Philanthropy Brochure 2014

Your support means the world’s a stage How you can help play a part at Bell Shakespeare

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THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, 2013

Bell Shakespeare

Philanthropy

We perform, educate and inspire.

But we need your support.

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Bell Shakespeare

We know what we are, but know not what we may be.

HAMLET

HENRY 4, 2013

THE 2013 PLAYERS TAKE OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMME ON THE ROAD

IN REHEARSAL FOR THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES, 2012

Philanthropy

Your help at every stage, is our future on every stage.

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BRING SHAKESPEARE TO LIFE You can help bring the greatest plays ever written to people all over the country – from Sydney Opera House, to local community halls and some of the most remote towns in Australia.

At Bell Shakespeare, we believe that Shakespeare and the other classic plays we present challenge our beliefs and urge us to see ourselves in a new light. Through our performances, our creative development programme Mind’s Eye, and our unparalleled national education, training and outreach programmes, we’re dedicated to making an impact.

If only ticket sales were enough to help us tour, teach and mentor new talent. They make up just 47% of our revenue.

So we rely on the generous support of trusts, foundations and individuals to help plug the gap.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible, and are gratefully received. Furthermore, from $500 you can be acknowledged as a Supporting Cast donor, which enables us to direct funds to the areas that need it most. Or you can choose a specific programme that you would like to support directly, or leave a lasting gift in your Will.

We are also seeking passionate and like-minded individuals to come together and form production syndicates; to not only be directly involved in bringing a production to fruition, but to also gain money-can’t-buy, behind the scenes access, experiencing how we create our award-winning productions.

All contributions to Bell Shakespeare are not only an investment in producing leading Australian theatre, they are pivotal in helping talented young artists ignite their careers and pursue their dreams as actors, writers and directors. They will also make Shakespeare accessible for young and not-so-young, socially and geographically marginalised audiences throughout the country.

With your help, we can continue to change lives.

Bell Shakespeare income by source

Box Office Donations & Corporate Sponsorship

Government — Core Funding Government — Touring & Education

Other

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Bell Shakespeare

Born in a circus tent, raised on the stage.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, 2011

It is no exaggeration to say that Bell Shakespeare changes lives.

It’s unique in its reach and ambition – with its extensive touring programme it’s making a priceless gift to thousands around the country.

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MACBETH, 2012

Philanthropy

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YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE Founded in 1990 by our very own National Living Treasure John Bell AO OBE, Bell Shakespeare began life in a borrowed circus tent, supported by the vision and generosity of one man, the late Anthony Gilbert AO. From these humble beginnings we’ve grown into Australia’s only truly national touring theatre company, bringing the magic of live theatre to over two million Australians.

Each year, at an annual cost of $5.9 million, the Company tours to more than 30 national venues, presenting a suite of productions – a combination of Shakespeare and other masterpieces that have stood the test of time – plus one production created especially for schools.

By making a gift to Bell Shakespeare, not only are you ensuring that the greatest works of all time are brought to life, but you are also creating employment opportunities for some of Australia’s most talented artists and creative minds.

We are here for the long haul, devoted to training and educating audiences and young artists. We endeavour to explore Shakespeare’s texts as a true reflection of our lives through the vital expression of our apprehensions and desires.

JOHN BELL CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

THE SCHOOLS PRODUCTION OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, 2013

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Bell Shakespeare

FIRST READING OF NEW SCRIPT TRICKY GIRL BY ALANA VALENTINE, 2013. PHOTO BY PRUE VERCOE.

What Shakespeare can achieve in the classroom and in inspiring young minds has so far proven to be limitless in its potential, and it’s having the opportunity to extend our work in this area that excites me the most.

PAUL REICHSTEIN, 2013 RESIDENT TEACHING ARTIST

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF INTIMATE LETTERS, 2013

Philanthropy

More than meets the mind’s eye.

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CREATING OPPORTUNITY Bell Shakespeare is proud to provide a number of opportunities that strengthen and support the Australian theatre industry – whether through our national touring productions, by offering the country’s only year-long acting employment positions via The Players, or through the nurturing of burgeoning talent through our Mind’s Eye and Creative Artists Programmes.

