 | | | Dear Friends,  November 2015
As it speeds to a close, it's clear that 2015 has been one busy year! Through stunning highs and lows everyone's been busy: Busy hoping for rain; surfing the web; sitting in traffic; feeling the Bern; stumping the Trump; rockin' the Pope. Busy paying your bills; not getting ill; avoiding police; finding a home- for cheap. Busy times indeed!
And we've been busy too! Busy booking our first national tour in 15 years! We're excited to bring Freedomland into the heartlands that were the genesis of the play's story.
Busy brainstorming ideas for our summer 2016 show and hosting various performances in our studio.
Busy planning to bring our playmaking workshops beyond Treat Ave into Hunters Point in 2016, and very likely into the Central Valley to work with inmates, migrant workers and youth to give voice to their issues through theater. In our corporate media-saturated world, SFMT's work to illustrate the issues of the disenfranchised through their own original plays is more critical than ever.
Busy preparing the 20th year celebration of our Youth Theater Project (YTP). Still growing, with both Fall and Spring sessions, we're now serving our second generation of Bay Area teens. Helping to create the artist-activists of the future continues to be a joyful privilege.
Busy meeting with our neighbors and a talented (and generous) team of local architects, engineers and builders. Together we've completed a Feasibility Study looking at improving our property to better serve us and the many displaced SF artists. The plan includes LEED certified and energy independent performance, production and gallery spaces with residency for visiting artists.
Busy welcoming new Collective member Lizzie Calogero and Board members Kate Harrison, and Curtistine Waldon-Hoes! And together busy beginning a Strategic Planning process. This requires us to redefine our goals and establish a sustainable business plan that will support those goals into the future. A large part of this depends on gathering information from you. Please fill out a survey and answer with as much honest detail as possible. We need to hear from you.
We've also been really busy writing grants-lots of grants! It's those special project grants that are making the above possible. Unfortunately, despite our frugality and skeleton staff, the costs of doing daily business and our free park shows continue to increase and the grants to underwrite performances are rare and highly competitive. This is why we continue to look to you through our regular appeals.
This year we purchased an improved sound system which made it possible for the actors to be heard and understood. Perhaps as a result, we saw a boost in hat donations at shows. But unfortunately, we raised much less in our critically important summer appeal. We need to raise $50,000 in this, our winter appeal. Please donate as generously as you can and keep us moving forward with our plans to stay busy performing, teaching, touring and working for a just future for all.In Continued Solidarity, The San Francisco Mime Troupe Collective, Board & Staff
Pledge to donate yearly or monthly: | |
We also accept checks made out to SFMT / mailed to: 855 Treat Ave, SF, CA 94110 P.S. A special reminder to San Francisco Property owners-when paying your property tax, please include a special donation to the Voluntary Arts Contribution Fund. The VACF is unique because 100% of all funds donated by taxpayers and others are passed directly on to the city's arts and cultural neighborhood groups. The Troupe has benefited from the VACF multiple times! |
Other ways you can support the troupe!
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Amazon Smile Have you heard of Amazon Smile?
It's still Amazon, but when you shop through Smile, 5% of your purchases can go toward your favorite non-profit organization... us! With the holidays just around the corner, this is a great way to support the Troupe while you do all of your holiday shopping. Learn more!
Buy some Troupe merchandise We have one stop holiday shopping for you! Visit our website and pick up a hat, t-shirt, hoodie, zipper pull, posters, and much, much more! Order online today ( holiday orders should be placed no later then Dec. 14th) OR let us know if you want to stop by to pick up your merchandise in-person and save on shipping! For an in person shopping visit, email Karen to set up a time.
Fill out the survey mentioned in our above appeal letter Here's the survey link again! Write a review about the Troupe Help us raise money from new sources by giving us more visibility. Write a review with Great Nonprofits for the company in general or for a specific show! Visit our Wish List Is there anything on our wish list you can help us check off? Forward this email to Troupe fans who might not be on our mailing list If everyone were to do this we would likely reach our $50,000 goal and start our 2016 Season off strong! Volunteer
Feeling over skilled and underutilized? Want to put those skills to noble use by volunteering for an understaffed theater company? Well this is your lucky day! The Mime Troupe is looking for skilled volunteer staffers that have organizational experience specifically in the areas of admin, finance and IT. Skills needed: Excel, Quickbooks, and Adobe Creative Works. If you are a retired professional who would like to put your years of experience to a new good use, please contact Ellen.
Come see our SF Youth Artist Perform Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 7:00pm Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7:00pm($10 suggested donation) No need to RSVP Doors Open 30mins before show time Location: |
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