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Fox Theatre Deepens Commitment to Community with Launch of Reimagined Community Partnerships Program “Fox Gives”

Staff Report From Georgia CEO

Thursday, March 14th, 2024

Nonprofit expands philanthropic efforts by more than doubling financial commitment to preserving historic theaters and providing vocational opportunities in entertainment for youth

Building upon a rich history of cultural engagement spanning nearly a century, the Fox Theatre proudly introduces its expanded community partnerships program, Fox Gives. As the philanthropic arm dedicated to strengthening communities through theatre, the program furthers the iconic institution’s preservation efforts and support for theaters throughout the Southeast and highlights the same power of community support that once saved the Fox Theatre. By more than doubling its financial investment, Fox Gives aims to restore historic theatres and offer new vocational opportunities for young individuals passionate about the arts.
 
“The evolution of Fox Theatre Institute to Fox Gives marks a significant milestone in our longstanding desire to give back and make an impact,” explains Allan Vella, President and CEO of the Fox Theatre. “From our humble beginnings as a struggling non-profit theater, we've channeled our preservation mission into a beacon of hope for other historic venues throughout Georgia and nationally. Now, through Fox Gives, we've deepened our impact and introduced new programming to empower the next generation of students to discover a career in entertainment."

A standout feature of Fox Gives is the All-Access Pass program, designed to mentor high school students by offering them firsthand insights into the diverse careers in entertainment. In contrast, the acclaimed "Fox in a Box" initiative continues to provide elementary students with interactive educational experiences that tie the theatre’s history to broader societal lessons.

Fox Gives is set for significant growth in 2024, directly benefiting from a portion of every ticket sold at the Fox Theatre. This strategic approach ensures the ongoing development of each program under the philanthropic umbrella of the Fox Theatre.

Fox in a Box
Fox Gives continues delivering a holistic educational experience through Fox in a Box. This interactive elementary school program focuses on how significant events in the Fox Theatre’s timeline intersect with key classroom lessons, from American history and the Civil Rights Fox in a Box program will launch in summer 2024 and continue through the 2024/2025 academic year. This enhanced virtual offering will feature a new bilingual English/Spanish virtual lesson, ensuring a more inclusive and comprehensive learning experience. Also, the student activity booklets will have a new Spanish translation, increasing access to learning in Georgia’s schools.Top of Form

All-Access Pass

The newly launched All-Access Pass program is designed to open doors for high school students interested in the arts, offering them a complementary behind-the-scenes look at the many careers in the enteratainment field. Unlike the elementary-focused "Fox in a Box" initiative, All-Access Pass invites high school students to learn about the critical backstage roles—from lighting and sound to stage and venue management—that make a production come to life. Through partnerships with local educators and industry experts, participants will enjoy complimentary admission to select shows as wellas interactive discussions that reveal the path to working in the world of entertainment. Following the inaugural year, in which schools will be selected by the Fox Theatre to participate, each year, this initiative will benefit students from two schools that are selected through an annual application process and one from the community associated with the Fox Theatre’s new Multiyear Grant Program.

Single-Year Grant Program
The Fox Theatre's single-year grant program continues to support the arts through historic preservation and restoration with an annual budget of $500,000. This program is divided into categories tailored dresses the diverse needs of historic theaters and related structures, ensuring they continue to thrive as cultural and community landmarks.
  • Urgent/Emergency Needs: Funds immediate actions required to save historic structures created by situations such as fire, water damage, natural disasters, general disrepair that threatens the building's integrity and/or imminent demolition.
  • Historic Structures Studies or Planning: Provides awards for the completion of historic structures studies or planning annually, essential for the informed preservation and maintenance of historic sites.
  • Technical Assistance and Services: Enables grant recipients direct access to experts and resources tailored to meet a variety of specific technical preservation needs.
  • Preservation Grant: Designed to engage community-wide participation and support for local preservation projects, fostering a sense of communal pride and ownership.
Multiyear Grant Program
Starting July 1, 2024, the Fox Theatre is excited to introduce a new multiyear grant program to further foster economic and community development through arts and culture. This innovative funding approach supports a single organization over a two-to-four-year period. With a history of contributing $3.2 million to historic theaters across the Southeast through its single-year grant program, this new initiative represents a deepening of the Fox’s commitment, pledging up to $500,000 per recipient to make a more lasting impact. Additionally, to support students' educational aspirations in these communities, the program will award a $5,000 college scholarship to a deserving student from the grantee community after the 2024/2025 academic year.
 
The first grantee under this new program will be the Hart County Community Theatre in Hartwell, Georgia, which will receive $500,000 to aid in the restoration of their century-old venue, building on a previous emergency grant of $23,000 awarded in the 2022/2023 fiscal year.