April 22, 2026

Meet the TACA Pop-Up Grant Recipients for March and April

TACA is thrilled to spotlight these exceptional Pop-Up Grant recipients! These dynamic productions celebrate a wide range of artistic expression, inviting us to rediscover familiar stories through fresh perspectives and immerse ourselves in the creativity of the Dallas arts community.

Dallas Children’s Theater

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
Unrestricted Grant: $2,500 Pop-Up Grant
Artist Bonus Funds: $5,000 Artist Bonus Funding

A Very Hungry Caterpillar by Dallas Childrens Theater
Photo by Sylvia Elzafon

In The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, the illustrations of beloved children’s author Eric Carle leap from the page to the stage in a display of color and artistry like you’ve never seen before. Through 75 lovable puppets, audiences experience the worlds of The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, The Very Lonely Firefly, and of course, the star of the show – The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Since its co-founding by Robyn Flatt in 1984, Dallas Children’s Theater (DCT) has embodied its mission to inspire young people to creative and productive lives through the art of theater. With over 35 years of developing and implementing exceptional arts-in-education programs, DCT has discovered that an effective way to reach children at all stages of life is through exposure to and participation in the arts. Through arts-in-education classes, sensory-friendly programming, community outreach, in-school and after school programming, and mainstage performances, DCT strives to serve the children and families of North Texas, especially underserved populations who have the greatest need for the essential social and emotional benefits of theater. Keep in touch with DCT on FacebookInstagramTwitter and YouTube.

Dallas Theater Center

Ragtime
Unrestricted Grant: $2,500 Pop-Up Grant

Ragtime by Dallas Theater Center
Photo by Andy Nguyen

Set in 1902 New York, Ragtime weaves together the stories of three families pursuing the American Dream, brought to life through a soaring, Tony Award-winning score. Produced in partnership with SMU Meadows School of the Arts and the Sexton Institute for Musical Theatre, this powerful musical captures a nation in transformation with urgency, heart, and hope.

Dallas Theater Center’s mission is to engage, entertain, and inspire our diverse community by creating experiences that stimulate new ways of thinking and living. They do this by consistently producing plays, educational programs, and other initiatives that are of the highest quality and reach the broadest possible constituency. As one of the leading regional theaters in the country and the 2017 Regional Theatre Tony Award® Recipient, Dallas Theater Center produces a six-play subscription series of classic, musical, and new plays with annual productions of A Christmas Carol and a Public Works Dallas participatory theater production each season. Keep in touch with Dallas Theater Center on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.

Soul Rep Theatre Company

Gem of the Ocean
Unrestricted Grant: $2,500 Pop-Up Grant
Artist Bonus Funds: $5,000 Artist Bonus Funding

The Gem of the Ocean by Soul Rep Theatre Co.
Photo by Anyika McMillian-Herod

Soul Rep Theatre Company’s Gem of the Ocean, sponsored by the Parrish Charitable Foundation and the second production in our August Wilson Play Series, brings Wilson’s powerful story to life in a soul-stirring journey through memory, ancestry, and spiritual awakening, directed by Jemal McNeil. Set in 1904, the production explores redemption, identity, and the enduring search for freedom.

Soul Rep Theatre Company exists to protect and progress the Black Theatre experience through enlightening entertainment. Their vision is to cultivate the next generation of theatre artists and patrons by establishing an institution committed to quality theatre and arts education. Keep in touch with Soul Rep Theatre Company on FacebookInstagramTikTok, and YouTube.

WHAT’S A POP-UP GRANT?

We started our Pop-Up Grant program to shine a light on arts organizations creating programming that demonstrates exceptional quality, innovation, and accessibility safely, without skimping on the creative impact.

HOW DO YOU PICK THE RECIPIENTS?
Grant recipients are meticulously selected via a nomination process that incorporates over 80 anonymous volunteers. Nominations are made each month and a selection committee meets afterward to determine grantees based on our criteria above.

Learn more about Pop-Up Grants

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