Foundation strategic partnership to support WBTT programs and events

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe was recently awarded a grant of $30,000 from the Zella I. and Junius F. Allen Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. These funds will support WBTT’s upcoming Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. program, 2021 April Fools’ Fete, and next summer’s Stage of Discovery musical theatre camp.

This grant is particularly meaningful as WBTT struggles with the loss of revenue not only from show cancellations but also its fall gala, which was postponed and then canceled in November after an outbreak of the coronavirus among the cast and crew of its “Light Up the Night” open-air concerts.

“We are so grateful to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County for its continued support of our organization,” said Julie Leach, executive director of WBTT. “Our arts community has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic and this funding will be essential to help us maintain our presence and relevance through the supported programs and events.”

WBTT has continued to provide programming in a variety of forms to its patrons, artists and students. It has been fortunate to receive a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, numerous foundation grants, and generous donations from community members to keep the organization running and vital, even in these challenging times. The organization also was gratified at the level of support it received in the 2020 Giving Challenge – WBTT came in ninth out of the nearly 700 participating nonprofits.

“While it is devastating for us to be away from our stage – especially at a time when people could use the arts more than ever – the funding from community organizations like the Community Foundation of Sarasota County reminds me just how fortunate we are to be in a place like Sarasota, where the arts are appreciated and so generously supported,” said Nate Jacobs, founder and artistic director of WBTT.

The MLK program will be presented through streaming video on January 16-18, and the April Fools’ Fete is scheduled to take place on April 5. WBTT leaders will wait to make a determination about the run dates and logistics for Stage of Discovery – such as whether the camp will take place in person or be offered virtually again this year.

For more about WBTT, call (941) 366-1505 or go to westcoastblacktheatre.org.

PHOTO ID: Students from WBTT’s 2020 Stage of Discovery program during the recording of a music video
Photo by Sorcha Augustine