New Plans for New WORLD Theater to Be Explored
Nov. 4, 2009
| Contact: | Dennis Conway 413/545-5611 |
AMHERST, Mass. – The Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has engaged theater artist Talvin Wilks to explore the future direction for the New WORLD Theater. Operations at New WORLD Theater were suspended at the end of September 2009 due to budget cuts, even as the theater company received new grant awards from the Ford, Surdna and the Nathan Cummings foundations, totaling $375,000.
Wilks began his work in October to explore and investigate multiple scenarios that range from archiving and documenting the achievements and history of the theater to exploring the viability of some of the theater’s programs. Wilks, who was New WORLD Theater’s interim artistic director and was an associate professor in the department of theater in 2002 and 2003, is a playwright, director, dramaturge, actor, advocate and historian based in New York City.
The Fine Arts Center announced the suspension of New WORLD Theater in July. At the time, Willie Hill, director of the Fine Arts Center, called the decision a painful one, citing New WORLD Theater’s important position at the vanguard of the multi-cultural theater movement, and he promised a planning process to explore future options for the theater company. “I am grateful to our funders’ willingness to modify their support to make this planning and transitional work with Talvin Wilks possible,” Hill says. “They understand the difficult financial reality we face and are committed to applying creative solutions to complex problems.”
Wilks says, “For 30 years New WORLD has been a vital component of the diverse cultural life of the UMass campus, and a major cultural force in the development of new work by artists of color nationally. The university has invested substantial resources over that time and compels supporters, community and campus wide, to want to see a future life for this outstanding organization. A proper and thoughtful process will go a long way in respecting community support and recognizing the important role that New WORLD Theater has played in the cultural enrichment of Pioneer Valley.”
This stage of the planning will last for six months and during that time key benchmarks such as an inventory of the theater company’s intellectual property and archives will be undertaken. These include a feasibility study for continuing significant innovative programming such as the Intersections Conference, Project 2050, and New Works for a New WORLD Summer play lab. Other tasks include identification of new and existing community partnerships and creation of a transitional advisory team of key partners.
Hill says, “We anticipate that this will be a forward-thinking process and its undertaking is crucial to our ability to preserve New WORLD’s history as well as the hope for its future.”
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