EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Pay It Forward program is accepting applications for space available at CitySpace in Easthampton.
Artists interested in free access to CitySpace’s Blue Room between July and December 2024 for rehearsals and public performances have until May 9th at 11:59 p.m. to apply. The program offers financial support, venue access, one-on-one coaching, and peer-to-peer learning.
CitySpace President Burns Maxey says the program launched in 2023 and offered over 1,250 hours to artists for theater performances, concerts, rehearsals, and more. The opportunity is open to all residents in Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties. It also focuses on supporting under-resourced artists and encourages BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) artists, LGBTQ+ artists, artists living with disabilities, and organizations that serve such artists, to apply.
Bar Dykes cast on stage in the Blue Room, 2023 Pay It Forward Recipient (Photo by Tracey Eller Photography via CitySpace) 
Alex Paquin, Falling in Love During a Pandemic and Waking Up to Reality, 2023 Pay It (Courtesy: CitySpace) 
Grupo Mambique, 2023 Pay It Forward Recipient (Photo by Darren Port via CitySpace)
In a news release sent to 22News, Queer Community Theatre founders and 2023 Pay It Forward recipients, Emily Fuller and Erin F., attest to its significance to their sold out production of Bar Dykes, stating, “Without the Pay It Forward program, we absolutely would not have been able to make this production the success that it was.”
Funding for this year’s Pay It Forward program is made possible by funding from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ Valley Creates, Greenfield Saving Bank, Peak Performance Roofing, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Delap Real Estate, Finck and Perras, and Tandem Bagel.
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