An Urgent Request to Secure our Future
Like so many families, businesses, and organizations, OCT has struggled over the last year. The reality of rising costs to produce our work—from the cost of materials to increased rental and labor costs—has forced us to scale back, producing fewer shows in our season and offering fewer classes. Arts organizations have been hit especially hard in the last year, with additional funding from government sources and foundations becoming more scarce. Families have been slow to return to the theatre, meaning ticket revenue was lower than anticipated. We know that, for many families, there is a real financial strain and the cost of attending live theatre is a luxury many can no longer afford. We recognize that we simply cannot continue raising ticket prices to compensate for rising costs.
The reality facing us now is that, unless OCT is able to secure additional funding, our future is dire. The future of the company—and the livelihoods of a whole community of artists, technicians, teachers, and support staff—are on the line during this uncertain time. Our goal is to raise $150,000 or more as soon as possible, and we need your help now more than ever. Without this funding, we will not be able to continue our mission to ensure access to the arts for all young people in our community.
There is so much that is lost if an organization like OCT closes its doors. There are the very real implications—lost jobs, a decline of arts programming for schools, a loss of that magical experience where many young people connect with their families and create memories that last a lifetime. But losing a youth-serving arts organization has much deeper consequences than these: we know that participation in the arts increases our capacity for empathy and understanding of the world around us. Attending live theatre together strengthens bonds and provides an avenue for important conversations. In our schools, the arts foster critical social-emotional skills, and supports all areas of learning. If we cannot achieve our goal, thousands of young people will lose access to these transformational experiences, ones that help them to imagine a better world for themselves and their communities.
If your family has been enriched by the stories you’ve seen on our stages, if your child has grown through our education programs, if you’ve created memories with us or believe in the power of the arts to inspire and support young people, now is the time to give. Help us continue to make high-quality theatre productions and programming accessible to young people and our community. We need your help now so that we can continue our work for the next 35 years and beyond.
how did we get here?
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What happens next?
With your support, OCT will be able to offset expenditures and continue offering our acclaimed education programs over the summer. Your donation will also secure a stronger financial position for us to return to the stage this fall.
Behind the scenes, OCT is reimagining what our organization can be and do moving forward. We will be engaging with local communities to learn more about the ways we can serve youth and families. We will be creating new programming to support our mission of increasing access to the arts for young people. We will also be evaluating our business model in order to reduce costs while still providing extraordinary experiences to families like yours. A donation to OCT now not only keeps us operating in the short-term, but provides resources that will allow us to pause, reflect, and rebuild stronger than before.
more Ways you can help
Make a donation: OCT needs funding now to sustain our operations over the coming months. Consider a monthly donation to supply ongoing funding and a steady stream of reliable income. Take a look at all the ways to donate directly by clicking here.
Register for camps: Summer camps start in just a few weeks, and registration fees offset costs of teaching artists and support scholarship programs. As part of our ongoing mission to serve young people, we have never turned away a student wanting to participate for lack of funding.
Buy a gift card for future productions: provides funding now you can redeem for tickets later
Join our Board of Directors: If you are looking for ways to give beyond donations, consider donating time and a gift of service by joining our Board of Directors. For more information about Board service, please contact Board President Dré Slaman.
Consider a sponsorship or in-kind donation: if you own a business and want to benefit from sponsoring OCT, learn more here. Gifts to OCT, both financial and in-kind, are tax-deductible.
Reach out to your local government reps and remind them that the arts are crucial and are still struggling, and encourage them to fund arts programming. You can find your Oregon State Legislators here.
Share our message on your social media or with others in your network. If OCT has impacted your life in a meaningful way, please share your stories and help spread the word.
Let us know your thoughts—we want to know how we can best serve you and your family moving forward. Our reality is that OCT must change and evolve, and we want to do so knowing what would benefit our families the most.