Good News at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Jill Weinlein - Chief Los Angeles Theatre Critic
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts has made the difficult decision to cancel or postpone all live programs through June 31, 2020.
During the interlude, they have had patrons and the public join in on virtual Wallis streaming with online performances, classes, talks and more.
Starting May 15 through May 22, The Wallis will be streaming THE ENCOUNTER for FREE on The Wallis’ website: https://thewallis.org/encounter in partnership with Complicité. This performance debuted at The Wallis’ Bram Goldsmith Theater during the 2016/2017 season.
The show, described as "a tour de force" by Financial Times and "one of the most fully-immersive theatre pieces ever created’" by the New York Times, played sold out runs at London’s Barbican theatre in 2016 and 2017.
Audiences must wear headphones to watch The Encounter online, or the effect of the binaural recording will be lost. Any headphones will work, but playing the film out of speakers will not give the same effect.
Today, The Wallis announced that they received a $20,000 grant from the California Arts Council to help support The Wallis School Partners Program. This program provides the opportunity for LA County students from K-12 schools to attend student matinee performances featuring some of the world class artists presented on The Wallis’ stages.
The California Arts Council recognizes that some grantees may need to postpone, modify or cancel their planned activities supported by CAC funds, due to state and local public health guidelines. The state arts agency is prioritizing flexibility in addressing these changes and supporting appropriate solutions for grantees.
"Creativity sits at the very heart of our identity as Californians and as a people,” said Nashormeh Lindo, Chair of the California Arts Council. “In this unprecedented moment, the need to understand, endure and transcend our lived experiences through arts and culture is all the more relevant for each of us. The California Arts Council is proud to be able to offer more support through our grant programs than ever before, at a time when our communities’ need is perhaps greater than ever before. These grants will support immediate and lasting community impact by investing in arts businesses and cultural workers across the state.”
The Wallis program serves thousands of young people annually, fostering growth and opportunities to enjoy performing arts at the state-of-the-art venue. The Wallis School Partners Program is part of GRoW @ The Wallis, the umbrella for a robust mix of education and outreach programs at The Wallis.
“The Wallis is extremely grateful for this significant grant from the California Arts Council, which will help us continue to share our exceptional music, dance and theater programs with students from the greater Los Angeles area,” states Rachel Fine, The Wallis’ Executive Director and CEO. “These engaging performances promote an understanding and sharing of culture, enhance awareness of others, build cognitive skills and foster civic engagement, among other crucial benefits. The Wallis School Partners Program reflects our deep commitment to investing in the young people of our community.”
The Wallis’ California Arts Council grant was among more than 1,500 awarded to nonprofit organizations and units of government throughout the state for their work in support of the agency’s mission to strengthen arts, culture and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. The state’s investment of nearly $30 million marks a more than $5 million increase over the previous fiscal year, and the largest in California Arts Council history.
Organizations were awarded grants across 15 different program areas addressing access, equity and inclusion; community vibrancy; and arts learning and engagement; and directly benefiting our state's communities, with youth, veterans, returned citizens and California's historically marginalized communities key among them. Successful projects aligned closely with the agency's vision of a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.
The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. It supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, initiatives, and services. The California Arts Council envisions a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts. Members of the California Arts Council include: Chair Nashormeh Lindo, Vice Chair Jaime Galli, Larry Baza, Lilia Gonzales Chavez, Jodie Evans, Kathleen Gallegos, Stanlee Gatti, Donn K. Harris, Alex Israel, Consuelo Montoya, and Jonathan Moscone. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national and international artists share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. The campus, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, CA, is committed to robust and distinctive presentations and education programs curated with both creativity and social impact in mind. Distinguished by its eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its location in the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis has produced and presented more than 275 dance, theater, opera, classical music, cinema and family programs since its doors opened in October 2013. Hailed as “au courant” (LaLa Magazine), The Wallis was lauded by Culture Vulture, which proclaims, “If you love expecting the unexpected in the performing arts, you have to love The Wallis.” Its programming has been nominated for 57 Ovation Awards and seven L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards. The campus itself, a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot facility, celebrating the classic and the modern, has garnered six architectural awards. Designed by acclaimed architect Zoltan E. Pali (SPF:architects), the restored building features the original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places), which serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and includes the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater; the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater; an inviting open-air plaza for family, community and other performances; and GRoW @ The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education, where learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds abound. Together, these elements embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is led by Chairman of the Board Michael Nemeroff, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Rachel Fine and Artistic Director Paul Crewes.
For more information about The Wallis, please visit: TheWallis.org.
For downloadable photos, please visit: TheWallis.org/Press.
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