Last year things got a little dark and difficult in the world of arts funding. Like many small companies and independent artists Slingsby was faced with the challenge of losing the security of ongoing Australia Council funding.
While we were pondering what our future might be our incredible community of audience members, international colleagues and fellow artists stepped in, lifted us up and took the lead by telling us just how important our theatre-making is to them.
Some people, many people, also made generous financial contributions to our fundraising campaign. Some of those donations were large and others more modest. All of them I deem as incredibly generous. This investment of money and hearty goodwill was the catapult that launched us into new dreams and greater ambitions.
Now that the reality of reduced funding has kicked in we need to continue to find ways to fund the making and touring our theatre. We also want to find ways to acknowledge the generous individuals whose personal donations balance the significant investment of the State Government of South Australia through Arts South Australia.
This was the spark behind creating our two new Giving Circles:
JOURNEYFOLK ($1-$999)
COUNCIL OF COMPANIONS ($1,000+)
To acknowledge the essential investment that these individuals make, our Giving Circles will be the PRESENTERS of our new production for 2017, a new stage adaptation of Erich Kästner’s Emil and the Detectives.
The great news is that we have secured a Creative Partnerships Australia Plus 1 Grant, which means every dollar donated to the Giving Circles will be doubled. If you donate $2 we receive $4. $1,000 becomes $2,000.
Theatre is a communal art form. It is all about bringing people together. To build on this we have created the BAND OF RUFFIANS – this collective will be made up of the children and grandchildren of our COUNCIL OF COMPANIONS. Our BAND OF RUFFIANS will have the opportunity to join with Slingsby artists and participate in special events – allowing us to share our love of theatre with the next generation of supporters.
If you can make a donation, small or big, you will be enabling us to continue to make and share theatre that means so much to the team of artists that we rally together. It will give us immense pride to name you as one of the PRESENTERS of Emil and the Detectives.
Thank you,
Andy Packer
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR