Chicago Children’s Theatre would like to acknowledge our staff, board, partners, supporters, and patrons for helping us to earn these prestigious awards.
Theatre for Young Audiences Artistic Innovation Award
In 2019, we received the TYA/USA Artistic Innovation Award for being a vanguard in our field, having demonstrated innovation, experimentation, and distinguished artistic achievement.
IL Humanities
In 2019, we were honored to receive a grant from IL Humanities as part of their Community Grants program. This award will fund our work with the Lurie Center for Childhood Resilience to create a Trauma-Informed arts curriculum for young children in Chicago.
American Theatre Wing
In 2018, we were awarded the first ever National Theatre Company Award for a children’s theatre by the American Theatre Wing. This award is given to theatres regarded as burgeoning innovators that shape their local community through the performing arts.
Invest For Kids
In 2018, we were honored to be a beneficiary at Chicago’s premier investment conference, Invest For Kids, a gathering that leverages game-changing support for select non-profits benefiting marginalized children.
National Endowment for the Arts
We have been selected for six awards through the NEA’s flagship grant program “Art Works.” This award honors the creation of art that meets the highest standard of excellence.
National Arts and Humanities
In 2017, we were selected as a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award Finalist for our Red Kite Project, Chicago’s original theatrical arts program for children on the autism spectrum and their families. This award distinguishes programs as one of the top arts and humanities programs in the country.
AutismSpeaks
In 2013, our Co-Founder and Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell was named “Hero of the Year” by the Chicago Chapter of AutismSpeaks for her work with children on the autism spectrum and their families.
Cultural Envoy to Canada
In 2010, our Co-Founder and Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell was appointed by the US State Department to serve as Cultural Envoy to Canada, related to her work with children on the autism spectrum and their families in Ontario.
City of Chicago
In 2017, our Co-Founder and Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell was honored as one of twenty trailblazing Chicago women (alongside Oprah Winfrey, Sandra Cisneros, and Gwendolyn Brooks), to have her likeness painted on a mural adorning the façade of the Chicago Cultural Center, painted by world-renowned artist, Kerry James Marshall.
Learn more about Our Story, Our Community impact, Our Supporters, and Ways to Give to Chicago Children’s Theatre.
For questions or concerns related to development or donations, please contact our Director of Communications and Events, Kay Kron, at ekron@chicagochildrenstheatre.org, or by calling (773) 227-0180 x316.