Dramatists Guild Foundation has announced the expansion of the Steven Schwartzberg Grants for Mental Health and Wellness to offer $1,000 in unrestricted funds to theater writers to begin or continue their preferred mental health and wellness services.

Since the theatrical shutdown began in March 2020, DGF has been in constant communication with theater writers about their needs during this time. Nearly 90% of writers expressed that their mental health and wellness services are extremely important to their artistic process, but more than half of those writers shared that they sacrificed those services when the industry shut down and income was lost.

In immediate response, Harris Schwartzberg and his family worked with DGF to establish the Steven Schwartzberg Grants for Mental Health and Wellness in December 2020.

"The world is finally talking about the importance of strong mental health - it is critically important to the future of theater to ensure that the theater writers receive the proper care and support. We hope this is a start to helping writers get the help they need and deserve," Harris Schwartzberg said, on behalf of him and his family.

In continued conversations with writers since that time, DGF learned that grants for talk therapy services were helping many, but not serving all writers. As of today, the grants program will provide $1,000 in unrestricted funds for mental health and wellness services, to be used as the recipient chooses to best meet their individual needs.

"Mental health is essential to everybody, and the pandemic revealed that to a new level. If we want our stages to come back and come back better, we have to start with the writers and help them heal, as they have helped us through their art," Rachel Routh, DGF Executive Director, added.

To apply, theater writers can visit https://dgf.org/mental-health-grants/.