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Our Roots : History & Mission of The Field
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Wendy Lasica founded The Field in 1985 as a performance space in Soho. She directed its development until 1987, when she returned to her native Australia. At that point, The Field took on a new direction, becoming a service organization for independent artists. Led by Steve Gross and other emerging performing artists, The Field created programs to help artists improve their artwork and counter the isolation that often comes with the territory of an artistic career. These programs struck a chord within the arts community: more than 2,000 artists are now involved with our programs each year; 17 sites, including non-profits and state arts councils, offer our programs in cities across the US; and more than 1,000 new art works are annually developed under our stewardship.
The Field's mission is to serve independent performing artists on a completely non-exclusive basis. This means that everything we do is open to artists from all aesthetic viewpoints, cultural backgrounds, and levels of development. Our priority is to create a climate where risk-taking and originality are championed, and where the broadest range of voices are included. Field programs are affordable, accessible, and rigorous. To support independent performing artists, The FieldÍs programs are directed toward the creation of new work and its dissemination.
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Artist: RedWall Dance Theatre
Photo: Daniel Perez
Website: www.rwdt.org
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In terms of creation, The Field:
assists artists in making clear, cogent work through peer-oriented feedback groups;
produces performance festivals focused on the exhibition of new work;
sends artists on retreats at arts colonies such as White Oak (FL) and Earthdance (MA) to create new material and develop
new collaborations.
provides free rehearsal and performance space grants in the FAR Space, our new Chelsea gallery district studio.
In terms of dissemination, The Field:
provides artists with tools that enable them to understand managerial and administrative functioning via more than two
dozen workshops on fundraising, booking, marketing, non-profit theory, legal issues, and arts management;
trains artists and other individuals to become arts administrators and managers;
enables 300 artist members to solicit grants and individual contributions through the use of our non-profit sponsorship program;
produces a website devoted to independent artists touring their work throughout the US;
houses a resource center tailored specifically to the needs of independent performing artists with resources including six laptop
computers, databases of grantmakers, periodicals, and books, and on-the-spot consultations with Field staff and other arts
administrators.
The Field's contribution to the vitality of the arts ecology has been recognized through long-term and continued funding from various organizations. These include the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as foundations and corporations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Jerome Robbins Foundation, and Starry Night Fund of the Tides Foundation.
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Touring