Ongoing support for the recently fired VG staff

On Wednesday, September 7, two days after Labor Day, the 8 full-time and 10 part-time remaining employees of Chicago's lauded Victory Gardens Theater were terminated. This fundraiser is to provide financial support as we search for new positions and, in some cases, transition to new cities or new careers.

How did we get here?

In early July 2022, the Victory Gardens staff learned that the Board had fired Artistic Director Ken-Matt Martin a mere 14 months after his hiring, with no explanation given. VG's resident artists promptly resigned in protest, and the full staff launched a public call for the Board's resignation. As the summer continued, nearly 2,000 artists signed a petition vowing not to work at Victory Gardens under the current Board of Directors. The staff worked to create a transition plan for a peaceful transfer of power to a new Board and initiated a process of unionization under IATSE, which we are still fighting to see through.

After the staff's mass termination, an initial GoFundMe raised enough for each staff member to receive a little over $1,000. These funds were invaluable in making ends meet as we sought new jobs, applied for unemployment, and looked for new health insurance. Some of us have found new positions and some are still searching, but the reverberations of the VG Board's decisions continue to have an enormous impact on our lives, careers, and ability to pay the bills. Any further funds raised will be divided based on need.

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