Grant will support co-production of new episodes of the storytelling series with public television stations across the country
Boston, MA (June 21, 2024) —GBH is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $30,000. The grant will support the production Stories from the Stage, a nationally distributed multiplatform series that showcases emerging and experienced storytellers whose stories illuminate the many facets of what makes us different, yet brings us together. Stories from the Stage is produced by WORLD at GBH in Boston, the leading public media platform renowned for original documentary and nonfiction storytelling.
With this grant, GBH will co-produce new episodes of Stories from the Stage with WORLD member stations across the country, chosen for their geographic and cultural diversity, as well as timely themes and issues. During production of the series’ eighth season, community groups will be tapped to discover storytellers from historically underserved communities illustrating the issues and themes of a transforming America.
“The storytellers on Stories from the Stage have inspired so many viewers across the country with their vulnerability, humor, and deeply authentic performances,” said GBH and WORLD General Manager of Television Liz Cheng, co-executive producer of the series and co-host of its podcast. “We’re grateful to the National Endowment for the Arts for this opportunity to expand our reach into new communities and to broaden the perspectives of our tellers and audiences.”
“Projects like Stories from the Stage exemplify the creativity and care with which communities are telling their stories, creating connection, and responding to challenges and opportunities in their communities—all through the arts,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “So many aspects of our communities such as cultural vitality, health and wellbeing, infrastructure, and the economy are advanced and improved through investments in art and design, and the National Endowment for the Arts is committed to ensuring people across the country benefit.”
Audiences can view Stories from the Stage on WORLD, YouTube, worldchannel.org and thePBS App. Individual stories and exclusive digital content can also be viewed on Facebook and Instagram. The series can also be experienced via podcast with Stories from the Stage: The Podcastbringing deep dives, interviews and more, with highlights selected by series co-creators and podcast co-hosts Patricia Alvarado Núñez and Liz Cheng.
For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visitarts.gov/news.
On Sunday, July 21, from 7pm to midnight ET, the national WORLD service will present a five-hour block of impactful Stories from the Stage episodes in the grand tradition of evening storytelling on a hot summer’s night. This special feature will include a family’s unforgettable first-whale watching adventure off the coast of Los Angeles; an inspiring penguin rescue in South Africa; a serene swim with a wild loon in the chilly waters of Maine; the thrilling excitement of a ‘beep’ baseball game with visually impaired players; and an awe-inspiring 3,032-mile run from San Francisco to New York.
About GBH
GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. GBH’s television channels include GBH 2, GBH 44, GBH Kids and national services WORLD and Create. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at gbh.org.
CONTACT:
Emily Balk
GBH External Communications
314 550 2448
emily_balk@wgbh.org
