Theater recipients.

Black Theater is vital. Black Theater is joy. Black Theater is community.

The Black Seed builds community and connects every generation.

Without the support of The Black Seed, Definition Theatre would've had a very hard time growing our capacity and bringing on more staff members to make our vision become a reality. The Black Seed’s funding is helping Definition Theatre serve as a symbol of Black Theatre excellence in Chicago and allows us to demonstrate that theater is alive and well.

Black Theater is vital. Black Theater is necessary. Black Theater is innovative. And I think Black Theater isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

The Black Seed is a community. The Black Seed is a space for us not to feel alone. It's a space for us to connect with those who look like us, feel like us, breathe like us, and exist in the same ethos as us. And it's gonna be something that will continue to be important for many years to come.

Without The Black Seed, I think organizations like ours that are trying to do work in communities like the Southside of Chicago would have been lost. I think we are far too often overlooked. We’re smaller and we’re serving people that often do not have a voice. Without the Black Seed, we wouldn't have been able to give those folks a voice. The Black Seed funding has allowed us to further our mission. We have been able to keep our doors open and we have been able to continue to serve our community. It's exciting that we get to continue to do that work and we're privileged to be able to do that work.

Tyrone Phillips, Founding Artistic Director, Definition Theatre, Chicago, IL

Neel McNeil, Executive Director of Definition Theatre Company, Chicago, IL

John Martin Green, Artistic Director, Blackberry Productions Documentary Theatre Company, New York, NY

Black Theater is affirmation, sometimes commiseration, and celebration of the brilliance and beauty and harrowing and sometimes triumphant history, ingenuity, and insanity of Africandescended people.

The Black Seed is an institutional “spook who sat by the door.” It is a powerful conduit and resource for the building maintenance and sustaining of African-American Theater.

Without the support of The Black Seed during the pandemic, Blackberry would most likely not have been able to take up what is one of our most important projects. It is COPP, which is an acronym for Communities Organizing in Partnership for Peace. It is an intervention; a theaterbased intervention between Black and Brown youth and the New York City police.

We originally started working with Sheila Davis and New Professional Theater and the NYPD— working with youth to use theater to develop their communication skills and arm them with leadership training necessary to successfully negotiate relations with the police. At the same time the program helps to re-socialize the police, as it were, and help them recognize the humanity of the residents of the communities they police and that our children are their children.

With the support of The Black Seed, we have, again, been able to take up that project, which is now beginning its third year. Since its inception, we've worked with more than a hundred police and youth. These interactions have allowed them to humanize each other. More than that, the Black Seed has provided extraordinary support for our viability and recognition that we—the work that we are doing—is vital to the communities that we serve. So, we are profoundly grateful.

Black Theater is necessary. Black Theater is incredible.

The Black Seed is a bomb. The Black Seed is new life.

Free The Arts would not have existed without the support of The Black Seed during the pandemic.

I was on the selection committee for The Black Seed. We got to the end, after selecting our finalists, and we were all asked whether or not there were any final words. From out of nowhere, I said yes. I did have a final word; I had something else I wanted to say.

I was asked what that was, and my response was that I could not allow the gavel to go down with us selecting some theaters and eliminating other theaters from having access to The Black Seed funding. I felt that I couldn't participate in this process, which I felt would've been a continuum of a marginalization process, an elimination process. And I could not, in all good conscious do that. So, what I proposed was that every theater that had been in existence for at least 25 years, whether we had heard from them in a long time or not, would be funded just by virtue of the fact that they have been in existence for 25 years.

And I also said that all the other theaters that applied should be funded, as well. So, we ultimately decided that every theater would be funded, every theater that applied would be funded. That made me comfortable because if we could, we could. I felt like if we could do that, then we could actually create a conversation between the theaters who may not have been doing things or haven't been doing things in a while, or the theaters that haven't been as productive as other theaters. We could create a conversation between them and that they could rely on each other. And Black Theater could emerge again in a way that was valuable and necessary.

Larry Powell, Creative Director, Free the Arts, Los Angeles, CA

Carl Hancock Rux, Associate Artistic Director and Curator in-residence, Harlem Stage, New York, NY

Black Theater is the lifeblood of Black culture. It is an accurate reflection of where we've been, where we are.

