Urban circus troupe receives Knight Art + Tech Expansion Fund grant

The Nouveau Sud Project, the urban circus initiative founded by Associate Professor of Theatre CarlosAlexis Cruz, is a recipient of a 2023 Knight Art + Tech Expansion Fund from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Nouveau Sud is one of 22 Charlotte-based artists and arts organizations to receive funds in 2023.

The Knight Art + Tech Expansion Fund was created “to support the long-term sustainability of Charlotte’s arts community by providing practitioners with the tools they need to increase the integration of technology in their work.”

Cruz founded Nouveau Sud in 2014 with a McColl Award from the Arts & Science Council. Nouveau Sud, which debuted in April 2016, has continued to mount shows that address social justice issues, particularly issues of immigration and race and ethnicity. In 2020, the troupe received the prestigious Creation and Touring Grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts for its production, “La Bestia.”

The Art + Tech Expansion Fund will allow Cruz to build the capacity of Nouveau Sud in three ways: by implementing a social media plan, purchasing equipment and storage capacity for documentation and online content creation and beginning a rebranding of the urban circus company.

“Our plan is to hire a social media/marketing manager to establish a plan for growth and to better tell the story of the different facets of our work strategically,” Cruz said. “We are aiming to clearly present our different endeavors — our soon-to-be national touring show, ‘La Bestia,’ the development of our new show, ‘Violence’ and the work that we do within our communities as part of our ensemble’s mission.”

Among the “Suds,” as the Nouveau Sud company members are called, are UNC Charlotte alumni. Learn more about Nouveau Sud and the award-winning production, “La Bestia,” in this online feature.