In this blog I usually discuss rehearsals, set designs, background research on the plays NC Stage presents - you know, the fun stuff. But if you'll forgive me, today I'm going to take a moment to talk about fundraising and advocacy.
The other day, we realized that we have 473 current contributors listed in our playbill. As a non-profit professional theatre, individual contributions are crucial to our operating budget. So we set a goal for ourselves to reach 600 donors by May 15th. The good news is, we've reached our goal! We also got some great personal response from donors - you can click here to read the most recent email with some of those responses.
In that email, I also asked all of our supporters to do me a favor.
One of my duties, besides running the theatre, is advocating for the arts in Asheville and on a state-wide basis. As an example, I recently made a presentation to the Asheville HUB on behalf of performing arts groups in town and, most recently, visited our representatives in the NC State Legislature on Arts Day to encourage them to maintain funding for the NC Arts Council.
Every time I make a case for funding the arts, these bodies seem most interested in how much money arts activity generates (which is a lot, by the way). But focusing only on dollars and cents is dangerous: it risks minimizing the intrinsic value of the arts to our community. That’s not cool.
So whether or not you are able to give a gift, I’d like you to share your story in the comments. What does a well-produced play achieve for you and your community? How is it meaningful in these strange times we live in?
When I am out in the community advocating for the arts, I will use these stories to help me illustrate the value of art in our community. (Plus, it will be a shot in the arm for the NCSC staff when they need a little inspiration!)
So I hope you’ll take a few minutes to respond and share your story.
Thanks!
Charlie
