The Front Porch Arts Collective (The Porch)
Grant Award: $7,500.00

The Porch has been a leader producing and facilitating BlackOut performances in the Greater Boston area. BlackOuts are designated select performances for exclusively Black audiences within a standard run of a production that depicts the Black experience. Featured in WBUR, The New York Times, and BBC America, BlackOut shows remove common barriers Black audiences experience in predominantly white theaters. The Porch has facilitated BlackOuts in area theaters including SpeakEasy Stage, The Huntington, and Central Square Theater. BlackOut performances require an expanded marketing and promotion strategy beyond the standard production marketing plan. BlackOut performances are designed to provide deeply subsidized ticketing and pay what you want admission models. Thoughtful staffing prioritizing black and brown front-of-house and support staff and companion programming like post-performance discussion and a pre-show reception are also curated to ensure that the entire experience is elevated, joyful, and above all creates a welcoming, exclusive, and safe space.