Offering Practical Support

Ours is a slightly unusual approach to the arts world because we don't necessarilly adhere to the belief that arts should be a wholly governmentally subsidised field. While it is true that subsidy is necessary in some cases and that arts organisations setting up for the first time or setting up new projects would need initial cash injections to get them running, the notion of a grant system that operates as a cash cow to keep afloat projects which would otherwise be doomed but offer nothing tangible to the community and are of little interest is in many cases reprehensible and indefensible. We believe that it is necessary for arts companies to operate like many other businesses in that they have a solid plan that will offer good foundations on which to build, and that they are able to see in their futures a degree of self sufficiency, that is coupled with working partnerships with other industries, and moderate and occassional applications for grant funding once they are up and running, for new projects, or in cases where they have hit problematic times and are looking for a way through to more stable periods.

In this way the funding system would operate as a welfare state for the arts, and would offer far greater opportunity for new companies to get off the ground because it would not be expected to support an ever growing pool of organisations. And those organisations would have an incentive to produce work with interest and of practical support to the community as well as being of sound artistic integrity and solid entertainment value.

This is precisely what we do and how we work out what will be on the production list year to year, so that all the work produced serves the community in one fashion or another but rarely singles out extremely minor demographics. But we cannot do it alone and this is why we look to the community and the commercial sector for support in our goals. Our principle work is geared toward the National Curriculum and our aim, locally at first but in an ever growing area, is that every student at GCSE and A Level will be able to see, or have access to, full productions of works they are studying, and that, if we can raise sponsorship and funding in sufficient amounts, that that access will eventually be free of charge. For this we look for sponsorship from companies and donated support from anyone that can, and as every little helps, nothing is too small (or too large!).

Also, support does not have to be solely financial. We need quite literally everything from materials for sets props and costumes to vehicle maintainance, so if you thought you'd like to help but didn't think you could, think again, but think laterally. Every penny we save on one donated item or service essential to the running of the production is a penny we can spend on things that we cannot get without buying them. The end result is the same, the plays go on, the unemployed get to restart their carreers, and your children get the vital element they have been missing in their education, a chance to actually see what they are studying, brought to life in front of them.

If you would like to help us in any way or you just want to explore the possibility write to this address marking your envelopes Phoenix ArtsEducation Trust in the top left hand corner. Alternatively you can email us, fax or telephone, either way, we'll be happy to hear from you.