Building Community Through Theatre and the Arts

Think back to the first time you went to the theatre.

Did you attend the Nutcracker during the holiday season, or were you whisked back to an earlier era at a historical play at The Old Globe?

As San Diego celebrates Theatre Week, venues and organizations across the region are encouraging you to renew or deepen your connection with local performing arts. The San Diego Performing Arts League event is an opportunity for San Diegans to explore performing arts and culture in new and unique ways.

The weeklong showcase also sheds light on the link between philanthropy and the arts, and the impact it can have on underserved individuals and communities.

The Backbone of Arts and Culture

According to the National Endowment for the Arts, Americans donate approximately $13 billion annually to arts and culture organizations and programs. That amounts to $42 per U.S. resident.

San Diego Repertory Theatre’s production of Federal Jazz Project.

What’s even more interesting is that when compared to the rest of the world individual philanthropy is a distinct aspect of the U.S. art economy, as opposed to other countries where it plays less of a role, if any at all.

The report concludes that the U.S. system of public funding and philanthropic support can be credited with the substantial rise in art-making and participation over the past 40 years.

Here in San Diego, philanthropy is a key driver of the growth and success of our local performing arts venues, programs. In Fiscal Year 2015, San Diegans granted more than $7.75 million to nonprofit organizations through The San Diego Foundation to support arts and culture in the region.

And many of those organizations deliver programs and performances that support youth development and underserved communities throughout the region.

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Performance Art with a Purpose

Research has shown that performing arts help young people gain confidence, build leadership skills and develop a sense of community.

By increasing access to the theatre for students, and showcasing performances that are relevant to all communities in San Diego, we can grow a more vibrant region.

Today, across our region, local organizations are offering youth development programs that not only teach the arts, but incorporate life skills and training to help children grow into future leaders and civic-minded citizens.

We encourage you to donate to one of the many San Diego organizations ensuring that students everywhere have an opportunity to experience performance arts, including:

• A Reason to Survive
• The Athenaeum
• Balboa Theatre Foundation
• Christian Youth Theater
• Diversionary Theatre
• La Jolla Symphony & Chorus Association
• La Jolla Playhouse
• Mainly Mozart
• Music Teachers of California, San Diego (MTACSD)
• North Coast Repertory Theatre
• San Diego Children’s Choir
• San Diego Junior Theatre
• San Diego Master Chorale
• San Diego Opera
• San Diego Repertory Theatre
• San Diego Symphony
• Westwind Brass

Donate Today