Stowe Story Labs Receives $20,000 Opportunity Gap Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

DATE: June 10, 2020 10 AM EDT                                         CONTACT: David Rocchio - drocchio@stowestorylabs.org

 Stowe, Vermont — National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved an Art Works award of $20,000 to Stowe Story Labs for its ‘Opportunity Gap’ program of outreach and inclusion to support diverse participants in Stowe Story Labs programs.

Stowe Story Labs was founded in 2013 to help top emerging screenwriters and filmmakers develop their craft and projects. Now in its 8th year, more than 400 artists from forty states and fifteen countries have been admitted to Stowe’s labs and retreats. Stowe’s participants are 70% women; 30% represent diverse voices, 15% are over 50, and more than 40% are socio-economically disadvantaged. Stowe awards 10 fellowships and dozens of scholarships and development grants annually. With this grant, Stowe will be able to support many more emerging artists.

The purpose of the Opportunity Gap grant is to allow Stowe Story Labs to support artists otherwise often sidelined from the international, independent film and television industries.

“These awards demonstrate the resilience of the arts in America, showcasing not only the creativity of their arts projects but the organizations’ agility in the face of a national health crisis,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “We celebrate organizations like Stowe Story Labs for providing opportunities for learning and engagement through the arts in these times.”

“We are proud to receive and deeply appreciative of the NEA for making this award,” said David Rocchio, founder and director of Stowe Story Labs. “Our mission is to nurture and support talented writers and filmmakers from all walks of life and backgrounds. We do all we can to make programs available to all qualified applicants, but many get left behind.

“Supporting screenwriters and filmmakers from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds to make films and shows for general audiences can only enrich our culture and create empathy for others,” said Rocchio. “Now, maybe more than ever, we need such stories. This grant will help us immensely,” he said, “and for that we are tremendously grateful.”

To learn more about Stowe Story Labs, visit www.stowestorylabs.org.

For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.