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In
today’s fast paced, get it and go, one stop shopping world,
traditional downtown areas are having a hard time surviving. This
same societal change has also led to hard times for the Performing
Arts as people find it easier to watch a DVD or Pay-Per-View than
attend a live performance. Interestingly, in recent years the
successful partnership between downtown communities and the
Performing Arts has led to a beneficial relationship that can help
both of these seemingly unrelated attractions prosper.
Casual Arts
is a coalition of Builders, Directors, Designers and Strategic
Planners dedicated to the revitalization of city centers through an
infusion of Comedy, Music, Theatre and other Performing Arts. Our
members come from all areas of the arts and business community
across the Nation and share one common goal – to foster the
Performing Arts while revitalizing city centers.
Drawing
on our combined experiences, we
work with groups and
municipalities to help them jump start their downtowns by partnering
with the Performing Arts. Assistance provided includes
revitalization guidance, facility planning, equipment loans, and
sponsoring Artists-in-Residence to work locally, directing
productions, installing equipment, training volunteers and providing any other
assistance that may be needed.
It is
our preference to work in the background, providing advice and
support to established organizations that are using an Arts project
as a catalyst in their downtown's revitalization effort. To
strengthen the Arts in the area around the revitalization we also
reach out to local performance groups and schools, providing them
with technical and management assistance.
In
rare cases we will purchase historic theater buildings to save them
from demolition or conversion to non theatrical uses.
These buildings are stabilized and held until local organizations
can raise the funds to acquire and restore them. In cases
where there is a downtown revitalization underway and there is not a
suitable local organization to restore the theater we may restore
the theater and then help create an organization to take over
ownership and operation of the theater.
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