Business and theater— it’s a complicated love affair, and artists all over the world can relate (click here for another perspective). In a perfectly funded world, we’d spend all our days dreaming up new lesson plans, choreographing routines, sketching out set designs, performing in front of young people, inspiring future artists, and empowering youth all over the Treasure Valley through quality theater arts education. Money? What? Business— what’s that? Expenses? Never heard of them! But the fact of the matter is, NOTHING we do as an arts education organization would be possible without business plans, fundraising strategies, and support from generous sponsors and donors. This is what we call: The Business of Theater.
TVCT students who participate in a performance program are also invited to engage in our “The Business of Theater” curriculum unit where they step into the role of “producer,” learn about the costs to produce a show, how to raise funding to cover those costs, and how to approach a local business and seek sponsorship. The Business of Theater transitions into our highly successful Sponsorship Challenge activity; an average of 8 out of 10 students finds a sponsor to fully underwrite their participation fee and support the costs of the production. It’s a real-life, skill-development experience that is unique to TVCT and supports the costs of the production.
What are the costs?
How much does it cost to do what we do? There are a lot of expenses, both big and small, and they add up quickly. Scripts, costumes, office supplies, set building supplies, royalties, rent, insurance, payroll, marketing, admin fees, the list goes on and on and ON. Let’s break it down a bit, just to put things into perspective.
- The average cost to purchase a script for one student actor: $15 (multiply by 12-40 actors)
- The average cost per student to wear a costume in a show: $30
- The average cost of royalty payments per show: $150 (a royalty is a fee we pay per scheduled performance for each show, this is a legal responsibility for most works we produce)
- The cost of 8 hours of an artists’ time to mentor young performers: $200 (this includes our professional directors, teaching artists, and specialty experts)
- The average cost to rent class or rehearsal space in other venues (not TVCT headquarters): $300
- The average cost per show for set building supplies and props (combined): $800
- The cost to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at one performance: $600
The pie chart below demonstrates the category of costs we budgeted for in Season 2023:
How do we pay for it?
We rely on a variety of revenue sources to fund our programs. The chart below outlines the general areas of support and what we’ve budgeted for Season 2023.
Some areas of revenue are less reliable than others (grant funding, for example), while others are relatively consistent.
Areas of opportunity
One area we are paying close attention to is the Fundraising line. This week (May 1-4. 2023) is Idaho Gives, an annual, statewide campaign to support local nonprofits. It’s an important time of year for us to raise funds to support our performance season. We also rely on the generosity of our amazing TVCT Change Maker Members, who make a modest ($10+) recurring donation to support our operations. Change Maker Members receive benefits such as early registration access, discounts on merchandise and concessions, and insider details. These monthly donations might seem small, but (just like production expenses) they add up to make a big impact. As of May, 2023, Change Maker Members fund $750 per month, supporting important expenses that impact our ability to produce programs. More consistent donations could make an even bigger impact. Think about it like this:
- If every one of our active TVCT families (996) donated just $5 a month, that would cover the cost of our rent and utilities combined – leaving more funding for programs.
- If just half of our active TVCT families donated just $10 a month, that would cover the cost of our performance program season, including our fall tour.
- If all of our Instagram followers (1,087 as of May, 2023) donated just $5 a month, that would cover the cost of all our annual business expenses (insurance, taxes, supplies, etc.) AND our rent and utilities – freeing up a health $65,000+ for more programs that empower youth and connect community.
How you can help
Approaching art as a business can sometimes feel disruptive to the creative process. But business and art are necessary partners, especially when we know that the work we are doing is changing lives. This is why The Business of Theater matters, why we teach our young performers about it, and why we ask for your help. We are incredibly thankful for everyone that supports us and contributes, whether it’s $1 or $1,000, so that we can continue to change the world, one theater kid at a time.
To give during Idaho Gives and have your donation matched by one of our 4 match sponsors, click here
To become a TVCT Change Maker Member or to start a fundraiser on behalf of TVCT, click here
