This Sunday June 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM join us for a special FREE community screening of award-winning documentary Remaining Native, a coming-of-age story told through the perspective of Kutoven Stevens, a 17 year old, Native American runner from the Yerington Paiute reservation as he navigates college athletics while the memory of his great-grandfather’s 50-mile escape from the Stewart Indian School begins to connect past, present, and future. This event is organized in collaboration with GRUPO TLALOC Danza Azteca in celebration of the film's screening at Outside Fest. The screening will begin with a performance and will conclude with a live Q&A with the film team and lead participant Kutoven Stevens. Doors open at 12:30 PM. Come celebrate with food, dance, film and community! Please RSVP on Eventbrite for an accurate headcount: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1366176764479?aff=oddtdtcreator (fb)

Querido Publico, On Friday, May 2, at 7:45 PM, we received an email from the National Endowment for the Arts, informing us that “Pursuant to the Offer letter, the tentative funding recommendation for the following application is Withdrawn by the Agency”. Following an application, we received a recommendation for funding, final approval from the National Council on the Arts (NCA) and a contract, which we signed and returned. Su Teatro was scheduled to host the multi-media production of “Yankee Bajan” a story of assimilation and identity from the perspective of US playwright Linda Parris-Bailey. It was a recollection of her experience as the child, of a child, of a child from Barbados. The presentation would include performers from the US and Barbados, this sharing of stories across cultural lines, consistent with Su Teatro mission, “to advance mutual respect for other cultures; and to establish avenues where all cultures may come together.” We were looking forward to the opportunity to share an experience with others whom we consider family, and to have a broad range of communities represented in our audience. It would be an opportunity to celebrate and be “united by our common humanity.” The NEA’s grant was to be $15,000, and was to house, transport and pay performers. The size of personnel and distance of travel expanded our budget beyond $65,000. In such matters every penny becomes crucial. We were given the option to appeal, within 7 days, May 9 is the deadline. No criteria for assessing the appeals was offered in the e-mail. We suspected and have since confirmed that more than a hundred non-profit arts groups across the country all received the late-night email. We were informed that whatever process and agreement that we had reached with our own federal government would not be honored. We had a choice of acting in the same manner as the NEA and reneging on an agreement we had made by cancelling the performances of Yankee Bajan, scheduled for September 18-20th, 2025 at Su Teatro. This was a project that Ms. Parris-Bailey had been planning for nearly 3 years. In contrast to that of the US Federal Government, we would have to ask ourselves to consider the value of our word. We have decided that we will appeal the decision of the NEA, (the appeal can be found below) although we are not sure what the criteria for reconsideration would be. (The NEA email offers little information). We also will continue to explore legal remedies, in conversation with other arts nonprofits. Regardless of the actions of the NEA, Su Teatro will honor our word, and we will proudly present Yankee Bajan on September 18-20th, 2025. Linda Parris-Bailey’s company will be in residence for a week and will also engage in residency activities with community members and local artists. We will also continue to collaborate with the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities and the African Leadership Group on this project to build a community to support this effort. Sinceramente, Anthony J. Garcia Executive Artistic Director Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center Denver, Colorado See our letter of appeal here: http://suteatro.org/uncategorized/2025/05/08/neafunding/ (fb)