The Black Seed is the lifeblood of the future of Black Theater. It is a resource that has helped so many of us sustain and envision what our future will be.

651 Arts would’ve been stagnant without the support of The Black Seed. We would not have been able to sustain and grow our staff. We would've been unable to offer our core audience the art that we had been offering them. And lastly, we wouldn't have been able to envision a future for ourselves because we were unsure of the resources. I am the new leader of 651 Arts and a reflection of the deep investment of The Black Seed Fund. And lastly, we're on the cusp of moving into our first permanent home, and we're doing so, from a place of abundance and not scarcity.

Black Theater is essential.

The Black Seed is innovative.

Without the support of The Black Seed, Harlem 9 would not have been able to continue our “48 Hours” project. The fund made it possible for us to grow our audience, nationally with a digital festival online, and then continue to grow our home base of “48 Hours in Harlem.” It also made it possible for us to support ourselves, too.

Black Theater is for me the place that I turn to when I want to be able to understand and navigate the world better. Not only understand the world better, but also understand myself. And it has been a significant source of healing for me.

Toya Lillard, Executive Director, 651 Arts, Brooklyn, NY

Garlia Cornelia Jones, Co-Founding Producer, Harlem 9, New York, NY

Sophina Brown, Founder and Executive Director, Support Black Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

The Black Seed is a vital connection. It is tangible support. It has allowed me to dream bigger and wider than I could have imagined before its existence.

I can honestly say that I don't know if my organization would even be in existence as it is today without The Black Seed, which was our first funder. It was literally a seed for us. It was the first grant I ever wrote. I was suffering from imposter syndrome. I remember watching Indira during the webinar info sessions and when it was over, I was feeling like I could do this. I felt so empowered, and I said, I'm gonna throw my hat into the ring. And when it worked out, I wept because it meant we actually could do this thing. And it brought everything from my mind into fruition.

With The Black Seed funding and support, we established our foundational programming; we introduced ourselves to our community; we were able to gather information from the people we wanted to serve, and actually implement and execute all of the things that they needed us to do —all because we were backed by The Black Seed. So, we are now a service organization that is truly serving.

We got our wings through The Black Seed.

Black Theater is celebration of the creativity and the genius of Black people. Black Theater is storytelling; telling those stories that will continue to inspire and energize our people for generations to come.

The Black Seed should be watered and planted within the minds, intelligence, and the creativity of the organizations that it serves, so that it grows and continues to grow for years to come.

We wouldn't have been able to initiate our program, our sustainability program without the funding from The Black Seed. We brought in apprentices to learn marketing, arts administration, as well as the artistic sides of theater. To sustain for years to come, we have to train people and people have to know what to do in the theater. And once we received the funding, it helped us to bring those people on board to train them so that they can take on the next leg of our organization’s journey.

Rhonda Wilson, Founding Artistic Director, Star Center Theatre, Gainesville, FL

Erich McMillan McCall, Founder and CEO, Project1VOICE,

Black Theater is everything for everybody.

The Black Seed is an act of resilience, resistance, and reclamation. It's the core of what Black Joy is.

I really don't know where Project1VOICE would be without The Black Seed. The fund gave us this infusion of cash that allowed us to make our dreams come true. Before The Black Seed, we were making dreams come true, but we were doing them with a shoestring. But what The Black Seed did was give us the thrivability that we needed to sustain ourselves. I am just grateful to The Black Seed for its vision, for its vision of creating a space of vitality, for Black Theater companies and black creativity in this entire country.

Brown, Director

Black Theater is expansive, iterative, and experimental. It holds us and it carries us into the next space that is unending.

The Black Seed is promising. It is a community circling us in affirmation. In many ways, it was for us, a revival.

I'm not entirely sure what would've happened had The Black Seed not been available. What I can say is exactly how it helped us. The Black Seed gave us space to hold staff to be able to dream in the midst of a time where dreaming felt luxurious, right?

We're all just trying to maintain. With the support of The Black Seed, we were able to build out a multinational residency program where we were supporting four artists and residents that were all based in the United States. We now have a collective of Black artists from across the Caribbean and the United States who are making work about slavery, justice, and freedom in liberated, transformative ways.

