CFWT Grant Story: Texas Tech University UIL

With the support of a Sybil B. Harrington Endowment for the Arts grant, scholarships were given to 10 Lubbock ISD students to attend the 2021 Texas Tech University UIL Summer Theatre Camp hosted by the Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Students were selected based on academic success, financial need, and interest in theatre performance and allowed to audition, rehearse, and perform in a one-act play in the Maedgen Theatre on the TTU campus. Campers took courses that covered set design, makeup, and lighting while staying in the dorms on campus. TTU UIL said students were also “able to learn the latest advances in theatre technology in the newly designed Texas Tech innovative technical lab.”

The organization offers two camps – acting and technical. The Technical Camp allowed students a chance to be stage managers, lighting and sound directors, and props and costume managers for each of the seven plays. They learned lighting and sound technician skills on equipment that many had not worked with at their school. Acting Camp students performed in seven shows directed by seven different UIL State-qualifying and well-known directors. From these directors, actors learned characterization, movement, and vocal exercises. Students auditioned, were cast, rehearsed, and performed a finished product in one week. The organization wrote that its goal for these camps is for “students to return to their campuses and share the information that they learned and serve as mentors to their fellow cast-mates.”

TTU UIL shares the story of one student who received a scholarship:

“In hopes of attending the summer theatre camp, this student had been saving he4r money all semester. Coming from a large family, even with careful savings, she soon realized that she would never be able to reach her goal. She was elated when this opportunity arose. Upon receiving notification that she was a scholarship recipient, she said she broke down in tears with relief and joy. She immediately started packing her bags and counting the days until camp started. She and several others from her high school were able to attend camp through the scholarships provided. She entered the campus and felt that she was in ‘another world.' They were surrounded by people who shared their love of theatre and they all embraced learning everything that was presented to them. Performing had always been this student’s dream and theatre camp gave her the tools and opportunity to explore her potential.”

If you would like to give to the Community Foundation of West Texas and assist other nonprofit organizations like Texas Tech University UIL, donate through this link: cfwtx.org/give-now.