donate | sponsor | volunteer
On this page you’ll find a list of opportunities for contributing financial resources, goods and services, or simply your own time and talents, all in the cause of building community and culture through art. Click on any way of becoming involved that interests you.
Why support an independent theatre production by theatre no. 6? For a start, check the Frequently Asked Questions section on this page, where you’ll find a few reasons why we think joining the team on one of our projects could be a worthwhile thing to do.
The first thing to know is that no donation is too small. You may be surprised to find out how far a small gift can take us toward realizing a big project. If your annual budget is on the higher end, you may be surprised to find out how little it costs for you to make a whole production possible with one signature.
Thank you for your interest in knowing more about donating to tn6 projects.
We welcome your interest in sponsoring us. We’ll have more information about how to do so on line very soon, once our Sponsor page is ready. Meanwhile, please contact us by e-mail or by telephone at 780.803.0161.
Are you looking to expand your advertising reach, or target a new demographic in the promotion of your products or services? Consider advertising in our show program.
Ads can be placed by purchase or by exchange of goods or services in kind. Contact us anytime to talk about whom and how many you’re likely to reach with any given show.
Our audiences generally cover a wide range of demographics, including a strong representation from the following groups:
If you believe in what theatre no. 6 does, or you simply enjoy contributing to the the success of any artistic or theatrical endeavour, the generous donation of your time and abilities is always welcome. If you’re on a budget, volunteering can also be a great way to see one of our shows for free!
Here’s a list of other areas or ways in which you could help make any one of our shows a great success:
When you buy a ticket to an independent, not-for-profit show, the money you spend goes right back into the production. It might help cover the cost of the venue rental, or equipment rentals. Or it might help pay for technicians, or for promoting the show. If all our production costs are covered, your admission goes directly to the artists.
If you buy a ticket, we also receive the great gift of your energy in the theatre as an audience member. Ask any performer and they’ll tell you their job is so much easier in front of a full house than one with too many empty seats!
Help keep us spinning on the web by sharing, liking, retweeting, following, and making friends with us on Twitter, facebook, and Instagram.
Join our e-mail list and be kept up to date about tn6 shows, events, news, and announcements!
We’re going to do our best to keep this website an interesting place for you to come back to again and again, especially if you’re interested in commentary or in reading feature interviews with theatre artists on our blog.
Why support independent theatre in Edmonton?
A strong independent theatre community is vital to the health of the greater theatre community. Here are a few reasons why:
Supporting independent theatre enriches Edmonton’s cultural scene.
The established theatre companies in town are fantastic at what they do. But they can’t speak to every audience, or program every play that’s worth seeing in a season. They also can’t always take the kinds of risks that artists producing independently are often willing and able to take. Especially if you have a taste for plays with challenging or edgy content, or aesthetics that are off the beaten path, our cultural scene – and Edmontonians’ – will be the richer for your support.
Supporting independent theatre keeps artists who’ve chosen to live in Edmonton employed and improving their craft.
Independent theatre productions enable theatre artists in Edmonton to work more consistently throughout the year. And by working more consistently, those artists get better at what they do. By supporting independent theatre, you’re not only helping artists make a living, you’re helping them reach greater heights of artistic achievement. That’s something everyone in our community can enjoy.
Supporting independent theatre helps to develop the artists of tomorrow.
The independent theatre scene is a crucial developing ground for young, up-and-coming theatre artists. Some of the best theatre artists in the country were trained right here in Edmonton by the Theatre Departments at the Universities of Alberta and Grant MacEwan. At one time or another, most of them have honed their skills in the city’s independent theatre scene. Every spring there’s a new crop of performers and theatre artists hungry to practice their art for real and show the world what they can do. By supporting the independent scene, you’re stoking an important crucible in which the great Canadian theatre artists of the future are forged.
Independent theatre is the preferred choice of workplace for an increasing number of emerging and veteran artists.
Not every artist is going to work for the established theatre companies. But that’s not because they aren’t excellent at what they do. Sometimes they just don’t fit the mainstream mould. Or they may not share the same artistic vision. Just as it takes all kinds of people to make the world that Shakespeare called a stage, so it takes all kinds of artists to make the stage a world that accurately reflects our own. Art is meant to show the world its own image. By supporting independent theatre, your sharpening the resolution of that picture by helping make room for other interpretations, visions, and modes of expression.
theatre no. 6’s independent productions aim to heighten our understanding of Canada.
We believe that art has a responsibility to reflect its audience and its time. Culture also shapes the identity of a society. For theatre no. 6, theatre is one of many ways for Canadians to better understand what’s going on in Canada today. By supporting a cultural activity like independent theatre production – and theatre no. 6 in particular – you’re actively participating in an ongoing discussion about Canada’s ever-evolving and elusive identity.
Are sponsorship levels and benefits negotiable?
Of course. Tell us how you’d like to support us, and together we’ll figure out a win-win situation that works both ways.
Are my donations to theatre no. 6 tax-deductible?
theatre no. 6 isn’t yet a registered charity so we’re unable to give out tax-deductible receipts to individual or corporate donors. But you can take satisfaction knowing that you’re money has gone to support art, artists, and skilled technicians in our community.
If a tax-deductible receipt is important to you, we recommend you look up some of our friends, like Theatre Yes, Theatre of the New Heart, or Punctuate! Theatre.
How much does an independent theatre production usually cost?
The cost of an independent theatre production varies from project to project. A show with a cast of four performers generally costs on average in the neighbourhood of $75,000. That amount of cash can usually guarantee everyone involved a minimum professional salary. It will also make a modest campaign to promote the show an affordable expense.
However, most independent projects are usually accomplished on a much, much smaller cash budget. They do so by calling on favours, relying on the good will of friends and volunteers, buying second hand, and securing as many goods and services as possible by exchange in-kind. Often the artists also subsidize the production by working for wages well below standard professional minimums.
Don’t grants pay for art?
They pay for part of a theatre project. However, granting agencies expect artists to demonstrate that their funding is coming from a wide range of sources, including box office returns and private donations. So by supporting an independent theatre project with a cash donation or with goods or services in-kind, you’re often helping to increase the chances a project will receive a grant.
Can I dictate how my money is spent?
Within reason we will do everything we can to accommodate special requests of this nature. However, there are certain basic expenses that always need to be paid for with cash at the outset of a production in order for the project to move forward effectively. These costs include but are not limited to venue rentals and related fees, technician fees, equipment rentals, set and costume purchases, and advertising costs.
I still have questions!
Please contact us! We’ll be happy to answer them for you!