Cape Breton: WOW!

In only 24 days, the Highland Arts Theatre has gone from the brink of bankruptcy to 80% of the way towards their total goal of $50,000 in monthly donations to sustain their enormous operating costs and to bolster a new ticketing model dubbed: Radical Access.

Much of this success was earned this past Sunday with the first ever HAT-a-versary Telethon, celebrating 6 years of operations at the Highland Arts Theatre and rallying supporters from across the country towards their fundraising goals.

“At the beginning of the telethon, we were at 38% and by the end we had more than doubled it,” said HAT Artistic & Executive Director, Wesley J. Colford. “I couldn’t believe it.

Business executive and successful entrepreneur, Annette Verschuren, and her husband Stan Shibinsky were responsible for a large portion of that jump with a pledge to match donations for the duration of the telethon up to $60,000.

Other surprise donors were quick to jump on board, including Gail Rudderham-Chernin and Marty Chernin who together pledged more than $15,000 as well as Protocase who pledged an additional $10,000 annually. Other donors like Hugh Toner and Chris Eyking pledged $300 per month in support of the initiative, and Councilor Steve Gillespie pledged $100 per month with a challenge to all local politicians to do the same.

The telethon was broadcast live from the HAT website and Facebook page, expertly produced by local streaming company, NovaStream. On Facebook alone, more 13,000 viewed some or all of the 4-hour marathon. Highlights included Emma Stevens and her Mi’kmaw translation of Blackbird, a rocking opening from The Ashbys, and a preview of the new musical John & Jen which will debut at the HAT this August.

While the HAT has yet to achieve 100% percent of the goal, unlocking “Radical Access” for all 12 Mainstage productions over the course of the year (free tickets for everyone), because they are so close, they have decided to offer both August Productions (John and Jen as well as Daniel MacIvor’s House) free of charge as “an experiment in Radical Access”.

It is Colford’s belief that the theatre company will reach the remaining 20% before the end of August, becoming the first Professional Community-Funded Theatre in Canada.

“We’ve gotten 80% in less than four weeks, what’s another 20%? This is what we’ve been waiting for. There are so many regular patrons who we know were holing out because they couldn’t donate and also buy tickets. Now they won’t have to. Now it’s inevitable.”

The telethon will continue to be available to be viewed on the HAT website and facebook page and donors are encouraged to continue pledging at the following link:

http://www.highlandartstheatre.com/radical-access

Tickets for House and John and Jen were released to Radical Access donors for advanced pre-access starting Monday, however on Thursday, July 23^rd tickets for all 32 performances will be released to the general public and anyone can book online or call the HAT Box Office to reserve their seats for world-class theatre at a cost of $0.

For full information on #RadicalAccess fundraising goals, as well as information on how to make your donation pledge, visit the HAT website at: www.highlandartstheatre.com

WATCH THE FULL TELETHON