A.B.L.E. is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $50,000 to support our 2024-2025 Ensembles. This grant will help A.B.L.E. to provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities a space for creative and social engagement, and a platform to share their strengths and unique voices with their community. In total, the NEA will award 1,135 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling more than $37 million as part of its second round of fiscal year 2024 grants.
“Projects like A.B.L.E.’s core ensembles exemplify the creativity and care with which communities are telling their stories, creating connection, and responding to challenges and opportunities in their communities—all through the arts,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “So many aspects of our communities such as cultural vitality, health and wellbeing, infrastructure, and the economy are advanced and improved through investments in art and design, and the National Endowment for the Arts is committed to ensuring people across the country benefit.”
This is A.B.L.E.’s third year as an NEA grantee, and this grant is the largest amount given to date. Founder and Executive Artistic Director Katie Yohe says, “The NEA’s continued support has been an invaluable resource for us over some of the most challenging years for our organization. A.B.L.E.’s ensembles are a vital outlet not just for creativity, but also for social connection, especially since the majority of our actors have aged out of the school system and may not have other accessible or affordable options. We know that we are stronger when we work together, and public support like this is crucial to help us carry out our mission.”
In the 2024-2025 season, A.B.L.E.’s ensembles will focus on the theme of INVENTION - reflecting on what it means to create something new. Through a range of in person and virtual programs, ensembles will work together to build a series cabaret-style events staged in November and April. Additionally, A.B.L.E.’s performance ensemble will produce an original adaptation of the gothic classic Frankenstein in partnership with Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier. In total, this grant will support over 100 hours of programming, and 9 public events throughout the course of the season.
For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
