Who We Are
We are two East Hampton High School graduates who want to improve the quality and availability of student theatre in our community. As an incentive for students to rise to this challenge we have established the Serena Seacat Theatre Arts Scholarship fund in honor of our long-time director and mentor, Serena Seacat. Through the production of an annual benefit performance - 'Best of Broadway', East Hampton students are provided a hands-on opportunity to learn and hone creative skills while in turn helping to fund a scholarship awarded in recognition of their hard work. Proceeds are also used to sponsor educational workshops and programs for advanced arts learning and experiences. We feel very strongly that theatre teaches dedication, leadership, and cooperation; powerful tools for improving the future.
-Laura Sisco + Brian Niggles
Our Appeal
Dear Friends…Old and New,
When you are a small non-profit, trying to do something right, it is only with the support of others that you can succeed. We are young. We are motivated. And we could kindly use your help.
The East End Young Arts Initiative is a group of volunteers who support the performing arts for young people in our community on the East End of Long Island. We seek to enhance the quality and availability of student theatre and music within the East Hampton School District in creative ways.
In 2016, we:
- Granted $15,000 in scholarship awards to passionate leaders in the arts.
- Produced our fourth and biggest Best of Broadway spectacular.
- Sponsored workshops by distinguished professionals including, Broadway director David Alpert, college accappella group the Binghamton Crosbys, Actress Valorie DiLorenzo, Tony Award Winner Jack Feldman, and Broadway Dancer Tommy Bracco.
- Underwrote $10,000 of new theatrical equipment for the East Hampton High School.
Many of these things had never been done in our community until we began EEYA as a group of young performers who saw great potential and wanted to give back. Our programs are entirely free to the students who participate in them. As a result, more students are getting involved, thereby improving their creativity, professionalism, responsibility, self-confidence, and communication skills; empowering them with tools for their lifetimes.
Momentum continues to build for our programs and we are busy planning an even better year in 2016. We are working hard to train, inspire, and cultivate the emerging talent that exists in our community. Thank you for standing by us and allowing us to keep working.
A personal contribution from you would directly benefit local students in East Hampton; not fund salaries, or money sent out of town. We focus on quality above all else; though we operate on a shoestring, our productions rival others with three times our budget. We’re young, eager, and motivated to make an improvement as fast as we can. We’ll keep trying until we succeed and we will use any resources provided to us as efficiently as possible.
We sincerely thank you in advance for your consideration.
The Committee for the Serena Seacat Theatre Arts Scholarship Fund