In March 2020, we faced what threaten to be an existential crisis. With theatres around the world were shut down to protect the public from the spread of the emerging novel coronavirus, COVID-19. With more than 80% of our revenue coming from ticket sales, we faced bankruptcy within six months…
Instead, something remarkable happened.
Thanks to the generosity of thousands of donors from across Cape Breton Island and around the world, we were able to raise the necessary funds in ongoing monthly donations (or the one-time equivalent) to ensure our survival through to July 2021. Our newly forged “Radical Access” program not only saved our theatre, but made national news with coverage in the Globe and Mail and the New York Times.
We set out to become the First Professional Community-Funded Theatre in Canada, and thanks to everyone on this list and so many more donating smaller amounts every month, we succeeded.
As a result of reaching this ambitious donation goal, all 12 Mainstage Productions of the year are being offered free of charge. If you have attended the HAT since August and enjoyed free tickets, these are the people to thank.
We don’t know what the future will hold and whether this new model will prove sustainable, but we have high hopes. We want to continue providing free theatre to the entire community forever and continue to be world-leaders in innovation and progressive programming. As long as we continue to meet our goals, we will continue. We are so grateful for this incredible support.
In December 2020, we were named one of the Globe & Mail’s “Canadian Arts Heroes of 2020”. That honour goes to everyone on this list, everyone who is contributing smaller monthly amounts, everyone who donated the cost of their ticket, and everyone who’s come to the HAT to see a show.
From the bottom of our heart: Thank you.
