Florida Studio Theatre Receives $10,000 Grant from the Golisano Foundation

SARASOTA, Fla. (February 13, 2026) — Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is pleased to announce it has received a $10,000 grant from the Golisano Foundation to expand its VIP Performing Arts Program, increasing access for students with special needs during the upcoming spring session and summer camp.

Since 1992, FST’s VIP Performing Arts Program has provided free theatre classes for individuals with physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral challenges. In alignment with FST’s mission to make theatre accessible and affordable to as many people as possible, the program creates a supportive and inclusive environment where students of all ages can express themselves, build confidence, and develop social skills through the performing arts.

This generous grant will allow FST to welcome additional students into its existing VIP Program, many of whom have been on the waiting list for years. The expanded spring session, beginning in late February, will serve 20 students – almost doubling the original class size. Funding will also support a three-week VIP Performing Arts Camp this summer, extending access and continuity for participants.

Led by FST’s professional resident teaching artists, the VIP Program is intentionally adaptive, meeting each student exactly where they are and nurturing individual creativity at their own pace.

“Expanding the VIP Program strengthens the entire community,” said Sarah Durham, VIP Lead Teaching Artist. “Welcoming new students brings fresh energy and connection, while longtime participants continue to grow as artists and collaborators. This growth allows everyone to learn from one another and reinforces that this is a space where every voice belongs.”

Students never age out of the VIP Program; some participants have been learning with FST since elementary school and continue into their 30s. While this continuity provides a stable and enriching artistic home for returning students, it has also contributed to sustained demand. Support from the Golisano Foundation makes it possible for FST to responsibly expand the program while preserving the individualized attention that defines the VIP experience.

“FST’s VIP program creates a rare opportunity for students to grow and build confidence in a completely judgment-free environment,” said Lorraine Durinzi, a VIP parent. “Our daughter has regained competencies she lost during years of cancer treatment thanks to the program’s consistency and exceptional teaching. The students truly thrive in this class.”

To support the VIP Performing Arts Program through a charitable donation or other gift, please contact Anyssa Hining, Development Manager, at (941) 366-9017 x379 or by email at ahining@floridastudiotheatre.org.

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About The Golisano Foundation

The Golisano Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. dedicated to making the world a better place for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Foundation is devoted to opening doors to opportunity, changing negative perceptions and stereotypes, and forging unprecedented partnerships to ensure individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have pathways to personal dignity, independence, and the best possible expression of their abilities and talents throughout their lifetimes. Founded in 1985 by Tom Golisano – entrepreneur, philanthropist, civic leader, and founder of Paychex, Inc. – the Foundation “imagines the possibilities,” advocating for families, fighting for their dignity, and giving people with IDD the opportunity to thrive in their communities. With more than $100 million in gross assets, it awards about $5 million annually to non-profit organizations in Western New York and Southwest Florida.

About Florida Studio Theatre

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is Sarasota’s contemporary theatre. Founded in 1973, FST has grown to a village of five theatres located in the heart of downtown Sarasota. Each theatre is small in size and large in impact – providing intimate and engaging settings for high-quality, professional performances.

Today, FST has established itself as a major force in American Theatre. FST is the largest subscription theatre in the state of Florida and among the largest in the country, serving more than 225,000 live attendees each year across its diverse programs: Mainstage, Cabaret, Stage III, Children’s Theatre, Improv, The FST School, and New Play Development.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to as many people as possible. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Richard Hopkins, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. Hip and historical, entertaining and challenging, we are where everyone is welcome to engage in the art of theatre.