5 Austin Charities for the Performing Arts
COVID-19 has wrought crippling effects on many industries at home and abroad, but few have seen an impact as severe as in the cultural arts. From ballet to theater to live music, these art forms bring people together, for enriching and intimate experiences that have the power to change lives. In the age of social distancing, they are everything we can no longer do safely. Their survival now relies on the support of the communities they serve.
Read on to learn about five of Austin’s nonprofit programs working to save the cultural arts scene.
Anthropos Arts
Anthropos Arts was founded in 1998 at Travis and Reagan High School, designed to serve low-income youth in the Austin area. From humble beginnings of only two available workshops and around 15 student participants, the program has grown to host over 18,000 music lessons, with hundreds of workshops spearheaded by world-renowned industry professionals. Programs are 100% free for students, families and schools served by Anthropos Arts.
Anthropos has a simple mission: teaching underprivileged children the value of confidence, integrity and self sufficiency through musical instruction and mentorship. Its programs are developed by Austin’s best performing musicians, doctoral candidates and professors of music. Mentors offer individualized lessons which culminate in a public performance at Stubb’s, where children perform alongside their mentors. The program offers various other performance opportunities for participants, at events such as SXSW and ACL Music Festival.
In an area with dismal graduation rates, 100% of senior students participating in the program have gone onto graduate high school. More than 80% continue on to college, many under scholarship. 2021 marks Anthropos’s 22nd year of operation. 100% of donations to the program go towards keeping classes free and accessible for Austin’s youth. Click here to donate or learn more.
Anthropos Arts
9038 N Interstate Hwy 35
Austin, TX 78753
United States
Art Alliance Austin
CLOSED
Founded more than 70 years ago, Art Alliance Austin is committed to bringing the cultural arts to Austin’s diverse community. The program creates events and exposure opportunities for Austin’s artists; hosting events such as Art City Austin, ARTBASH, Art Breaks and more.
Art City Austin—one of the Alliance’s many events—is Austin’s largest annual visual arts festival. Fiesta, one of the city’s oldest outdoor fairs, is yet another of the Alliance’s famed annual events.
Click here to donate or learn more.
Ballet Austin
Based at the Butler Dance Education Center in downtown Austin, Ballet Austin is the 12th largest classical ballet company in the company. It is also the largest combined training facility associated with a professional ballet company in the United States.
The company was first established in 1956, and has been hailed by national publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post as one of America’s best-kept secrets in the world of ballet. Ballet Austin seeks to strengthen its local community through the experience of dance, and to promote personal growth through encouraging healthy lifestyles. The company also operates the Ballet Austin Academy, supported through the Ballet Austin Foundation. This school instructs around 900 students each year.
Ballet Austin is currently accepting donations for their recovery campaign: a fundraiser seeking to relieve the effects of COVID-19 on the program’s operations. In a single season the company faces revenue losses of around 4 million dollars—nearly half of their total budget. Click here to donate or learn more.
Ballet Austin
501 W 3rd St
Austin, TX 78701
United States
Phone: +1 512-476-9151
Black Fret
*NOTE: The name has been changed to: Sonic Guild
Founded in 1997 by Colin Kendrick, Black Fret works to support Austin’s local music community by providing over a million dollars in grants each year. Funds are raised by individuals who become “Black Fret Members”: paying annual dues in exchange for the chance to nominate their favorite bands to perform at Austin’s venues each year in exclusive, member-only events.
Black Fret seeks to raise awareness to the harsh realities small musicians face. Studies show that the cost of living is higher in areas known for live music. By enhancing the place they call home, musicians often find themselves struggling to get by as a result.
Black Fret awards grants and mentorships to local Austin musicians, providing the stepping stones they need to move on to bigger and better things. Past grants awarded to musicians have ranged from $5,000 to $18,000. Grants are awarded to musicians in installments, unlocked by achieving personal milestones such as writing new songs, touring, providing community services and performing for charities and local schools. This system not only fuels the artists’ ability to grow, but encourages them to give back to their community in return. Click here to donate or learn more.
The Sims Foundation
The Sims Foundation was founded by Austin community members in 1995, in honor of late Austin musician Sims Ellison, who tragically lost a long battle with depression. The program’s launch was spearheaded by Sim’s father, Don Ellison.
The program specializes in providing aid to struggling individuals within the music community, focusing on awareness and support for those dealing with mental health issues and substance abuse. Those in the music industry are often at much greater risk for mental illness and substance abuse, due to stressors such as unreliable income and tour schedules that keep many separated from the support of family and friends. The Sims Foundation is well-aware of these unique challenges, and works to provide treatment and recovery options for Austin’s local musicians.
Programs are also offered to support the mental health of behind-the-scenes support staff, such as managers, sound techs, bartenders and venue personnel. Mental health care provided by Sims is spearheaded by a Clinical Advisory Panel, comprised of mental health professionals responsible for ensuring proper medical policies and procedures. Click here to donate or learn more.
Now more than ever, art has become a stabilizing force in the lives of many people. If you can, please support your local art scene in return.
The Sims Foundation
3010 S Lamar Blvd suite b-1
Austin, TX 78704
United States
Phone: +1 512-494-1007
