I attended the One Theatre World Symposium in Philadelphia in 2003 as an Observer, charged with the task of reporting back to the ASSITEJ board of directors on my discoveries. I felt a great responsibility to capitalize on the new knowledge I gained and, in some way, strengthen the field through my experience. Starting the Firehouse Theatre, outside of Salt Lake City, UT, was a direct result of my attending that conference.
Here is an inside look at the stepping stones and stumbling blocks of my new adventure: The Firehouse Theatre for Youth
The Foundation
Our first obstacle was obtaining our 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit status – a time consuming task that forced us to consider our vision, budget, proposed marketing techniques and Articles of Incorporation. We were approved during the initial review and avoided the further process required if additional information or changes are necessary. As a result, we received an official notice granting our 501 (c) (3) status less than 30 days after our application was submitted – much quicker than the normal 120 day turnaround.
This official non-profit status was key to raising funds and establishing credibility. In fact, without it we probably would have been left without much of the 30% of our total funding that was supplied through tax-deductible donations.
Research
We based pivotal decisions related to the theatre on the answers to three key questions:
- Is Davis County a good place for a theatre?
- When and what type of show should we do?
- What can we expect in attendance?
Based on a recent study by The Performing Arts Research Coalition, “ The Value of the Performing Arts in Five Communities” (March 2003), we learned that there is a strong relationship between education level, higher income levels, and arts attendance. Fortunately for us, we found from 2001 Census data that our county has a higher percentage of its population over 25 with Bachelors degrees, and that our median household income is greater than other parts of the country.
| |
Davis County |
Utah |
United States |
| Bachelor’s Degree or Higher |
28.8% |
26.1% |
24.4% |
| Median household income |
$53,726 |
$45,726 |
$41,994 |
Our research confirmed our intuition that our own backyard was ripe for the establishment of a theatre for young audiences.
Our research also suggested that holiday productions sold the best. We therefore programmed The Velveteen Rabbit, a holiday-themed show, as our very first to play in December. This proved to be a poor decision. What we did not account for was the fact that the research was most likely taken from established companies who had a complete season of shows and whose holiday offering, on average, sold better than other shows of the season. As a result of trying to produce a show during a very busy season, our attendance suffered.
Using data taken from the 2000 US Census and the ASSITEJ 2003 Marquee, we estimated our potential audience by looking at six other theatres with similar overall populations. From this data we anticipated that our audience size could be anywhere from 12,000 to 15,000, and to be safe, split the low number in half. We used that projection to estimate our ticket revenue, but only played to 2,850. We failed to recognize that, again, we had compared ourselves with established theatres with full seasons. We learned that attendance data needs to be evaluated in the context of one’s particular circumstances.
Development
Our goals when creating our first development materials were to introduce ourselves to the community and to solicit funds. Our first direct mailer was sent to friends, family and neighbors, and their response was encouraging. Some sent in contributions and more expressed their enthusiasm for the new theatre in our community. We invited selected businesses in the community to come see the show, donate to the theatre and/or advertise in our playbill – a venture that proved less successful. While this forced us to learn that businesses are hesitant to contribute to a new program, it did help us realize that it is essential to seek funding from a variety of sources.
At the end of our first year, 30% of our revenue was comprised of contributions from individuals, government entities, private corporations and foundations Unfortunately, 63% of our revenues came in the form of capital contribution--our savings. The balance of our revenue was from ticket sales and school performances. We learned that along with time and effort, starting a business requires significant financial commitment.
We received a grant from Eccles Foundation, a prestigious local foundation. Not only was the money helpful, but we accepted the grant as a vote of confidence. When other foundations learn that the foundation has donated money to our theatre, we hope they will be comfortable in following its lead.
Now, with the help of a professional development consultant, we are in the process of creating a multi-year development plan for the theatre. Our consultant will work with us to identify donor organizations that share our vision, narrow down our choices, contact the organizations to confirm we are a good fit, and write grant applications to the organizations most likely to respond favorably.
Community Response
Part of our mission is to send the message that we’re committed to making our theatre an integral part of the community. To that end, we partnered with our city, Kaysville, UT (population 22,000). We recruited an arts-loving city councilman to serve on our board of directors who was helpful in communicating our desires and needs to the city. We also worked with the city’s recreation director who allowed us use of the former city firehouse for performances, rent free. We used city space for our opening reception, and advertised our show on the city marquee and website, where the city sold tickets for us as well.
After receiving our development materials, seeing our posters around town, and hearing of our new theatre by word-of-mouth, many in our community voiced their support for our cause. The theatre seemed to take on a life of its own. After bringing The Velveteen Rabbit to their elementary schools, principals called anxious to book us for the upcoming school year. Parents inquired about the next performance and when they could begin signing up their children for our summer theatre academy. The local visitors bureau requested information about the theatre to include in its materials. We are becoming as much a part of the community as the high school and the local barbershop.
Partners
I received priceless advice from many in the field, including Lucy Hazlehurst, Managing Director of the Tarradiddle Players, the touring company of the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. She noted that her company’s greatest asset is their volunteer committee, comprised of around 300 women who provide services ranging from box office help to ushering. She suggested, via email, starting an auxiliary of men and women behind the scenes who would function as helpful volunteers, different than a board but equally as valuable.
We were grateful for the volunteers who helped us with the opening reception, with costumes and set construction. I recognize now, however, that we only scratched the surface of possibility. At times it seemed easier to simply do things ourselves, rather than involve others and take the time to explain what we needed. Thankfully, one of our core volunteers has offered to help spearhead the volunteer recruiting efforts for the next season.
We also learned the value of finding businesses with whom we could build solid relationships. One local business sponsored all of our printing needs and also allowed us to use its vacant warehouse space for set construction, storage and a few rehearsals.
We tried to fit in with the culture of our community, advertising at the local grocery store because we knew that people who shopped there were the kind of people we wanted to attract. Building these kinds of relationships with community members creates a strong springboard for the future. It also gave the community a sense of ownership.
Manage Growth and Expectations
We are now learning the importance of managing growth and expectations. We are currently arranging to bring in an international piece for performance next fall, and we are planning our first summer theatre academy. Our five-year plan calls for productions in the fall and spring, and theatre academy classes in the summer for the first three seasons. By year four, we hope to build to three or four productions in the fall. While working on our artistic endeavors, we still must build our audience, shore-up our financial support system and expand our board of directors. So far, we have selected only a few individuals to serve on our board, but we know that with time we will need greater expertise and will expand our numbers as circumstances dictate.
Managing my own expectations, however, can be more difficult. I constantly find myself comparing our new theatre to the many established theatres across the country, the theatres I studied in school. I am learning that most theatres don’t start with a million dollar budget. I am learning that finding a great script, a brilliant director, a solid cast and creative designers is only the beginning. I must remind myself that many theatres do not have perfect facilities, and outreach programs don’t just exist—they have to be built.
From very humble beginnings we have laid the foundation for the future of The Firehouse Theatre for Youth. To begin, it has taken research, a solid development plan, focus on the community, and strong partners. To succeed will take careful management of growth.
Megan Ann Rasmussen is the Producing Artistic Director for the newly created Firehouse Theatre for Youth in Kaysville, UT.
Megan Ann can be reached at MeganAnnRasmussen@msn.com
