NewPerforming Arts Legacy Project

SAG-AFTRA performers age 62+ can now access the newly launched Performing Arts Legacy Project website, a unique platform dedicated to encouraging performers to gather and document their most important career milestones.

The website, an initiative created by The Actors Fund in conjunction with its affiliate The Research Center for Arts and Culture, was developed with input from 10 professional senior actors aged 62+. These actors were selected for their broad range of experiences in entertainment. The pilot group, nicknamed the Founding Performers, worked closely with trainers, students and volunteers to create a multitude of career timelines complete with oral histories, audio and visual clips and other pieces of important memorabilia. The result of this hard work and dedication is a national digital archive that is now open for contributions from other seasoned performers.

PAL showcases the entertainment industry for current and future generations.

“The Performing Arts Legacy Project provides an important addition to existing archives by digging deeper into the histories and memories of those workers on whom the industry was built,” said Joan Jeffri, founder and director of The Research Center for Arts and Culture. “It recognizes these performers’ lives and careers with dignity.”

The digital legacies already assembled on the website act as a model for other performers. The platform also serves as a means for The Actors Fund to continue to find ways to aid senior SAG-AFTRA members in need. Upon registering for an account on the website, senior members have access to a community engagement guide that outlines the ways other institutions, theaters, senior centers and communities support individuals involved in the performing arts.

If you are over 62, check out PAL, browse some of the sites other actors have created and consider adding your own legacy. ​