May TACA Pop-Up Grant Announcement

Announcing Our Newest Pop-Up Grantees

Creating and sharing art amidst a global pandemic is no simple task! That is why we created TACA Pop-Up Grants – grants up to $6,000 that are designed to celebrate and reward local arts organizations for programming that demonstrates exceptional quality, creativity & innovation, and accessibility & inclusion. Grantees were selected via a nomination process that incorporates 35 anonymous local volunteers. Pop-Up Grants are an important component of the TACA Resiliency Initiative – a focused effort to support and strengthen Dallas arts and cultural organizations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since August 2020, TACA has awarded $122,000 in unrestricted Pop-Up Grants to support 43 projects. Of that total, $55,000 has gone directly to support 150 key and supporting artists. To learn more, visit taca-arts.org/resiliency.

TACA’s May Pop-Up Grantees are American Baroque Opera Co., Cara Mía Theatre Co., Soul Rep Theater Co., and TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND. Missed our previous Pop-Up Grant announcements? See our history of Pop-Up Grantees by clicking here.

American Baroque Opera Company

Dido & Aeneas

A photo from American Baroque Opera Co.’s production of “Dido & Anaeas”

American Baroque Opera Company, based in Dallas, Texas presents both familiar operas and rarely heard gems of the baroque as fully staged productions in an intimate style to educate new audiences about authentic early music practice. Keep in touch with American Baroque Opera Co. on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

LEARN MORE ABOUT American Baroque Opera Co.

Premiered in 1689, Henry Purcell’s opera Dido & Aeneas follows the love story between the Queen of Carthage Dido, and the Trojan Prince Aeneas.  The meddling of a Sorceress leads to Aeneas’ abandonment of Dido, and her eventual death.  The American Baroque Opera Co. production of this opera puts a modern twist on this classic and breathes fresh life into baroque opera.

Watch Excerpt 1 from Dido & Aeneas

Watch Excerpt 2 from Dido & Aeneas

Watch Excerpt 3 from Dido & Aeneas

Cara Mía Theatre Co.

Ursula

Frida Espinosa-Müller transforms into over 10 characters to tell this story of child detention at the U.S.-Mexico border through the eyes of a resilient child in “Ursula” | Photo by Morgana Wilborn

Founded in 1996, the mission of Cara Mía Theatre is to inspire and engage people to uplift their communities through transformative Latinx theatre, multicultural youth arts experiences and community action. Cara Mía Theatre is committed to a value system that supports an original aesthetic, excellence in practice, cultural authenticity and social justice. Cara Mía Theatre uses these values to unearth history, create new perspectives and give voice to underrepresented communities not limited to the Latinx demographic. Keep in touch with Cara Mía Theatre on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

LEARN ABOUT CARA MIA THEATRE CO.

With a minimal set, various puppets and a performance rooted in movement, solo performer Frida Espinosa-Müller transforms into over 10 characters to tell this story of child detention at the U.S.-Mexico border through the eyes of a resilient child. Ursula is performed primarily in Spanish with English captions. Streaming free and on demand until June 6.

Watch “Ursula” Now

Soul Rep Theatre Co.

SOUL-O SHORTS

Harmoni Hampton as “Zanzi Star” in ZANZI STAR , a featured play in “SOUL-O SHORTS” | Photo by Malcolm Herod

Soul Rep Theatre Company, now celebrating 25 years since its founding, exists to provide quality transformative Black theater that enlightens the imagination, the spirit, and the soul. Their vision is to shift the paradigm of how the Black experience is valued by the world. As the longest running African American theater company in Dallas, Soul Rep has produced over 50 full productions, including 10 New Play Festivals and 13 full productions of original work developed by its company members. Keep in touch with Soul Rep Theatre Company on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUL REP THEATRE CO.

Soul Rep closes its dynamic 25th Anniversary “virtual” season with the unique SOUL-O SHORTS, a collection of world premiere solo 10-15 minute plays written, directed, and starring Soul Rep company members. The shorts are a diverse offering — from a fantastical choreographed children’s choreopoem, to a dramatic retelling of the Nat Turner slave rebellion, and even a heartwarming piece about the celebrated folklorist, author and “genius of the South” – Zora Neale Hurston.

WATCH THE SOUL-O Shorts TRAILER   Watch Excerpts from Soul-O Shorts

TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND

Pilobolus in the Garden

Dancers from Pilobolus and Booker T. Washington HSPVA performing by the reflecting pool in Nasher Sculpture Center garden | Photo by Stella Images

TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND entertains, educates and inspires by curating and commissioning extraordinary dance and performance art from around the world. TITAS was founded in 1982 by co-founders Tom Adams and Gene Leggett, as the Texas International Theatrical Arts Society (TITAS), to provide North Texas communities with the opportunity to experience the best of American and international music, dance, and performance art through a variety of presentations and engagement activities. Throughout its 40-year history of diverse artistic and cultural excellence, TITAS has fulfilled its mission by offering tens of thousands of North Texans opportunities to experience the world’s finest performing artists each year. Keep in touch with TITAS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Pilobolus in the Garden, a premiere TITAS-commissioned outdoor site-specific performance in the Nasher Garden, took audiences through a physically and emotionally moving performance experience that explored the vistas of the sculpture garden and the nature of nature. A collaborative work between famed Pilobolus dance company and local dance, music and creative writing artists of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Pilobolus in the Garden was a truly unique performance experience for everyone involved. The piece culminated in audiences sharing their hopes, dreams, and expressions of gratitude on ribbons that became an installation and part of the work. TITAS was honored to work in partnership with the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Nasher Sculpture Center, the Dallas Arts District and the Arts Magnet High School to make this event possible.

LEARN ABOUT TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND