FUNDRAISING Registered charity number 242977
Be A part of it Enriching lives through theatre and performance ‘The Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds is one of the most beautiful theatres in the country’ Dame Judi Dench
A warm welcome to you… The commitment and generosity of people who love the arts is more essential than ever in today’s financial climate. This special Theatre has been entertaining people on and off for almost 200 years. But its survival is down to all those who have cared for it over the generations and relished what it has to offer. The building itself is unique. It is the last remaining Regency Playhouse in the UK and is worthy of being protected for future generations. However, it is also firmly rooted in the present as a major contributor to the cultural landscape of Suffolk and beyond. We present and produce a high quality, year-round programme of professional drama, music, dance, light entertainment and heritage, and aim to keep ticket prices as low as we can. As importantly, we have a strong sense of our obligation to the community. The performing arts at one end of the scale can help teach life skills to an individual, and at the other they can provide a life line. That social responsibility is realised through our Creative Learning department. We believe we have a role in enriching people’s lives. Of course, one of the aspects enjoyed by so many is the Theatre’s well known and wonderful sense of intimacy. However this unique environment is also a challenge. As a small-scale theatre in a Regency building, we can only ever sell a maximum of 350 seats. So we rely on private support to maintain both our future stability and our ability to reach out to the community. I hope you will take the time to read through this brochure and see how we can work together to contribute to securing its future.
Stephen Bourne Chairman Dangerous Corner 2011 Cover: Cider with Rosie 2010
‘I love how special this theatre is. It’s so lovely for a town like Bury to have such an amazing theatre with such a great atmosphere.’ Jess, aged 15
Here is what your support will help us to achieve… • The Theatre Royal generates just under £5m into the local economy each year • 80,000 people are welcomed through our doors each year • Our aim is to have a ticket price somewhere in the theatre which is affordable to all.
The Art
The Theatre Royal presents and produces just under 400 performances throughout the year. It also provides a stage home for productions from much loved and respected amateur companies. You can enjoy everything from top quality drama; to new writing; to evenings with distinguished artists and celebrities. A rich and varied cultural offer for our community.
Creative Learning
• 6,000 children and young people take part in our creative learning activities throughout the year as workshop and project participants • Specific schools performances generate young audiences in excess of 4,000 • Just under 50 schools engage with our creative learning activities.
Community work
We run projects and activities which benefit, amongst others, disabled people, those with mental health problems, young people at risk, senior citizens and those on low income or in rural parts of Suffolk who have little access to the arts.
Heritage
Built in 1819, this Grade 1 listed playhouse is the only surviving example of a Regency theatre in this country. We offer a special programme of heritage work presenting guided tours of the Theatre, workshops, rehearsed readings, and events designed to reveal what theatre-going from the early 19th century onwards would have been like.
Tax incentives for donating to the Theatre Royal
Generous tax incentives exist for UK taxpayers supporting charities like the Theatre Royal. In some circumstances the cost to you of making a gift can be under 50% of its value to the Theatre Royal. If you are a UK tax payer and make a donation to us then the Theatre Royal, as a charity, is able to claim back the tax that you have paid on that donation and this amounts to an extra 25p for every £1 that you give us. We are a charity and any financial surplus we make is invested back into the Theatre Royal and protects this historic building for future generations.
‘Costume Creators is one of the best things to ever happen to me.’ Kelsey ‘I would like to say that my son has really enjoyed himself and his confidence has grown tremendously… so thank you for helping him.’ Parent of Youth Theatre member
Well 2013
Our Fundraising activities The role of the Development Department is to raise £220,000 each year to help keep the Theatre healthy and here for future generations. This represents 14% of our turnover on top of the 65-70% we generate through ticket sales, the bar and commercial enterprise. That is outstandingly impressive for a performing arts organisation. We raise this figure through Sponsorship, Individual Giving (Patrons and Friends), Fundraising Events and Charitable Trust applications. We are enormously grateful to our supporters who help to achieve this remarkable amount.
We hope you will help through one of the following ways… THEATRE ROYAL FRIENDS AND THEATRE ROYAL PATRONS… Friends and Patrons are individual giving schemes. There are six levels of annual giving to choose from and, in return, Friends and Patrons enjoy a range of special benefits. They can choose an area of specific interest to support, be it education, community work, the art, or heritage. BUSINESS SUPPORT… We enjoy mutually rewarding relationships with many businesses and have much to offer corporate supporters. Indeed, it is very rewarding that over 75% of the organisations with whom we work come back to sponsor us again. CHARITABLE TRUSTS… Much of the support we need to enable our community projects, or help protect our unique heritage status comes through the generosity of Trusts. Organisations like us are the vehicles for delivering a trust’s philanthropic aims. ADVOCACY… If you know of someone who might be able to help, then please tell them about us. They might become a Patron, or run a business that could benefit from our working with them; or know of a charitable trust interested in our community and education work. FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE…We run some wonderful events. An Evening with… John Simpson, Sir Derek Jacobi, Joanna Lumley, Lesley Garrett, Sir Michael Parkinson, Sir Stirling Moss, plus a range of dinners, colourful events and performances. We always need more people to join our committees or suggest their own ideas for fundraisers. Or by simply MAKING A DONATION and supporting a thriving arts venue which is a registered charity, a tremendous community resource, a life-line for many vulnerable individuals and a splendid and beautiful heritage site.
