I’m Deeply Worried for PHAMALY—and for the Future of Arts Access in America

PHAMALY Theatre Company, the company I helped co-found more than three decades ago to elevate disabled voices in the arts, is now facing a gut punch from the very institution meant to support cultural equity: the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

On May 2, PHAMALY—along with dozens of other nonprofit arts organizations—was sent notice that their NEA grant contracts were being canceled. These were not speculative applications. These were contracts already signed, already approved, and in many cases, already in motion. PHAMALY’s funding was for a groundbreaking interactive experience designed specifically for individuals with cognitive disabilities, tied to our production of Pericles, which opened May 7. That initiative was part of a 2-1/2 year NEA pilot program focused on innovative accessibility models.

And here’s something many people don’t realize: When organizations submit proposed projects that meet NEA eligibility criteria, they are not simply handed a check. If selected, they enter into a binding contract for gradual reimbursement of qualified expenses—up to a designated award amount. Think pay as you go. PHAMALY operated in good faith under such a contract. Now, that funding is likely being ripped away, after the work has already begun.

In an abrupt statement, the NEA announced it is “updating its grantmaking policy priorities to focus funding on projects that reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President.” Translation: if your work doesn’t align with this administration’s narrow cultural agenda, your funding is gone—even if it’s already been contractually promised. The notice continued: “We are terminating awards that fall outside these new priorities,” and confirmed that all previously promised funding is now “withdrawn by the agency.”

Organizations were given just 7 days to appeal. I don’t yet know the outcome of PHAMALY’s appeal. And frankly, even if we win, there’s no celebrating while other crucial projects—especially those that serve marginalized communities—are being dismantled. There’s already resentment aimed at the disability community for the assistance we receive. Decisions like this deepen that divide.

Let me be clear: the NEA is not a luxury—it is a lifeline. It supports programs in every single Congressional district. From rural arts initiatives and veterans’ healing projects to youth education, cultural preservation, and neighborhood festivals, the NEA funds what brings us together. These sudden cancellations don’t just erase grants—they dismantle infrastructure, strip access, and silence voices that have fought for decades to be heard.

We must respond—not with panic, but with strategy. Not just with outrage, but with solidarity. We need to make it clear: the arts are a national priority. And so are the communities—disabled, neurodiverse, rural, queer, BIPOC, and beyond—that create, support, and sustain them.

Here’s what you can do:

• Contact your representatives and demand accountability for the NEA’s sudden cancellation of previously approved contracts. Urge them to protect funding that supports inclusive and community-centered arts.

  
  

• Support PHAMALY directly. Donate, share our mission, and attend our productions. Help us continue proving that disability-led art is not only valid—it’s vital. Visit https://www.phamaly.org to contribute.

  
  

PHAMALY was founded on the belief that the stage should belong to everyone. That belief is being tested. And we must rise to meet it.