By now you've heard...
We imagine that by now, you’ve heard about the recent wave of National Endowment for the Arts grants being terminated by President Trump and his administration.
Unfortunately, Flyaway Productions was included in the long list of arts organizations whose 2025 grant was terminated, despite having a signed contract with the NEA. Our grant project was meant to support 10 dancers, 5 artistic collaborators, and several crew members to create public art in the Tenderloin.
We are a 29-year-old organization and have been receiving NEA funds since 2009. We make free public art. Our work is site-specific, off the ground, and justice-driven. We have performed for over 10,000 audience members both in SF and around the country. We also offer an annual youth program for teen girls and gender expansive youth.
Despite the NEA termination, our fall production remains underway, BUT this sets a scary precedent for future funding for social justice-driven dance and the arts in general. The National Endowment for the Arts doesn’t just fund individual arts organizations, it also funds other grant-making entities, like the California Arts Council, which also funds Flyaway’s work.
That’s why we are asking our community to do everything in their power to advocate with us for the restoration of NEA funding to artists and arts organizations.
Flyaway's next move is joining in resistance with all the other arts organizations in the Bay and around the country who reject the premise that we are not worthy of national funding. Our imagination is a national treasure. We will not stop.
Below are some actions you can take in solidarity with Flyaway and thousands of arts organizations that have lost critical funding.
Thanks for listening, and for being there,
JO | 
