NACL Theatre is one of the grantees The National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) 80 Our Town grant awards totaling $4.995 million. It will receive $50,000 to create “The Weather Project,” a community-based theatre, visual arts and education project about the weather and energy. The Town of Highland is the partnering local government entity.

“The Weather Project,” directed by NACL co-founder Tannis Kowalchuk, will take place in 2013/14 and directly involve the Highland, Upper Delaware and Catskills community in the creation of an arts event that addresses a current issue: sustainability.

The goal is to achieve a symbiotic relationship between artists, town leaders and residents as we move toward designing our sustainable future where both art and energy is an abundant and renewable local resource.

In describing what one facet of the final project might look like, Kowalchuk said, “Picture this: Rural Fellini—a field near the river, the sun on the horizon, the audience waits. A procession passes through the crowd. Bells ring. We see very tall boys and girls on stilts holding wind turbines high above their heads. They look like synchronized cranes. They are followed by a choir singing a Delaware River folksong; a group of drummers tossing painted rain barrels in thrilling ways; a group of very old women carrying pitchers of water; a weather man reports; polar bear puppets dance; four huge weather balloons, magnificently painted are pulled along. A play begins.”

Partnerships include the Town of Highland, Western Sullivan Public Libraries, Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development and Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Visit www.nacl.org.