Federal funding cuts hit McCarter, Princeton University Concerts

Princeton is feeling the impact of the Trump administration’s plans to end the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which were announced on May 2. Both the McCarter Theater and Princeton University Concerts have received notice that federally awarded NEA grants have been rescinded.

McCarter Theater will receive $200,000 less in public funding this year than they did last year, according to an email sent by Executive Director Martin Miller, Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen, and McCarter Board President Daniela Bonafede-Chhabra. The email wrote that the recent loss in funding for institutions nationwide “has a profound effect.”

“McCarter, along with so many of our peer cultural institutions, are impacted by these cuts — and the unknown that awaits,” Debbie Bisno, Director of University and Artistic Partnerships, wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian.

“That said, McCarter is fortunate to have a home at Princeton, where so much of our programming & creative collaboration with campus and the community is valued and supported. In this moment, we are also seeing growing audiences and enthusiasm for the performing arts, and more student and cross departmental engagement at the theater. That energy — especially in this time of uncertainty — gives all of us confidence and a sense of strength,” Bisno continued.

As for Princeton University Concerts, funding for the November “Healing with Music” series was rescinded. The series intended to showcase “the role of music in moments of societal unrest and personal trauma, to celebrate multicultural musical friendships, and to offer space for reflection through Live Music Meditation,” according to the website.

The reason for this grant rescission, according to the website, was that the project “no longer aligns with current guidelines” after the federal government “updated funding priorities.”

“It is alarming to witness a retreat from public investment in the arts,” the website continues. “As funding priorities shift to align with broader political agendas, we risk losing the voices, stories, and experiences that help us make sense of the world and each other.”

Bisno shared with the ‘Prince’ that the McCarter Theater will host a “Princeton University Grad Night at McCarter” featuring their 2024 Pulitzer Prize winning play Primary Trust, as “a testament to campus support for the arts & the power of the arts to create community.”

Devon Rudolph is an associate News editor and staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’ She is from northern Virginia and typically covers student life and USG.

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