Culver City Observer -

Center Theatre Group has recently received a $600,000 grant from The James Irvine Foundation to help support CTG's new and innovative community-based arts engagement programs.

CTG will work with Jerry Quickley as well as with Kinan Valdez and members of El Teatro Campesino on two separate projects that will increase opportunities for the African American and Latino residents of Leimert Park, Montebello and Boyle Heights to participate in the arts.

"We are grateful to the Irvine Foundation for helping us expand our notions about arts participation," said Michael Ritchie, CTG Artistic Director. "These two projects will employ active, community-based art-making in the celebration of the diverse cultural heritage of Los Angeles. It will help expand the scope of CTG's mission and reach, and I couldn't be happier with the prospects."

Performance artist Quickley will facilitate workshops that include citizens of Leimert Park and Montebello who will meet on a weekly basis to examine cultural stereotypes and to write each other's autobiographies. From these workshops, Quickley will co-create a play in which the community participants will perform, both in their communities and at CTG's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City.