Executive Summary.

Background

Edmond Town Hall is a historic entertainment venue in Newtown, CT. Built in 1931, it houses a 500-seat theatre and regularly hosts concerts, theatrical performances, comedy nights, and engaging speakers. Over the years, it has also become known as an affordable cinema. In addition, it has five rooms to rent for private events, helping to make it a rare profitable art organization. It’s a beloved local destination that improves the quality of living in a somewhat rural town. But, it still needs additional funding to support cultural programming. With a creative and strategic campaign plan, social media can help. 

State of the Arts

Perhaps no economic sector in American history had been brought to its heels like the creative industry during the pandemic. Based on historical accounts, it seems even the underground liquor scene was alive and well during Prohibition. Arts and live entertainment, on the other hand, came to a complete standstill. With mandated restrictions on public gatherings and travel, 99% of producing and presenting organizations canceled events for an entire performing season. An estimated 557 million admissions tickets went down the drain (Americans for the Arts, 2022). According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, the number of  “Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation” jobs dropped from 2.5 million to 1.2 million between February and April 2020.

Edmond Town Hall stopped all programming, and its staff fell victim to the industry’s collapse. They fired their Executive Director, and angry letters came pouring into the local newspaper. In the November 12th, 2020 edition of The Newtown Bee, former resident, Cynthia Curtis, wrote, “He was given two weeks’ notice that he would no longer be needed. What does this mean exactly? How do you eliminate a position that will eventually be necessary to manage Edmond Town Hall and all its activities once the pandemic is over?” Few of us had Cynthia’s foresight, but many residents certainly shared a similar opinion. Could social media have been used sooner to gain support for the arts?

In Connecticut, the arts are funded through the Tourism Fund. Connecticut levies a 15% occupancy tax on hotel stays up to 30 days in length. 10% of the total tax revenue collected by the Department of Revenue Services is deposited into the Tourism Fund after every quarter which, in turn, invests in arts, culture, and tourism through a variety of line items in the budget appropriated by legislators. It currently funds the Connecticut Office of the Arts, and is matched by roughly $1 million in federal funding through the Federal National Endowment for the Arts (Thompson, 2024). Connecticut ranks in the bottom 25% for arts funding, making grants extremely competitive for organizations like Edmond Town Hall. 

Contact

Phone: 203-304-1846
Email: johnrudolph@gmail.com
Instagram: @map.agency

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