The Mukti Fund was founded in 1983 by Mike Dively and Marty Dupuis.
Mukti History
The Mukti Fund was founded in 1983 by Mike Dively and Marty Dupuis. For its first two decades, the Mukti Fund concentrated its grant-making in the Eastern Caribbean country of St. Kitts and Nevis, where it supported programs to strengthen sustainable development in this newly independent country, with a focus on grants for the preservation and conservation of the country’s environment and its historic and cultural heritage. From 2005 to 2008, the fund supported gay and lesbian youth empowerment as part of a funding circle with Liberty Hill Foundation. In 2009, the Queer Youth Theater program was started. By 2016, nearly 25 theaters had received some funding, and total awards to these theaters totaled $1.3 million. Beginning in 2010, an annual conference of QYT directors was held, and the national organization, Pride Youth Theater Alliance, was created. Mukti Fund continues to support the annual conference.
2021
Grant of $46,950 was made ($40,000 for PYTA conference (Social Good Fund); $5,000 to the City of Winter Park for the inaugural program teaching children to swim, especially children from lower socio-economic status, “Splash, Float, Swim”; $1,950 to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force to fund PYTA members to attend the Creating Change Conference. The Splash, Float, Swim program was launched. PYTA held a virtual conference.
2020
Grants of $33,500 were made ($25,000 to Albion College, $2,000 to the Glenda Morgan Charitable Foundation to support a South African community center, $2,000 to the Key West Film Society, $2,000 to the Spartanburg Community Foundation (LGBT Fund), $2,500 to the Western Reserve Historical Society) The PYTA exec board attended the NGLTA Creating Change conference.
2019
The PYTA Conference was held at Dreams of Hope in Pittsburgh, PA, and a grant of $55,500 was made for the conference and awards.
2018
The conference was hosted by The Theater Offensive and held at Harvard University’s OBERON and Farkas Hall. Grants of $121,000 were made. The Theater Offensive honored Michael Dively with the 2018 Champion Award.
2017
A $75,000 grant (3rd of 4 year grant) was made to PYTA plus a $5,500 grant to make awards at the conference for outstanding organization, youth, and artistic director. Total grants of $151,000 were distributed. Total Mukti giving now exceeds $3.5 million! The Neutral Zone of Ann Arbor, MI hosted the annual conference.
2016
21 Queer Youth Theaters received the last distribution from their multi-year grant. The total grant to theaters was $109,000. This, in effect, closed the Queer Youth Theater Project which made a total of $1.3 million dollars of grants to QYT from 2009 – 2016. The Pride Youth Theater Alliance received $112,000 for year one of a four-year grant of $337,000.
At the 7th annual Queer Youth Theater Conference members from across the alliance were able to reconnect with peers, welcome new members to the PYTA family, and explore how our work must address racial injustice and oppression. Participants visited the National Civil Rights Museum to inform our understanding of systemic racism in our country and the fight for civil rights. Participants were also given the chance to watch performances by two different theater ensembles. “Pass the Peas” was a performance given by Memphis’ own Q&A Troupe; a performance by LOUD New Orleans Queer Youth Theatre closed the conference.
2016
23 Queer Youth Theaters were funded, most with multi-year grants. The 2015 grants to theaters totaled $239,000. The Pride Youth Theater Alliance received $114,652.
At the 2015 Conference, participants shared stories and samples of work from their respective programs and led workshops on best practices in the field. Conference participants were also treated to a performance of RIPPLES, an original play written and presented by the youth of Company Q, a performance and social justice theatre troupe for young people focusing on queer issues in Lexington, KY. Grants totaled $395,000. Jon Allen was added as a trustee.