New York, NY

Ariel Julia

and Curator, Black Spatial Relics, Providence, RI

And not only are we able to support them because of The Black Seed, we also are able to convene them. So, we've hosted artist retreats. We've been able to host two convenings centered around this kind of wider cipher of black radical performance-making. And that is all entirely possible because of the support from The Black Seed.

Anita G. Arnold, Executive Director, Black Liberated Arts Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Black Theater is the most powerful way to preserve our history and to carry it forward. Our children need Black Theater. It is an integral part of learning, and our children need all the help that they can get at a time like this.

The Black Seed is everything to us at this time. The Black Seed rescued us from what surely would have been a disaster.

We ran out of money during COVID, and so that was quite the setback. But thanks to The Black Seed, we were able to put together a plan of operation going forward so that we could attract other funds and survive COVID and all of its ramifications.

Since we were granted Black Seed funds, we have been able to soar. We have done things that are unbelievable-- that Oklahoma City and the world, I might add, would find hard to believe. In fact, some of our projects have gone international and we're proud of that.

Our biggest project recently, which was part of a fundraising raising strategy, was to decorate Oklahoma City, the capital city, with banners on street poles with our sponsor's name and artist's name. And The Black Seed was on the banner, too. And we're presenting the banner to The Black Seed in appreciation for your sponsorship and your help during those troubled times.

Black Theater is life. It is affirming. It is purpose; it is everything.

The Black Seed is a catalyst for expanding Black Theater and for planting roots within Black Theaters that will grow into trees of fruition and new artistry.

Our organization was newly founded in 2019. So, without The Black Seed, I don't know that we would still exist. The funding from The Black Seed allowed us to expand and give exposure to new artists, new playwrights, and new directors. It supported the vision of so many people in South Los Angeles, and it helped us build new partnerships that put us in the limelight.

Shanae Sharon, Co-Vice President of the Black Creators Collective, Los Angeles, CA

BIOGRAPHIES

THE BLACK SEED TEAM APPENDIX

Dr. Indira Etwaroo is an award-winning producer, director, scholar, and arts and culture executive who has worked across the world to create and build multiplatform spaces and original content that represents the diversity of the globe and leads towards institutional thrivability and equity, while lifting up the voices of underrepresented communities. She has led strategic planning, programming, and the fundraising of more than $100 million dollars invested in arts and culture across the world in her leadership tenures. She currently serves as the firstever director of the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple in California. Indira is the mother of Zenzele Etwaroo Daniels, a director, actor, and writer.

Dr. Etwaroo was a major force for content innovation and inclusion in the public media field, as the Founding Executive Producer of The Greene Space in NYC where she conceptualized the first-of-its-kind multiplatform space in the nation, and Founding Executive Producer and Director of NPR Presents, the global live events platform to bring live, on-air and online content to audiences across the world. Of note, she Executive Produced the American Broadcast Premiere of the 75th Anniversary of Zora Neal’s Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, starring Phylicia Rashad, and the first-ever audio recordings and video broadcasts of August Wilson’s entire American Century Cycle, in partnership with the August Wilson Estate and Artistic Directors Ruben Santiago-Hudson and Stephen McKinley Henderson.

She led The Billie Holiday Theatre, an Off-Broadway theater in Brooklyn, through radical growth, as its Executive Artistic Director: more than doubling the audience, increasing revenue by 212%, and producing groundbreaking content that won the AUDELCO Award for Best Play of the Year four years in a row under her tenure. She also led efforts to create the first Black Lives Matter mural in NY and keepsake book in 2020 in response to the disproportionate killings of and injustices against Black people in the U.S. and across the world. Indira’s work at BAM developed educational and humanities content that leveraged BAM’s MainStage work.

Dr. Etwaroo has been a professor of graduate studies at Temple University and at NYU, designing and teaching the course, “Leading Performing Arts Institutions in the 21st Century.” She led the efforts for the strategic design and fundraising for the first-ever national strategic initiative for Black Theaters, The Black Seed, which pushed $10.5 million dollars into the Black

Theater field from 2021-2023.

