An Arizona theater group is joining cultural and educational organizations across the country in condemning federal funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Arizona Theatre Matters is a nonprofit that creates free and accessible theatre, mostly virtual and often telling the stories of marginalized people.
"It's not simply a bureaucratic misstep, it’s a targeted disinvestment in the public’s ability to access culture, history and shared meaning," says Artistic Director Jeanmarie Simpson.
The theater's most recent work, which brought to life the story of a real Arizona suffragist, was produced with a grant from one of NEH’s state affiliates, Arizona Humanities.
But with federal funding stalled, Simpson says she fears for the preservation and exploration of American culture and history.
“And it sends a chilling message that human experience is not worth understanding unless it can be monetized or weaponized," Simpson said.
Her group was planning a comedy about the late Ulysses S. Grant and his wife to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday next year. But the ability to apply for federal funding is now on hold indefinitely.
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