What is the
Independent Productions Initiative?
The Independent Productions Initiative is designed to channel funding and technical assistance to the many independent theater productions increasingly happening outside of conventional theater company seasons, creating opportunities for artists, reaching new audiences, and sparking new community connections.
In addition to supporting artists and productions, the IPI also drives revenue to established theaters because these independent efforts are precisely those that rent stages, providing earned revenue that existing companies desperately need. Productions taking place elsewhere still provide established companies and the theater community overall with a resource that offers a pathway for experience and visibility for artists, helping to build their body of work. The Initiative is a new model launched in response to changes and challenges affecting theater, from funding cuts to shrinking seasons.
The Initiative helps to sustain theatrical pipelines and artist development during the challenges of the current moment, while also building a way to fund an entire track of theater in Chicago that continues to grow.
Teams of artists offering new talent and perspectives but unconnected to an ongoing company have extremely limited opportunities for production, which affects what shows and where shows get done, and by whom. With Redtwist Theatre providing fiscal sponsorship, the Independent Productions Initiative is able to accept donations and distribute supporting dollars and expertise to independent productions and artistic teams that may be producing in myriad spaces and alternate venues, and that do not otherwise have the benefit of securing contributions or production.
There are two ways we offer support:
1. Through providing GRANTS as outlined on the following pages to a select number of projects
2. Through serving as a FISCAL SPONSOR for projects that come with their own donors but need a tax exempt destination for gifts.
The brainchild of playwright L.C. Bernadine, the Initiative has been in fundraising and design mode since 2024, co-chaired by playwright Peter Handler and working closely with Redtwist Artistic Director Dusty Brown and a committee of volunteers. We are especially grateful for the visionary donors enabling us to move towards our start-up goal of $100,000 for the pilot that will take place in 2025 and 2026.
How is Redtwist Involved?
Redtwist Theatre was approached by a group of theater leaders and activists to help develop and provide a home for a unique project: an initiative to support and advise the increasing number of independent productions blossoming across Chicago. The founding leadership group (organized by playwright L.C. Bernadine) sees this as integral to developing the next generation of theater artists, providing expanded opportunities for both artists and audiences while also feeding revenue to established theaters.
Redtwist sees this Initiative as an extension of its own commitment to new play development, helping to build the broader theater landscape in Chicago. In addition to housing the initiative, Redtwist will offer production consultation, a ticketing platform, and other support as needed by independent production teams. We also have the capacity to collect basic outcome data and reflections from supported projects in order to inform future plans.
The advantages of housing the Initiative at a working theater instead of an intermediary or advocacy group include myriad opportunities to offer practical support to producers beyond the administration of the grant, for example:
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Redtwist extending liability coverage to grantees as off-site projects under their existing insurance;
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Allowing grantees to use the same ticketing platform as Redtwist;
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Promoting grantee events in their existing social media;
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Offering experienced counsel on needs or challenges that may arise;
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Possibly arranging for group discounts or package deals with preferred vendors on needs such as space rental;
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Allowing artists access to production resources such as lighting equipment, a scenic shop, and costume and prop storage.