Rapunzel and the Rascal Prince 2012
‘The Georgian theatre was one of the vital periods of our artistic history; and these buildings, with their intimacy and their sense of human proportion are masterpieces. Bury’s Theatre Royal is perhaps even more precious than we think.’ Sir Peter Hall CBE
Ways you can support the Theatre Royal as an individual and the benefits we offer in return Theatre Royal Friends £47 (or £25 if you are under 26 years of age) • £1.50 off up to two tickets for many performances • Priority Booking a week before the opening of each new season • Regular news hot off the press • Friends’ events and discounted guided tours of the Theatre • Guaranteed returns up to 24 hours before a performance.
We are able to Gift Aid the levels below and receive an extra 25% from the government to increase the value of your donation.
Donor Friend £120
all the above plus invitations to special events and rehearsals.
Theatre Royal Patrons £250, £500 and £1,000
all the above plus your name on our Roll of Honour board in the Foyer and in our programmes and • Two tickets as our guests to a Patrons’ Preview Evening • Your own personal tour exploring the Theatre’s 200 year old history with your friends • An invitation to the new Season launches • Invitations to Open Rehearsals of our own productions • Personal assistance from the Development team.
Theatre Royal Benefactor £2,500
all the above plus care from the Development Department tailored to your interests.
‘How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world.’ William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
Come and throw a beam – Support the Theatre Royal and play a part in our future together. Julia Read Head of Development tel: 01284 829942 email: julia@theatreroyal.org
Emma Suckling Development Manager tel: 01284 829952 email: emma@theatreroyal.org
Our Supporters The Theatre Royal would like to offer heartfelt thanks to our wonderful supporters for their kindness and generosity.
Sponsored walk 2010
Blackthorpe Barn
Worldwide Theatrix Limited
Life Patrons Colin Blumenau, Sir Peter Hall CBE, Sir Jeremy Isaacs, Sir David Rowland, Judith Shallow, Timothy West CBE Joanna Lumley OBE, March 2012
Theatre Royal Patrons and Major Donors Jennifer and Nicholas Antill, Derek and Valerie Blake, Stephen and Stephanie Bourne, Gyles Brandreth, Tony and Marie Brown, Duncan Burke, William and Lynn Cardale, Gordon Cawthorne MBE and Judith Cawthorne, in memory of John and Molly Cheston, Prof. Michael Chisholm, The Croft Family, Patrick and Heide Daniels, Sarah Davies, Simon Daykin, Ian and Alison Duncan, Richard and Anne Freeman, Vivien Gainsborough Foot, Chris Grady, Richard and Anne Greenfield, Stuart and Melanie Henderson, David and Gillian Hodge, Eric and Hazel Humphreys, Ian Hunter QC and Jill Hunter, Hazel Jackman, Peter Jackson CBE and Anne Jackson, Stephen and Victoria Jenkins, Peter Jones, Penny Kelly, Jim and Carol Keohane, Ian Lavender, Peter and Julie Merrick, Sir Michael Parkinson CBE, Nicholas Pearson OBE and Fiona Pearson, Heather Phillips, Julia Read, Michael and Catherine Redmond, Susan Roberts, Paul Romaine, Judith and Mike Shallow, Graham Showell, Charles and Suzanne Simpson, Prof. Richard and Dr Margaret Smith, Martin and Karen Soons, Simon Spence QC, The Stamper Family, David Taylor, Rick Wakeman, The Very Revd Dr Frances Ward, Eric and Ann Warner, Sarah Wenban CBE and Peter Wenban, Deborah Williams, Eileen Wise.
D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust / The Alfred Williams Charitable Trust / The St Edmunds Trust / St James Wealth Management / Rural Youth Trust / Lavenham Theatre Group Registered charity number 242977 Sir Michael Parkinson CBE, May 2013
‘It’s not just any old theatre it’s MY lovely theatre.’ Dawn Roberts, audience member
£500
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The Theatre Royal has registered 501( c ) 3 status and donations are tax deductible for US tax payers
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Gift Aid Declaration I confirm that the amount I pay in tax each year exceeds the amount the charity will claim and that I would like all donations that I have made to the Theatre Royal since 6th April 2000 and all donations in future to be treated as Gift Aid donations until I notify you otherwise.
Gift Aid is a government scheme designed to encourage charitable giving by making it tax effective to both donor and charity. A charitable gift is treated as a net amount by the Inland Revenue so by using the Gift Aid scheme the Theatre Royal can reclaim the basic rate of tax from the Inland Revenue and add it to your donation. This means that for every £100 you give, we get an extra £28 from the Inland Revenue, helping your donation go further. If you are a higher rate taxpayer you can declare your donation on your tax return and reclaim tax relief on your donation at 18% (eg the difference between the higher rate of tax at 40% and the basic rate at 22%). All you have to do is make a Gift Aid declaration. This is just a statement by an individual taxpayer that they want a charity to get back from the Inland Revenue the tax paid on their donation. If you are a UK taxpayer and want us to benefit from Gift Aid, please sign below:
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