Announcing July's Window of Opportunity Grantees

Our Window of Opportunity (WOO) Grant launched earlier this year as a six-month pilot program. Open to previous Leeway grantees only, the grant was meant to fund time-sensitive opportunities to support their art for social change practice.

The pilot program is now closed. We are currently evaluating the program and will make an announcement should we decide to continue in 2018. 

We are happy to announce July's grantees.

Carman Spoto (ACG ’17, ’15) has the opportunity to utilize camera and lighting equipment donated by a vendor to shoot her feature film What Color Is Blue this August, which centers on the life of a black transgender woman in West Philly. These funds will allow Carman to purchase the required production insurance in order to use the equipment, which will increase the production value of the film as well as its chances of being shown in festivals, picked up by a distribution company, and seen worldwide.

Stephanie Amma (ACG ’17, ’10, ’08, ’06) teaches African dance and drumming to students at Eleanor Emlen Elementary Public School’s Arts and Culture Club. The students have been invited to perform at the very first Black Expo America Inc., which will be held in Philadelphia on October 14 and 15 in partnership with the Philadelphia Black Entrepreneurs Network. These funds will allow Stephanie Amma to purchase fabric and accessories and make 30 costumes for the students’ performance, since otherwise they would not be able to afford them.