Dr. Etwaroo is profoundly honored to have been acknowledged with awards and honors for her work, including the Presidential Medal of the Arts awarded to The Billie for the artistic social justice work in 2020-2021 under her executive leadership tenure; the “40 Under 40” of national leaders by The Network Journal; the Black Theatre Network’s Larry Leon Hamlin Legacy Award, as well as the Larry Leon Hamlin Producer’s Award from the National Black Theatre Festival. She has lectured and published extensively on the performing arts, race, womanhood, and equity across the world, and has served as a Fulbright Scholar where she lived and worked with refugee Somali women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2004.

Dr. Etwaroo received her BME from Longwood University in Classical Flute Performance; an MA in Dance Education from Temple University, and her Ph.D. in Cultural Studies with a focus on Dance, Narrative and African Aesthetics from Temple University with a concentration in Women’s Studies.

Shari Thomas (The Black Seed Program Manager) was an inaugural member of The Black Seed Team, serving as Program Manager from 2020-2021. She currently manages programming and partnerships at Steve Jobs Theater at Apple.

Before joining The Black Seed Team, Ms. Thomas spent more than 20 years developing a professional, hybrid focus that incorporated the production and planning of live events and developing donor strategies for the nonprofit sector. Most recently, she served as National Public Radio’s Executive Director of Donor Experience, planning and producing conversations and musical performances that inspired contributions from major individual donors and foundations. As the result of the work of Ms. Thomas and her team, NPR was able to maintain a donor renewal rate that was 40 percent above the national average. Prior to joining NPR, she produced live events for Georgetown University’s main campus, Georgetown Law, and NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Ms. Thomas did her graduate studies at Georgetown University and undergraduate studies at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, with a focus on literature at both institutions. A theater kid in her youth, the native Washingtonian prioritized acting, singing, and creative writing throughout her college years. She also was a classical voice scholar at D.C.’s Levine School of Music.

When Ms. Thomas isn’t out and about with her dog, Yoda, she spends a great deal of time supporting the arts, the fight against hunger and homelessness, as well as mentoring middle school kids for Higher Achievement Program. She currently sits on the board of the Latin American Youth Center, which empowers Black and Brown youth from low-income communities to achieve a successful transition into adulthood. Ms. Thomas also has done recent work for Black Economic Alliance and National Organization for Women.

Jason Gray (The Black Seed Fellow) is a dedicated arts leader with a decade of experience building dynamic and impact-driven institutions. A Washington, D.C. native, Jason graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in English and Theater Studies, before moving to New York to train and work professionally as an actor. He appeared on numerous New York City and regional stages, including Theater for a New Audience and the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.

During his time in New York, Jason served as a founding program director of the Black Arts Institute, an educational platform for artists to learn the techniques and traditions of the Black Arts Movement. He also led the Adler Youth acting conservatory for underserved New York teens, growing the program by 85 percent. Jason was selected to the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Create NYC Leadership Accelerator program and served as inaugural management fellow for The Black Seed, the first-ever national strategic planning initiative led by and serving the Black theater field.

Jason recently graduated from Yale University, where he received an MFA and MBA from the David Geffen School of Drama and School of Management. While at Yale, Jason was an executive fellow at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and published a governance-focused case study on Portland Center Stage. Jason is a fellow of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, a recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship Award, and of the George C. White Prize for excellence in theater management. Most recently, he led the historic Yale Cabaret theater as Executive Artistic Director, growing contributed revenue by 120 percent and bringing attendance back to pre-pandemic, sold-out capacity.

INAUGURAL NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Gary Anderson is Producing Artistic Director of Plowshares Theatre Company, based in Detroit, MI. A 2016 Kresge Artist Fellow, Mr. Anderson is a noted expert in Black Theater. Among his awards are the Alain Locke Cultural Arts Award from The Friends of African and AfricanAmerican Art; Detroit Institute of Arts; the 2003 Michiganian of the Year award from the Detroit News, and The Lawrence DeVine award for Outstanding Contributions from the Detroit Free Press. Mr. Anderson has served on the Board of the Michigan Equity Theatre Alliance (META); Culture Source; Black Theatre Network; Theatre Communications Group and the National Conference on African-American Theatre (NCAAT).

Dr. Monica White Ndounou is an Associate Professor of Theater at Dartmouth College, and the founding Executive Director of The CRAFT Institute, which convenes The International Black Theatre Summit and administers the Pay-It-Forward All-Career Level Mentorship Program. Dr. Ndounou has been involved with a variety of initiatives designed to create culturally inclusive ecosystems throughout the world of arts and entertainment by transforming formal training and industry practices into programs that promote equitable access. She previously served as President of the Black Theatre Association (BTA); Vice President of Advocacy for the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) and is a member of the board of August Wilson Society. She is an alum of The Black Arts Institute and a co-founder of CreateEnsemble.com, a digital platform for creative artists of color. Dr. Ndounou also launched the first “#BlackTheatreDay” in 2021 as a social media campaign by The International Black Theatre Summit.

Shay Wafer is the Executive Director of WACO Theater Center in Los Angeles, CA. Ms. Wafer previously served as Executive Director of 651 ARTS in Brooklyn, NY. She is the founding VP of Programs for the August Wilson Center for African-American Culture, a multi-disciplinary center and museum in downtown Pittsburgh. Prior to that, Ms. Wafer served as the managing director of Cornerstone Theater Company; LA Theatreworks, and the St. Louis Black Repertory Company. She also was a founding partner of Marla Gibb’s Crossroads Arts Academy and Theatre. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Howard University in Early Childhood Education and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama, Theatre Management program.

BLACK THEATRE NETWORK

John Shévin Foster, Ph.D., is President of the Black Theatre Network. He is an arts administrator, playwright, and director, who works both in academic and professional theaters. Previously, Dr. Foster served as Artistic Director of the Department of Dramatic Studies at Shaw University, the Director of Theatre at Virginia State University, and as Professor of Theatre at New York University.

Dr. Foster was the Education Manager and a Producer at the renowned Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). He also was the founding Artistic Director of New York City Repertory Theatre. Under his leadership, NYC Rep facilitated the Kellogg Foundation Grant and workshop performance for Bridges and Tunnel: Sarah Jones, which went on to win a Tony Award in 2006.

He has written, directed, and produced theater throughout the United States and in Great Britain. His work centers on accurate portrayals of the African-American community as an examination of the human experience.

K. Zaheerah Sultan is Board Chair of the Black Theatre Network. She builds collaborations between individuals, non-profit organizations, corporations, foundations, and government agencies. Ms. Sultan’s expertise includes capacity building for social justice initiatives, grants management, donor cultivation, board development, social media management, applied theatre, professional speaking, and workshop presentations.

She is co-founder of the Toledo-based theatre company, Da' Coloured Gurlz Collective, the national touring company focused on women’s stories of love, health, domestic violence, spirituality, homelessness, and families. It was based for several years at the University of Toledo’s Department of Women and Gender Studies. Ms. Sultan has received numerous awards, honors, and recognition for her philanthropic and community development endeavors. She also spearheaded the first Phenomenal Women’s Award Dinner and Empowerment Conference and “Herstory” in both Toledo, OH, and the metropolitan area of Detroit, MI.

WALKER INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP INC. TEAM

Donna Walker-Kuhne is the Founder and President of Walker International Communications Group, Inc., a 30-year-old boutique marketing and audience development consulting agency. She is an award-winning thought leader, writer, and strategist for community engagement, audience development, and social justice.

Ms. Walker-Kuhne also serves as Senior Advisor, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion at New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Her NJPAC portfolio includes social justice initiatives and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion workshops. Previously, she served as Director of Marketing for the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Apollo Theater, and as Vice President of Marketing at NJPAC.

She is a pioneer in the field of audience development for audiences of color, with an extensive portfolio of clients that includes 21 Broadway shows; the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre; The Apollo Theater; Santa Fe Opera; Lincoln Center, and The New York Historical Society.

Ms. Walker-Kuhne is an adjunct professor at New York University and Columbia University, and she has given keynote lectures at international arts conferences throughout the United States, South Africa, Australia, and Croatia. In addition, she is the author of the best-selling book, Invitation to the Party: Building Bridges to Arts, Culture and Community. Ms. Walker-Kuhne’s new book, Champions for the Arts: Lessons and Successful Strategies for Building Anti-Racist Arts Organizations will be released in Fall 2023. She is also the author of the popular, weekly blog, Arts & Culture Connections, which explores issues related to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Access in the arts; examines industry trends, and profiles arts leaders.

