The LEAGUE is an advocacy organization for the artists and producers of Independent Theater in New York City.

ADVOCATE – ORGANIZE – AGITATE

Have you signed on to be a participating company in the LIT FUND? A summary on the Fund is below.  Additional progress is being updated on the LIT Fund page.

SUMMARY ON THE LIT FUND

Objective

The League of Independent Theater is a 501(c) 6 advocacy organization for the artists and producers of Independent theater in New York City. The League has put together a Fund which is designed to financially assist organizations and individual theater artists creating independent theater in the five boroughs of New York City. The intent of the Fund is to help this vital segment of American theater thrive in any economic environment and to further enhance its positive impact on the cultural landscape of the city.

Where does the money come from?

At the core of the LIT Fund is the simple idea of theater people helping theater people. Money for the LIT Fund comes from organizations, companies, venues and individuals donating five cents per ticket sold to their performances. Additional donations will be solicited from patrons of the arts. No money from foundations will be solicited, as the Fund is conceived as an additional source of funding for the independent theater territory and not a “re-granting” mechanism.

Where does the money go?

All money collected will go solely to the independent theater territory. Funding priorities are set by the field. We have surveyed the territory and are using the results to determine first year funding priorities.  Results indicated that real estate issues, unrestricted funds and the creation of an endowment for independent theater are current areas of interest.

How is the money collected?

Money will be collected from participating organizations through their various ticketing agencies at the close of each run. Individual artists and patrons of the arts can donate online or by check throughout the year.

Who is eligible for the money?

Only members of the independent theater community in good standing with the League of Independent Theater will be eligible to receive money from the Fund. League membership is free and is open to all companies, venues and individual artists who have worked on at least three independent theater productions in houses with 99 seats or less in New York City.

How will people apply?

Applications will be submitted online. Applicants will be asked to provide a brief history of their organization, a description of the use of the money and a simple one page financial statement. Applicants can also provide supporting materials such as work samples, bios of artists involved, etc. Recipients will be recruited to serve on the Fund’s adjudication panel the year following their funding.

Who decides who gets funded?

Applications will be evaluated by a panel drawn from previously funded groups and individuals with the goal of having working artists in the sector driving the decision-making, working within clear guidelines provided by the League. In the first year of the Fund, the adjudication panel will consist of three members of the League’s Board of Directors, three members of the League and three individuals from the larger theatrical or philanthropic world in New York City.

For additional information:

If you have any questions or need additional information on the LIT Fund please visit our website at : litny.org or email us at fund@litny.org.

Participating Companies and Venues as of 4/1/12:

• Agony Productions
• The Amoralists
• Angry Bubble Productions
• Art House Productions
• Blue Coyote Theater Group
• CSV Cultural Center
• Caps Lock Theatre
• Clancy Productions
• The Civilians
• Decades Out
• Deconstructive Theatre Project
• Elephant Run District
• ETdC Projects Lab
• Flux Theatre Ensemble
• Folding Chair Classical Theatre
• Gemini/Collisionworks
• Gorilla Rep
• HERE
• Horse Trade Theater Group
• Inverse Theatre
• Irondale Ensemble
• Lark Play Development Center
• Living Theater
• Jewish Plays Project
• John Montgomery Theatre Company
• La Lupa Italian Cultural Arts Festival
• Mabou Mines
• Mind the Gap Theatre
• New Georges
• The New Ohio Theatre
• New York Neo-Futurists
• New York Theatre Experience, Inc.
• No. 11 Productions
• Organs of State
• OutOurWayProductions
• P.S. 122
• Parallel Exit
• Peculiar Works
• Present Company (producers of FringeNYC)
• Purple Rep
• Rabbit Hole Ensemble
• Reverie Productions
• Sinking Ship Productions
• Small Pond Entertainment
• Sponsored by Nobody
• Stolen Chair Theater Company
• Surf Reality
• Target Margin
• Tectonic Theater Project
• terraNOVA Collective
• Theatre Askew
• Untitled Theater Company #61
• undergroundzero
• Vampire Cowboys Theater Company
• ViolaCello StageWorks, LLC
• WET Productions
• White Horse Theater Company
• Wreckio Ensemble.

We call on all independent theater companies, artists and venues to join us in this effort.  As always, we recognize that we are strongest and most effective when we work together and while our individual bank accounts may be small, our collective resources are substantial.

Judith  Malina of the Living Theater says

“The League of Independent Theater represents a coming together of actual artistic and theatrical forces that may yet undo the difficulty of our times in maintaining the highest artistic standards in a period of economic crisis. Who can save us from the downhill trend of our economy except the vigor of our arts?  Theatre, music and education are our only hopes to lift our times beyond their despair and create a viable, prosperous culture.”

Elena Holy, Producing Artistic Director of FringeNYC says

"The Present Company is always proud to be a part of anything that involves indie theatre artists supporting each other. The New York International Fringe Festival (FringeNYC) was forged on our collective indie traditions of self-sufficiency, creativity, and working together. This new fund builds on that idea and puts it into action across our entire community - its potential impact is extraordinarily exciting."