Grantee Database
The Crow
Grant Year
2025-26
Grant Program
Impact Projects
Award Amount
$19,000.00
Project Description
With support from the California Arts Council, Crow Comedy Inc. will produce a season of Storyectomy: American Heroes. This project is a six-week, in-person storytelling arts course dedicated to amplifying the lived experiences of military veterans, their families, and the medical personnel who serve this population. ‘American Heroes’ is an extension of Storyectomy—an umbrella of workshops that raise awareness for mental health equity in our communities. The interdisciplinary curriculum encompasses creative writing and storytelling arts, including concept design, plot, arc, punchlines, performance techniques, and the fundamentals of comedic arts, offering a transformative experience for both storytellers and audiences.
Funding from the CAC will help offset production costs: sound, lighting, videography, photography, and stipends for arts instructors and guest performers. The final performance will be filmed and published online on our YouTube Channel and website.
Organization Summary
Storyectomy – Our flagship six‑week, tuition‑free storymaking mentorship. Cohorts of 8‑10 individuals gather around a shared lived experience (cancer, homelessness, military service, LGBTQ+ family life, maternal mental health, re‑entry, grief). Guided by professional comedians and a clinical psychologist, participants transform trauma into humorous narratives. Each cohort culminates in a filmed live showcase and docuseries.
Youth Arts Education – Eight weeks of Kids Summer Comedy Camp (ages 7‑12), a Teen Saturday Night Live‑style intensive (13‑18), and year‑round after‑school classes (kids, tweens, teens). Programs teach joke structure, improv, sketch writing, and public speaking through play‑based, trauma‑informed instruction, celebrating neurodiverse learners.
Professional Advancement – Door Girlz provides stage time and mentorship for female‑identifying and non‑binary comics. The Bergamot Comedy Festival showcases 50+ emerging comedians (90% BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, or disabled) with industry panels, headshots, and performance reels, leading to representation and Netflix bookings. All programs are tuition‑free with scholarships, ASL, and ADA accommodations.
Organization
The Crow
Address
2525 MICHIGAN AVE UNIT F4
SANTA MONICA
90404-4014
County
Los Angeles
Region
South – Los Angeles & Orange
Website
Congressional District
36
State Assembly District
51
State Senate District
24
