Park Theatre needs your help!

edited June 2012 in Local discussion
As you've probably seen, we're building a theatre on Clifton Terrace, right beside Finsbury Park station.  We're hoping to be in the building by the end of the year, opening two theatre spaces with an exciting and diverse artistic programme, not to mention a fantastic café and bar that will be open all day!  We've been conducting tours for people who work in the industry, but we'll also be doing more tours for local residents in the coming months.  If you're interested in seeing the site, then please do email Amy on info "at" parktheatre.co.uk<div><br></div><div>We've raised over two million pounds privately to build the theatre, but we're still trying to raise a final £150,000 to build a dedicated Education Floor that will house all of our outreach work.  From day one, we'll work with over 500 children and 200 adults, targeting groups that are often excluded from theatre.  We believe that a great theatre should be at the centre of its community, and that it can make a huge difference to the local area.  </div><div><br></div><div>We spend every day pursuing trusts, funds and corporations, but ultimately we aren't going to be able to secure the space without the help of local residents.  We've just launched a Just Giving campaign, where you can read more about how we plan to transform the creative life of the area.  Even the smallest donations bring us closer to our target, but some of the best ways to help us are completely free.  If you like our vision for the area, then letting other people know about us and rallying support for our cause will make a massive difference overall.  Let's start changing Finsbury Park today!</div><div><br></div><div>http://www.justgiving.com/parktheatre</div><div><br></div><div>You can also read a call to action from Artistic Director Jez Bond here:</div><div><br></div><div>http://parktheatre.co.uk/our-blog/this-is-about-you</div>;

Comments

  • <div>This Park Theatre? The one that's giving site tours?</div><div><a href="http://stroudgreen.org/discussion/comment/41660">http://stroudgreen.org/discussion/comment/41660</a>; </div><div><br></div><div>The one that the writer in residence recruited N4 stories about?</div><div><a href="http://stroudgreen.org/discussion/2142">http://stroudgreen.org/discussion/2142</a>; </div><div><br></div>Perhaps most importantly, the same Park Theatre that members of this website have already raised £500 for?<div><a href="http://stroudgreen.org/discussion/comment/49082">http://stroudgreen.org/discussion/comment/49082</a>; </div><div><br></div><div>Yes, we've heard of it. Glad to see our contribution so highly valued.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>
  • IanIan
    edited June 2012
    O oh Park Theatre - time to have a word with the new PR company about their community engagement strategy ...<br>
  • edited June 2012
    you already raised 2 million, so how come a measly 150,000 is so unobtainable... slash the fund raisers' fees if they can't make it to the total ... by ... say ... 150,000?
  • I think it was a copy and paste job but a worthy cause all the same, am going to donate
  • edited June 2012
    <p>Seriously? Was the funding strategy not worked out prior to the works commencing?  You want to be taken seriously as an educational resource by appealing to individuals for a £5 / £10 donation?  Out of interest have you spoken to Platform who didn't ask for a whip round to finish of their building works and who have a really strong education policy?  </p>
  • I think it's more that the fundraising went better than expected so they realised that they could get an education floor in rather than having to flog that space as a flat. I would be interested to hear how they plan to work with Platform though.
  • I'm not sure the above responses are that encouraging for an interesting venture starting up in the area. What's wrong with asking for donations? You get asked for one every time you buy a ticket at the roundhouse and similar. We should be supporting this sort of activity, not criticizing. I've so often read comments on this website complaining about the homogenization of the area; well here's the chance to support something local, cultural and socially beneficial. Some may not have seen the previous posts (I hadn't), so I hardly think they should be jumped on for reinforcing a message asking for cash.<br>
  • <p>I think that the point is that the theatre has had lots of great support (including financial) from members here already, and it was slightly surprising that they didn't acknowledge this, and that whoever posted the press release had no idea that anyone from the Park Theatre had ever posted on this forum before.</p>
  • edited June 2012
    @nick_m: ... great talk .. but what about the walk? ... lets us know when you've coughed up, and how much ... if only to shame the rest of us! Seriously though, I will gladly support the theatre ... by buying tickets for shows.
  • @Nick_M nothing at all wrong with asking. In fact, we are all so excited about the Park Theatre coming, a bunch of us have already clubbed together and sponsored a seat.<div><br></div><div>Nothing wrong with asking us again, as I'm keen to support them in the future.</div><div><br>But treating us like we're complete strangers is shoddy. Fundraising and community engagement should be a conversation, not cut-and-paste spam. It's not like there's a fundraising team of thousands there. </div>
  • But on the substance, it sounds as if opening day may be slipping ("by the end of the year" instead of "autumn")?
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