Community Foundation of Sarasota County continues its support for WBTT

As Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) continues to expand its education programming and outreach efforts – and as WBTT has faced a second year without previous arts grants from the state – support from the community has become more critical.

Last year, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) was awarded a three-year Strategic Partnership grant totaling $150,000 from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County (Community Foundation). These funds have been designated in support of WBTT’s education programs and special events.

This year’s funding of $50,000 will support: education programs such as the free Stage of Discovery summer camp, the in-school Jazzlinks history program, and free, age-appropriate Rhythm & Tales productions for younger schoolchildren ($20,000); the annual Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ($10,000); WBTT’s signature fundraisers – the Fall Gala and April Fête ($15,000); and the Juneteenth Arts Festival ($5,000).

The Community Foundation has been a supporter of WBTT for many years, contributing to the nearly $9 million Heart & Soul Campaign, which funded renovations to WBTT’s campus and buildings, providing emergency grants when WBTT’s stage went dark due to Covid, and sponsoring WBTT’s theatre seasons, among other programs and events.

“Year after year, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe brings our community together, opens doors for young people through its educational programs and puts Black voices and stories at the center of our region’s stage,” says Kirsten Russell, the Community Foundation’s vice president of community impact. “The foundation's continued support, as part of our multi-year commitment, is an investment in that work and in the troupe’s long-term sustainability.”

"With local and state government grant funding becoming less certain, the support we receive from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has become more vital to WBTT as well as other arts organizations like us,” added Julie Leach, executive director of WBTT. “The Community Foundation’s investment in WBTT extends well beyond any single event or program – it strengthens our organizational capacity, expands our community impact, and ensures that our mission to entertain, educate and inspire through professional theatre can continue to serve local, state and national audiences for generations to come.”

For more about WBTT, visit westcoastblacktheatre.org or call 941-366-1505.

About Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe
The mission of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) is to produce professional theater that promotes and celebrates African American history and experience; engages a broad base of patrons and audiences; supports the development of a dynamic group of aspiring artists; and builds confidence in youth of color. Visit westcoastblacktheatre.org for more information.