Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arts And Culture Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Dance Theatre brief commission on programs and ask for continued support
Summary
Alabama Shakespeare Festival leaders and Alabama Dance Theatre managing director thanked the commission for support and described education and regional outreach; Dance Theatre asked for financial assistance for an upcoming production and listed production cost breakdowns.
Leaders from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and Alabama Dance Theatre briefed the Montgomery County Commission on programming, education outreach and funding needs, and thanked commissioners for recent support.
Eve Loeb, development director for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, told commissioners the festival is an $8,600,000 nonprofit whose operations and education programs rely significantly on contributed income and county appropriations. "We are an $8,600,000 business, not for profit business," Loeb said, and she described the festival’s School Fest program that sends professional teaching artists into local schools. Quinn Gresham, the festival’s new artistic director, said he hoped to expand regional attendance to bring greater economic benefit to Montgomery and to maintain affordable ticket prices so more residents can participate.
Emily Flowers, managing director of Alabama Dance Theatre, described the company’s regional reputation and outlined production costs for an upcoming Snow White program. Flowers said staging a new show for about 85 dancers requires music rights (she cited roughly $4,000), rental of the Davis Theatre for rehearsal and performance weeks (about $9,000 per week) and combined stage, costume and technical expenses that she totaled at about $33,000. She said the company previously received a $20,000 county appropriation last year and asked for whatever assistance the commission could provide this year.
Commissioners and presenters emphasized the organizations’ educational value: Festival staff noted partnerships with local schools including Percy Julian and Park Crossing, and commissioners praised the affordability of performances for students. Commissioners expressed strong verbal support and several offered assistance locating audiences and potential donors; no formal appropriation votes were taken at the meeting.