Ms. Walker-Kuhne has a Bachelor of Arts in History from Loyola University in Chicago, and a Juris Doctorate from Howard University’s School of Law. She is the recipient of more than 50 awards, including the Margot Adams Signature Award (2022); the SGI-USA Distinguished Pioneer Award (2021). and the League of Professional Theatre Women’s Rachel Crothers Leadership Award (2019).

Durrell Cooper, Ph.D., is one of the nation’s leading cultural strategists and the Founder and CEO, Cultural Innovation Group, a boutique consulting agency specializing in systems change

and collaborative thought leadership. He also is the creator and host of the web series, Flow, and the podcast, Fluency.

Dr. Cooper is an adjunct instructor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte; New York University, and The City College of New York. He graduated from the Impact Program for Arts Leaders (IPAL) at Stanford University in 2018. Dr. Cooper is a member of the Diversity Scholars Network at the National Center for Institutional Diversity, University of Michigan. He earned a B.F.A. from Southern Methodist University, and both a Master of Arts and Doctorate of Education from New York University.

Toni D. Hendrix is CEO and Principal Partner at the Hendrix Group. As a consultant, she has focused exclusively on the performing arts community for the past 20-plus years, with an emphasis on Business Development, Marketing, and Developing Institutional Customer-Focused Relationships. Ms. Hendrix is a frequent presenter at seminars and conferences, sharing her expertise in the areas of Strategies for Engaging New and Diverse Communities, Customer Relationship Management, as well as Developing Effective Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Business Strategies.

In addition, she has served the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in several capacities. She was NJPAC’s first Chief Customer Officer, responsible for assisting in the creation and deployment of its customer loyalty strategy, as well as growing and strengthening the institution’s relationship with new audiences.

Before turning her attention exclusively to her consulting practice, Ms. Hendrix held numerous managerial positions with AT&T and NCR. As an Operating Partner for the Professional Services Business Unit, she built and managed the unit, as well as led the completion of dozens of complex business assessment and redesign engagements throughout the United States, Asia Pacific Region, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean region, and London, England.

Ms. Hendrix is a graduate of Indiana University’s Leadership Development for Global Business Management program, and a graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management’s Emerging Leaders course. She is a long-time resident of Somerset, N.J., and serves as the 2nd Vice President and Community Outreach/Civic Engagement Chairperson for the New Brunswick Area

Branch of the NAACP. She is a founding Trustee and President of the Lost Souls Public Memorial Project, Inc., which is raising community awareness and planning to build a public memorial in honor of the approximately 150 New Jersey people sold illegally into slavery. Ms. Hendrix also is a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer for children in the foster care system and serves on the Middlesex CASA Racial and Equity committee.

Jeri Love is an award-winning, professional writer, whose extensive career includes executivelevel leadership positions in broadcast news, public health, and corporate communications, working in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing from Goddard College. For the last 25 years, Ms. Love has written articles, essays, white papers, corporate reports, and nonfiction books for a broad array of clients, ranging from corporate executives to nonprofit leaders.

Ms. Love also is an award-winning tree photographer, whose images have been showcased in solo and group exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout the United States. Her passion project is Plant A Tree: Grow A Leader™, which tackles issues of environmental injustice by planting and stewarding trees and pollinator gardens in marginalized communities in Southwest Michigan.

Najiyyah Bailey is an author, entrepreneur, and owner of Butterfly East, LLC. Through Butterfly East, she offers graphic design services, digital solutions, event production, and business consultations. Ms. Bailey is also the co-founder of DEW Ministries, a non-profit organization that advocates spiritual, physical, and mental health wellness through the ministry of dance. In addition, she serves as the Executive Assistant and Marketing Associate at Imagine, a Center for Coping with Loss.

Ms. Bailey is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and the New Brunswick Theological Seminary. As a proud native of Plainfield, NJ, Najiyyah continues to serve her community as a licensed minister, currently utilizing her gifts and talents as a member of the ministerial staff at Ruth Fellowship Ministries. Ms. Bailey’s book, Hannah’s Heart: A Believer’s Journey Through Infertility, was published in 2017. The book is a testimonial about the power of faith as a guide through the heartbreak of childlessness. She is happily married to her high school sweetheart and grateful to be called mom by her two children.