PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts seeks the town's support in applying for an “Our Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
But, as Next Stage Executive Director Maria Basescu told Selectboard members at their Aug. 31 meeting, the town would assume no responsibilities other than a letter of support and future advice.
Because of the recent renovations to Next Stage's venue, the building on Kimball Hill is now fully handicapped-accessible. This, Basescu said, positions Next Stage to apply for NEA grants for the first time.
The “Our Town” grant, she said, “is about a partnership with the town ... it's about programming,” and isn't about the organization's capital campaign or renovations.
Basescu explained the concept of the project funded by the NEA grant. “We have these amazing stories behind the renovation of this space. It was born from how the town got together to rebuild the General Store and reclaim the town center,” she said, mentioning the residents who donated lumber from their land, and the artists and “hundreds of volunteers” who helped out.
“We want to get to the deeper stories... [and] engage in storytelling to build legacy,” Basescu said.
The organization's plan is to work with Narrative, a storytelling group, and the Vermont Folklife Center.
“We want to engage people who haven't been involved with cultural activities in town yet, who may feel that it doesn't relate to them,” Basescu said.
If Next Stage receives the grant and can complete the story-gathering project, it will culminate in a two-week festival where locals' stories will be told through music, spoken word, theater, and film, Basescu said.
This project is in the town's interest, Basescu said, because it promotes its vitality through a “natural fit” between economic development and culture.
The town has no formal responsibility or financial obligation for the grant or the project, and wouldn't be a grant partner, Basescu said. She anticipated involving the town during the story-gathering phase, and said Next Stage officials “may seek the town's advice and counsel” in reaching out to townspeople.
This agenda item required no action from the Selectboard.