Hello,
2016 has been a monumental year in the story of Red Stitch; we celebrated our 15th birthday by producing a season of compelling, relevant and innovative theatre that we are proud of. As you know, we were challenged by setbacks in the form of major federal funding cuts, yet with your help we have emerged more resilient. We were championed by so many of you with generous donations and advocacy, and the impact has been immense. With the help of the Malcolm Robertson Foundation and local government, and our Kindred family, we have been able to embrace more playwrights through our INK program – a vital part of what we do at Red Stitch. And, thanks to strong box office sales, a record breaking PLAYlist fundraiser, and your incredible support, we are moving into 2017 with another significant step forward with wages. Next year we will increase wages for all artists working with the company by 50%. Although we still have progress to make before we reach industry standards, this result is a triumph in our narrative and will have a real and important impact on our sustainability and each artist we work with.
Thank you. As a not for profit company, our ability to mount so many critically acclaimed productions over the last 15 years has been greatly assisted by the generosity of theatre lovers, our subscribers and private donors. We continue to be so grateful and overwhelmed by your support, and we believe that through our shared passion comes a great power. We are excited by the future possibilities of Red Stitch, and theatre in Australia.
If you want to further help our ‘little big theatre’ grow, we ask you to please consider a gift to Red Stitch this holiday season. By making a tax deductible donation to our Every Stitch Counts campaign you will continue to make a big difference (without a big cost), so we can keep doing what we do best – producing dynamic, thought-provoking theatre we all believe in.
From all of us at Red Stitch, we’d like to wish you a happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you at the theatre soon.
Love,
The Red Stitch Ensemble
