State: MI

Que Blackout Media Arts Youth Theater distinguishes itself from traditional youth theaters by prioritizing students in backstage roles, such as broadcasting and marketing, while providing a platform for skill development in performance, technical theater, and media production, fostering creativity and individual growth.

For Black History Month 2025, The GhostLight Theatre would like to bring our friend and professional actor, Ernie Hudson, back to his hometown of Benton Harbor, MI to perform in Lynn Nottage's "Clyde's." If Ernie is unavailable, we will hire another professional, African-American actor.

The Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra is thrilled to bring internationally renowned violinist and educator Dmitri Berlinsky to our northern Michigan community. This collaboration will provide a world-class artistic experience for our audiences and inspiring opportunity for our musicians, while advancing GLCO's mission and contributing to a more thriving and culturally enriched community.

Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) Mini Tour will host DCDC for three performances, two talk backs, and a minimum of two workshops November 12- 15, 2024. Performances include a Detroit Public School Community District school-based performance with talkback and workshops, youth performance for community youth, and an evening performance open to the general public.

Funding supports the artist fees associated with the Oct 2024 concert and events featuring piano soloist Henry Kramer and composer Jennifer Higdon. Pulitzer Prize and three-time Grammy-winning composer Higdon will lead a discussion of her work. The concert week also includes a young professionals networking event, open rehearsal, masterclass, pre-concert talk, and artists meet-and-mingle event.

Mackinac Arts Council will host a Latin Celebration concert to deepen engagement in the arts among some 20% of Mackinac Island, MI seasonal summer employees who identify as having a Latin cultural heritage & are underserved in the arts. With this grant, MAC will hire a Latin musician(s) who will offer artist talk/back, performance & cultural education at a free & accessible community hall event.

We will collaborate with Rootead and other organizations for promotion, venue and outreach events to bring Ugandan musician Samite to Kalamazoo for a free public concert and outreach at Rootead and the Juvenile Home.

Striving to provide outreach programs to our local schools and community, the Erickson Center for the Arts will host "The Spirit of Harriet Tubman" featuring Leslie McCurdy. Using words said to have been Harriet Tubman¹s own, Leslie McCurdy recreates both familiar stories and some rarely told in a passionate portrayal of Harriet Tubman's entire life, the famous Underground Railroad conductor.

An Arts Midwest GIG Fund grant will support Accent Pontiac in hosting Sean Dobbins, renowned jazz drummer and educator, to work with and perform for students in Pontiac, Michigan. Dobbins will spend multiple days in Pontiac, leading workshops with students in 2nd-12th grade followed by an interactive performance at a school in the Pontiac School District.

APG Audio Visual Mentoring and The Buzz Cafe and Marketplace partner together to create a monthly platform for local, regional and national artists to perform.