Our Timeline and Achievements

  • Judith Malina and Brad Burgess of The Living Theatre speak at the Community Board Congress on Small Theaters about resource sharing models in professional sports. 

  • The League of Independent Theater, a 501c6 advocacy organization for indie theater, decides to tackle resource sharing and funding, inspired by Judith Malina and Brad Burgess’s speech, developing the program The LIT Fund. A model for self sustainable funding for the indie theater community. The goal being every theater in the ecosystem contributing a nickel per ticket sold to a pool of funds for indie theater.

  • The League of Independent Theater board determines the LIT Fund should be its own 501c3 so fundraising wouldn’t be impacted by the political advocacy and endorsement work of the League.

  • 2012

    A new 501c3 is created and The LIT Fund launches with 40 member companies. Shortly after launch the LIT Fund changed its name to The Indie Theater Fund. Currently,  there are 648 member companies and venues, plus thousands of individual artists and supporters of The Indie Theater Fund.

    2012-2014

    Through its Community Funding Program (CFP), the Indie Theater Fund supports projects including the S.H.I.T. List, an online sharing database for props and sets that reduces design waste and delivers a low-cost solution by facilitating sharing among theater companies; and the Indie Theater Guide, a marketing tool available to  all indie theater companies. Funds were granted using new methods - social media sharing, videos on Youtube and participatory voting by our members.

  • The Indie Theater Fund reconfigures its granting process to focus on smaller grants to more organizations, in order to benefit more theater staff and artists. 5 grants were made of $1,000 each. Funds were granted using a new, radically transparent lottery system.

  • IndieSpace - is founded.

    The Indie Theater Fund provides 100% of its grants to artists of color in response to its annual member survey as to how CFP funds should be distributed. 10 grants of $1,000 were distributed.

  • 2017

    IndieSpace supports The Tank in their evaluation of  space needs, search for new space, and lease negotiations for a two-theater venue on 36th Street  in Midtown Manhattan.

    2017-2018

    CFP broadens its grants to support artists and administrators from underrepresented perspectives, including Global Majority, D/deaf, disabled, trans, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and immigrant artists. 12 grants of $1,000 each were awarded, 6 for Artist Pay and 6 for Leadership Pay.

  • The Indie Theater Fund creates the  Community Resource Program (CRP)  in response to its member survey. CRP pools resources of its hundreds of members to provide services and resources at highly reduced  rates, including a rehearsal space rental program and discounted or free professional development workshops. 

    IndieSpace supports four indie venues in signing new leases, , activates two spaces for real estate owners, and advises twenty venues through real estate transitions.

  • The Indie Theater Fund establishes a no interest loan program for artists  in need of short term funding to cover a gap in income.

    IndieSpace  helps to preserve three theaters by preventing their closures, creates new partnerships between theater organizations, and advises The Chain on their expansion.

  • In response to COVID-19, Rapid Relief Emergency grants of $500 are immediately provided to individual artists and small theater companies with budgets less than $250,000. A venue fund is also created  which provides 13 theaters with larger grants of up to $10,000. Applications from BIPOC, LGBTQ, people with disabilities and immigrant artists are prioritized. In total over $325,000 is granted to over 550 individual artists, small theater companies, and indie venues.

    The Big Learn is launched, creating an anti-racism curriculum tailored for indie theater makers and space for anti-racist learning, training, and healing within this large and diverse community of artists.

    IndieSpace saves the space formerly known as The Secret Theater by assisting  Astoria Performing Arts Center to take over by advising them through the lease negotiation and providing a loan through The Indie Theater Fund for the lease deposit.

    Created a mental health program to serve artists as they faced the multiple crises of COVID-19 and the racial justice reckoning.

  • IndieSpace works with the Bushwick Starr on the purchase of their new home, by helping them evaluate alternatives, create a plan for purchase and connecting them to financing sources to facilitate the transaction.

    In the spirit of coalition and resource sharing, NYC arts and cultural organizations of all sizes and structures come together to establish a Cultural Solidarity Fund, administered by IndieSpace, to provide $500 relief microgrants to NYC artists and cultural workers. 2,010 grants are provided over the following year, prioritizing those who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Disabled, Deaf, Immigrant, Transgender, and Gender-Expansive. To date, more than $1,000,000 has been granted.

    IndieSpace and The Indie Theater Fund receive the New York Innovative Theater Award’s Ellen Stewart Award for Leadership Service to the indie theater community throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. And Executive Director, Randi Berry, receives the Indie Theater Champion Award.

    Began the Mental Health Micro Grants Program. IndieSpace has granted more than 400 grants and $200,000 so far.

  • Launched the AAPI Transportation Fund in collaboration with Asian American Performers Action Coalition and American Theatre Wing

    The Indie Theater Fund and IndieSpace merge their organizations. The merger will ensure the organization serves the largest number of indie theater-makers possible and supports indie artists from the beginning of their careers, through potentially operating their own space.

    Began implementing the Community Connections program to ensure that indie artists had the opportunity to: interact with each other through the IndieSpace work hub, attend funder meetings through the Seat at the Table initiative, and receive the mentorship and community support they need during our Growing Small Budget Orgs calls.