The Humanities Council is proud to announce a total of $10,000 awarded through the following five mini grants from our 2019 May grant cycle to organizations working to expand the ways Rhode Islanders engage with issues of the environment and urban spaces, Wampanoag heritage, and performances that engage entire communities. Read on for more details.
Organizations
GEAR Productions, Knowing Home – $2,000
To support a production of Knowing Home, a musical about the varied history and experiences of those who have called South Kingstown home. Featuring roles for children of all abilities, the production introduces 150+ novices to the thrill of performance and the value of local history.
International Tennis Hall of Fame, In Your Court: Black Tennis and Social Justice Then and Now – $2,000
To support a planning grant to expand the Tennis Hall of Fame’s K-12 educational offerings focused on the history of sport and race in the United States. Working with Rhode Island Black Storytellers and local teachers, the Hall of Fame will infuse its current curricula with storytelling and performances.
Providence Biennial for Contemporary Art, ReSeeding the City: Ethnobotany in the Urban – $2,000
Funds support a one-day forum and month-long series of exhibits focused on the entwined lives of humans, plants, and other life forms existing in New England’s urban spaces. Presentations and installations highlight the diverse perspectives, philosophies, and sciences through which we can better see and understand our day-to-day environment.
Rhode Island College, Anna and Ahana – A Contemporary Adaptation of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper – $2,000
To support a short film adaptation of the The Yellow Wallpaper, an early feminist work by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Altering the time period and culture of the protagonist, the film explores issues of isolation, alienation, and abuse within immigrant communities in the United States.
Warren Preservation Society, Sowams Heritage Area Site Visit Support – $2,000
Funds support the development of five self-guided tours of early colonial history in Sowams. The traditional home of the Wampanoag, Sowams includes the land and waters of Warren, Bristol, Barrington, East Providence, Providence, and Bristol County, MA. The project seeks to educate the public about the people, places, and events significant to indigenous culture and colonial settlement in the region.
The final mini grant deadline of the Humanities Council’s 2019 funding season is on August 1, 2019. Find more details about the application process here.
