Anquanizia Hall directed and co-produced the first theatrical performance of Drinks on Me at the Temple Theatre for the Performing Arts in Meridian, Mississippi. The production, with an all-Black cast, won multiple awards. Image by John W. Bateman. United States, 2023.
“It’s bigger than me,” reflects Anquanizia Hall, a Mississippi-based theater artist, on her experience directing the community production of Drinks on Me by Mississippi playwright Prince Duren at the 2023 Southeastern Theatre Conference.
At the conference, Hall’s production, with mostly first-time thespians, won multiple awards: a remarkable feat. Yet, the production of an all-Black cast for a play written by a Black playwright also shed light on a disparity in Mississippi arts.
An open records request submitted to the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) confirms that the leadership of publicly-funded Mississippi arts nonprofits is no exception to the national trend of mostly-white, abled-bodied boards and staff. Many of these organizations receive substantial grants to support their programs.
What harm is caused by this gap in representation? How does MAC ensure that public funding reaches across the state’s incredibly diverse population? In preliminary interviews, one artist shared: “MAC’s impact on the Black community is minimal. MAC’s grantees reach the same groups. Those who know about resources know; those who don’t, how do they learn about them?”
Another nonprofit leader noted that the process favors those who can manipulate answers over substantive programming. Although MAC offers a “diversity toolkit,” its current strategic plan does not prioritize efforts of arts organizations to reflect their communities. A corresponding lack of site visits raises questions about accountability.
In this project, Reporting Fellow John W. Bateman investigates the leadership of organizations who receive state public arts funding. How do organizations represent their communities? What does accountability look like? What responsibility do state agencies like MAC bear? How does leadership play a role? What solutions exist?
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