Red Barn’s Big Night Out Program for the 2023 – 2024 Season Is Now In Its Third Year
For our 44th 2023-2024 Season, with generous funding from the Florida Keys Council of the Arts to help, Red Barn Theatre, for the third year in a row is rolling out its Big Night Out. Red Barn is working with non-profit community partners A.H. Monroe, Sister Season Fund and Take Stock in Children of Monroe County for this season. Altogether the three organization received sixty (60) gift certificates, each good for two free tickets (120 tickets total valued at $6,360) to any mainstage production. The Red Barn also gives out numerous gift certificates to other non-profits for give away at charity auctions, raffles, and fundraisers.
History
Year 2 – 2022 – 2023 Season: $10,500 in Grants Funds $16,000 Program
Red Barn was granted $3,000 from the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys (CFFK) and $7,500 from the Florida Keys Council of the Arts ABC grant. That leveraged $5,500 from Red Barn. Red Barn worked with Sister Season Fund, A.H. Monroe, Take Stock in Children, Keys to Be the Change, SOS Foundation and Florida Keys Foster and Adoptive Parents Association to provide 312 tickets. 145 tickets were redeemed. Some of the grant money not used was forwarded to 2023-2024.
Year One: $5,000 Grant Funded Program
For the 2021-2022 Season, the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys (CFFK) granted Red Barn $5,000 to provide free tickets for those in need. Red Barn worked with Sister Season Fund, A.H. Monroe, and the local Take Stock in Children to provide approximately 140 tickets during the season. 77 tickets were redeemed.
How This Came About
The data we collect on our customers and just a look around the audience will tell you that in the past our traditional audience skews older and wealthier than the average resident. Two tickets cost $106 with fees. Think about how strapped the working class is on our island, especially with the cost of housing.
Mimi McDonald, Managing Director, Joy Hawkins Artistic Director and the Red Barn Board have always been generous in providing tickets to those who asked but wanted a more formal program and wanted to expand the audience beyond the usual suspects. Red Barn doesn’t have the wherewithal to figure out who’s in need and then provide them with tickets. But the grants specifically called for arts organizations to partner with other organizations in the community. And THAT was the aha moment that made the Big Night Out project click. Instead of Red Barn finding a way to identify people in need, it could partner with organizations already serving those in need. Red Barn gives these organizations the tickets and they in turn give them to worthy clients.
How It Works
Red Barn produces Gift Certificate, each with two free tickets, and divides them up between the organizations. Each gift certificate has a unique Discount Code. This allows the recipients the ability to go online and purchase their tickets ony any night to any of the shows without having to call the Box Office or to be identified in any way. This way the participants can blend in with everyone else and be part of the community.
Said our friends at A.H. Monroe of the program:
“Live theatre at the Red Barn, often featuring our friends and neighbors, provides sure uplift...especially since attending ANYTHING live has been in short supply for the past twelve months.
The joy this opportunity will bring to our clients, living with HIV/AIDS, as well as our tenants living in our housing facilities with disabilities other than HIV/AIDS, the elderly, homeless veterans, and low-income households is without measure. For them, it represents an evening “on the town”, and the benefits of this are many: socialization, creative indulgence, connectivity to new worlds and amazing stories and escape from everyday worry. No film, TV show or book can provide that instant and, more importantly, shared gratification of in-the-moment theatre.
We look forward to distributing tickets to our clients and Housing residents and, toward that, we urge you to fund this special grant request from Red Barn Theatre. They are the best, and we give them a standing ovation for innovating this lovely program.”
If your organization is interested in collaborating with us, contact our Development Director Chris Hamilton at chrishamilton170@gmail.com.
