From Vision to Spotlight: TACA Backs Bold New Works
$125,000 Awarded to Support the Creation and Premiere
of Original Productions by North Texas Arts Organizations
DALLAS (October 8, 2025) – Four local theatre companies on Wednesday were announced as recipients of TACA’s New Works Fund sharing in a total of $125,000 made possible by the generosity of Presenting Sponsor Texas Instruments with founding support from the Donna Wilhelm Family Fund.
This year’s grantees are:
- Cara Mía Theatre – “Texas Mariachi” ($22,500)
- Dallas Children’s Theater – “The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza!” ($40,000)
- Dallas Theater Center – “Malcolm X & Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem” ($40,000)
- Prism Movement Theater – “Scrap Heart” ($22,500)
The TACA New Works Fund was launched in 2012 out of a community-wide desire to spur the creation of new works of performing art in North Texas. Between 2012 and 2024, the New Works Fund supported the creation of 42 new works of performing art with over $1 million in grants, further establishing North Texas as one of the nation’s major cultural incubators.
“This is one of the most vital ways TACA supports artistic innovation in North Texas,” said Maura Sheffler, the Donna Wilhelm Family President and Executive Director of TACA. “By investing in the creation of new work, we’re not just funding productions — we’re empowering artists and organizations to take creative risks, tell new stories and engage audiences in fresh, meaningful ways. These grants are a reflection of our belief that original work is essential to a vibrant, forward-thinking arts community.”
Said Emily Ernst, Artistic Director of Dallas Children’s Theater, “We are so proud to contribute an inclusive holiday show to the Theatre for Young Audiences canon. With TACA’s support, 10,000 children and families will see this show, brought to life with several other national colleagues. Funding like this positions Dallas as a destination for new work and allows us to experiment as artists, even in periods of economic uncertainty.”
The New Works Fund aims to stimulate and support the creation and presentation of brand-new artistic works of literary, performing and/or visual art that tell stories of individuals and communities often underrepresented in the canon of their artistic disciplines.
“Prism Movement Theater is so grateful to TACA New Works for making ‘Scrap Heart’ a possibility,” said Jeff Colangelo, Artistic Director of Prism Movement Theater. “It’s thanks to this funding that we will be able to provide high-quality and innovative accessible theater to the DFW community while providing exciting opportunities to Deaf Artists across the DFW area.”
Learn more about TACA’s New Works Fund at taca-arts.org/programs/new-works-fund/.
About TACA
TACA invests in the vibrancy and resilience of a diverse Dallas arts community.
For over 50 years, TACA has been dedicated to making North Texas’ arts community one of the strongest in the nation. We invest in (60+) arts organizations of all shapes and sizes to support an arts community brimming with cultures and stories, that cares about the health and well-being of Dallas citizens and is building a sustainable future for our creative community – all to ensure that North Texas remains a vibrant place to live, work, and play.
For more information about TACA, call 214-520-3930 or visit taca-arts.org. Connect with TACA on Facebook at facebook.com/tacadallas, LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/tacadallas or on Instagram at instagram.com/TACADallas.
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