Dear colleagues:
Established in 2009, the American Theatre Archive Project (ATAP) is an initiative of the American Society of Theatre Research (ASTR) that supports theatre makers in archiving records of their work for the benefit of artists, scholars, patrons, and the public. To date, ATAP-assisted companies include ArtsWest, Atlantic Theater Company, Book-It Repertory Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, HERE, Jobsite Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, Rude Mechs, Teatro Vivo, and ZACH Theatre. We invite your support as we continue our mission to preserve the legacy of the American theatre.
ATAP is now a permanent ASTR committee. Participants in the November 2014 annual conference of ASTR in Baltimore will notice a number of aspects of the committee’s work. In particular:
· During the morning of Thursday, November 20, ATAP will hold a Training Workshop for Baltimore-area archivists and documentarians at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. Workshop participants will form the ATAP Baltimore team and work with area theatre companies in the years to come.
· On Thursday from 5:45–7:15 p.m., local theatre practitioners will participate in a panel discussion about Baltimore’s performance legacy. ATAP will be inviting up to 20 additional members of the local theatre community to attend the conference’s first day, introducing them to ATAP and the broader work of ASTR.
· At the Awards Luncheon on Saturday, November 22, the inaugural ATAP Initiation Program Grant will be awarded to a Baltimore-area theatre company. The Grant will pay for the stipends and supplies associated with the ATAP Initiation Program, which places an archivist-documentarian team with a theatre company to assess records of historical value and formally establish archives. The Program takes place over the course of one month and comprises an orientation, assessment, and follow-up workshop. Applications by Baltimore-area theatres to be considered for this year’s Grant are due by October 31 and can be submitted here.
· On Saturday from 3:15–5:15 p.m., we will hold our second annual ATAP Working Group, focusing on the theme: What Makes an Archive Perform?
Although there will be a concentration of activity at the conference, the work of ATAP is year-round. Our free guide, Preserving Theatrical Legacy: An Archiving Manual for Theatre Companies, released last summer on our website and regularly updated, has been consulted by dozens of performing arts companies here and abroad. ATAP currently has active teams in Austin, Boston, New York, North Carolina, Northwest (Seattle), and Philadelphia, with additional activity in Florida, Illinois, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, and New Mexico. In the coming years, we intend to establish new teams and reinforce existing teams as the annual ASTR/TLA conference travels the country.
ASTR’s FY2015 administrative budget for ATAP is $5000, most of which must be raised through donations. If you would like to support ASTR’s outreach work through ATAP, please consider making a contribution on ASTR’s website (designating ATAP in the comment box) or sending a check to: ASTR, PO Box 1798, Boulder, CO 80306-1798. ASTR is a registered non-profit organization, and all contributions are tax-deductible (Tax ID #11-6110103). Be sure to check with your or your spouse’s employer for matching-donation programs to double your gift.
So far this year, ATAP has received over $1000 in personal and matching contributions. If just 50 ASTR members donated $40 each, we would meet our fundraising goal. ATAP is ASTR’s most visible public service. Please show your support by helping us spread the word about ATAP and by making a contribution today.
Sincerely,
ATAP Steering Committee
Susan Brady, Charlotte Canning, Ken Cerniglia, Helice Koffler,
Colleen Reilly, Adam Versényi, Christa Williford