05 May THE PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION-USA ANNOUNCES NEW GRACE KELLY SCHOLARSHIP

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THE PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION-USA ANNOUNCES GRANT FROM THE VICTORY FOUNDATION TO ESTABLISH THE GRACE KELLY SCHOLARSHIP

New York, NY, April 29, 2021 – As part of the Princess Grace Foundation’s ongoing commitment to access, equity, inclusion and diversity, the Foundation is proud to announce a leadership gift from the Victory Foundation to establish the Grace Kelly Scholarship program. This new initiative will assist extraordinary aspiring theater artists at the high school level with financial support and mentorship to further develop their craft. The Scholarships will provide access to the necessary resources and encouragement that meaningfully impacts young artists’ ability to succeed on their paths to becoming successful professional artists. The opportunity will be made available to all students who show creative promise, with an emphasis on traditionally underserved communities, and will usher them into the theater pipeline towards further professional artistic development and successes.

The Princess Grace Foundation has selected the industry-leading Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) as its esteemed partner to implement the Grace Kelly Scholarship through the International Thespian Excellence Awards (or Thespys), which recognize the highest level of achievement in high school theater performance and technical theater.

The Grace Kelly Scholarship, through the Thespys, will identify and nurture high school theater makers in the United States via two scholarship tracks:

  • Grace Kelly Training Scholarships: (grades 9-11): 5 recipients selected annually will receive a one-time award of $1,000 to encourage ongoing pursuit of artistic education.
  • Grace Kelly Scholarships: 5 recipients selected annually will receive a total of $6,000: $1,000/year 4-year scholarship to attend a college, conservatory, or pre-professional training program, a $1,000 award upon completion plus a $1,000 internship stipend. Winners will be paired with a professional mentor chosen by the Princess Grace Foundation from its Princess Grace Award winners

Princess Grace Foundation CEO Brisa Carleton said, “The Princess Grace Foundation is grateful for the support of the Victory Foundation and Vicki Le Vine for her leadership in developing this new program. We’re thrilled to partner with the Education Theatre Foundation, a leader in supporting over 75,000 aspiring high school artists around the world, to create a direct pipeline of theatre creators who will one day join our illustrious roster of Princess Grace Award winners.”

Victory Foundation President Vicki Le Vine said, “Since the establishment of the Princess Grace Foundation, the Princess Grace Awards have helped launch the professional careers of many talented developing artists through financial support and ongoing encouragement of peers and industry leaders. This combination of resources has proven to be highly impactful in helping artists focus on their craft and evolve. I am honored to help create this new partnership and scholarship program between the Princess Grace Foundation and Educational Theatre Foundation. The Grace Kelly Scholarships will offer exciting educational opportunities for high school artists to explore and build upon their interest in the theatre arts.”

Educational Theatre Foundation President Julie Cohen Theobald stated, “The Educational Theatre Foundation exists to spark the passion for theatre in schools. We are proud to partner with the Princess Grace Foundation through a generous gift from the Victory Foundation to nurture that creative spark and develop young artists into the launch of their careers.”

ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL THEATRE FOUNDATION
The Educational Theatre Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Educational Theatre Association, which is the home to the International Thespian Society. ETF provides essential financial support to enhance excellence in theatre education and to expand access to school theatre programs for every child, putting them on a more positive life path. In addition to scholarships, ETF is focused on three areas: creating sustainable musical theatre programs where there previously were none through JumpStart Theatre; awarding need-based grants to schools through the Thespian Relief Fund; and fostering racial equity in school theatre through the Pathway program.

ABOUT THE PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION – USA
The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is dedicated to honoring the legacy of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, née Grace Kelly. Her commitment to advance the arts in the United States is sustained by the Princess Grace Awards which supports and elevates extraordinary early career artists in theater, dance and film through game-changing grants; and nurtures and supports Princess Grace Award winners through their careers. A 501(c)3 not-for-profit based in New York City, the Foundation was established in 1982 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco to honor His wife, Princess Grace of Monaco (née Grace Kelly) and Her legacy. Since the Foundation’s inception, has awarded over 800 recipients. Notable Princess Grace Award winners include: Emmy Award winner Cary Fukunaga, director of 007’s No Time to Die; Jon M. Chu director of Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights; Stephen Hillenburg, creator of SpongeBob SquarePants, Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Chinonye Chukwu, Tony Award winner director, Anna D. Shapiro; Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner playwright Tony Kushner; Golden Globe Award winner Oscar Isaac; and Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle; American Ballet Theatre’s Gillian Murphy and Isabella Boylston and New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck, and choreographers Kyle Abraham and Camille A. Brown. 

 

Grants & Media Contact: Diana Kemppainen – dkemppainen@pgfusa.org

212.317.1470

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