On Stage receives $16,000 Cultural Facilities grant from GA Council for the Arts

On Stage theater. Photo credit: Marc Hammes

On Stage gives details on upgrades to theater and program the grant will enable

MONROE, Ga. – On Stage, Monroe’s community theater, was awarded a $16,000 Cultural Facilities grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts, a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development for fiscal year 2024.
The grant supports the acquisition, construction, restoration, or renovation of a building to be used for arts programming. On Stage was one of 31 entities in 23 counties that will receive $1.2 million in funding.
“We have big plans for this generous and much-needed grant and are very excited for the future of our playhouse,”  said Marc Hammes, Artistic Director of On Stage. “Many of the upgrades will replace outdated technology and instruments that we installed in the ‘90s. We will use the money to bring a new level of professionalism for our casts and crews and a more comfortable experience for our audiences,” Hammes said. “We will replace our sound system, update speakers, and add microphones. We will add speakers and a new video system to provide live feeds to backstage monitors so actors can both hear and see their cues more clearly. We also will have the option to send Web feeds.

“A new video projector in the house and projectors backstage will project backdrops to enhance our sets,” Hammes said. “We will buy new tech-crew headsets and new light fixtures. All these upgrades will help On Stage to continue to grow and improve.  We can’t wait to share them with our casts, crews, patrons and supporters in 2024.”

Georgia Council for the Arts Director Tina Lilly said, “These grant dollars will allow arts organizations in Georgia to focus on their primary mission to bring art and cultural events to their communities by ensuring their facilities are in good condition. Georgia Council for the Arts is excited to help our arts communities continue to foster economic and cultural vitality by improving their facilities, and we are grateful to the Georgia General Assembly for providing this support to improve quality of life across the state.”
Georgia Council for the Arts received applications from arts organizations from across the state, including performing arts centers, museums, galleries, amphitheaters, and arts classroom spaces.
Cultural Facilities grants are available to arts organizations for repairing, preserving, or acquiring an arts facility, or for purchasing equipment. Funding for these grants is provided through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the American Rescue Plan (ARP).
Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) uses Peer Review Panels to judge and review applications following standard practices set by the National Endowment for the Arts. Panelists are GCA Council members and fellow professionals who are experienced in the arts discipline or type of grant being reviewed, or are citizens with a record of arts activities, experience, and knowledge.
ABOUT ON STAGE: On Stage seeks to promote community theater with its honored traditions. Our goal is to introduce, entertain, inspire and engage audiences with live performances. We strive to educate this and future generations in the arts and crafts of theater through workshops and performance.
About Georgia Council for the Arts: Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) is a division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development whose mission is to cultivate the growth of vibrant, thriving Georgia communities through the arts. GCA provides grant funding, programs, and services statewide that support the vital arts industry, preserve the state’s cultural heritage, increase tourism, and nurture strong communities. Funding for Georgia Council for the Arts is provided by appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. Visit www.gaarts.org for more information.

About GDEcD: The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state’s sales and marketing arm, the
lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, align workforce education and training with in-demand jobs, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a destination for arts and location for film, music and digital entertainment projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development. Visit www.georgia.org for more information.