Conceiving New Australian Theatre: Mind’s Eye Mind’s Eye is our creative development arm that interprets Shakespeare’s ideas in new ways for new audiences. Through Mind’s Eye we seek out artists and companies to collaboratively explore a play, a theme, a speech or a philosophical idea that takes its inspiration from Shakespeare or other classics to develop a completely new work. By providing space for artists to research, experiment and test new work and ideas, we cultivate a philosophy of artistic exchange and view these partnerships as an investment in Australia’s creative future.

Alongside independent artists and groups, we have worked collaboratively with organisations such as the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Circa, and playwrights such as Alana Valentine and Caleb Lewis.

Your support could go towards commissioning a new work and would play an essential part in helping to create new opportunities and ideas, and support emerging talent.

My father — methinks I see my father.

Where, my lord?

In my mind’s eye.

HAMLET

Nurturing Australian Artists: Creative Artists Programme We are dedicated to training arts professionals through our Creative Artists Programme, where emerging theatre practitioners are given the unique opportunity to be employed

by Bell Shakespeare for a year as an Artist In Residence.

From dramaturgy and assistant directing, to developing new classroom techniques for teacher masterclasses, this programme provides insights into the workings of a professional theatre company and the chance for recipients to deepen their knowledge in the field of classical theatre.

Alumni of this programme have gone on to work for other leading theatre companies, with some also returning to Bell Shakespeare to direct work for our main stage (such as Imara Savage - Director, The Comedy Of Errors, 2013).

Your support is vital for the growth and development of professional artists and in ensuring the future of a robust Australian theatre industry.

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Taking the Bard to one and all.

It felt so good to have Shakespeare brought to life in our school and for the kids to appreciate it as they did. Some have never seen a theatre show before, many have but are not all that interested. Today there was something new: theatre that was exciting, funny, dynamic, touching and engaging.

SIMON AYLOTT, 2013 DRAMA TEACHER O’LOUGHLIN CATHOLIC COLLEGE, DARWIN NT

Bell Shakespeare

INSPIRING YOUNG MINDS Something magical happens when young minds meet Shakespeare. The language fascinates, the characters thrill. That’s why education has always been at the core of our activities, hand in hand with everything we do.

We present Australian theatre’s most extensive, wide-reaching and comprehensive education programme, providing many students with their first experience of Shakespeare, and sometimes, live performance. This programme enables students and teachers to see Shakespeare’s relevance as his stories reflect the stories of their own experiences and community.

The 2013 Educational Transformations report, commissioned by Bell Shakespeare and supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation, proved that Bell Shakespeare delivers tangible educational results.

At a growing cost of $3 million a year, every donation makes a significant difference to the breadth and extent of this programme.

Shakespeare in Schools: Actors At Work The Actors At Work programme was established by John Bell in the very first season of the Company and saw him personally performing for students in their school halls. To this day, it continues to inspire young minds, from primary through to high school students, with live 50-minute performance adaptations. The original dialogue is complemented by modern commentary and contemporary references to assist students’ understanding, increase their engagement and demonstrate the lasting relevance of Shakespeare. With only four banners and two road-cases of props, Bell Shakespeare’s actors, The Players, show students across the country that theatre can be created anywhere – all that is required is imagination.

Taking Shakespeare directly into schools costs us $3,000 for each Actors At Work performance, though we subsidise this and charge schools much less to participate. Your support will help us to reach students and schools who might not otherwise be able to have such an opportunity.

Philanthropy

CONCORD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A MASTERCLASS, 2012

In the Community: Bell Shakespeare Schools Festival This new initiative is designed to celebrate diversity, collaboration and encourage creative expression in students and teachers across Australia. Each year one of Shakespeare’s plays will be edited into three separate 30-minute sections.

From a selection of regional and capital cities, high schools will be chosen to rehearse one section of the play, with both students and teachers receiving professional guidance from our team of arts educators. The Festival culminates with a final performance of the entire play by three schools each night on the stage of their local theatre.

Teaching Shakespeare in the 21st Century: Digital Masterclasses To prepare students for a forthcoming Bell Shakespeare performance in their home town, our arts educators deliver one-hour, high-quality digital learning experiences live from Sydney Opera House, directly into classrooms throughout the country, covering the synopsis, key character journeys, set and costume designs, scene work and language.

I choose which Shakespeare to teach based on your offerings.

The students were elated coming home and spellbound during the performance. We really appreciate what Bell Shakespeare does to help make Shakespeare accessible and entertaining to students, it really helps us to teach it successfully.

JULIE GAINEY, 2013 ENGLISH TEACHER GEELONG COLLEGE, VIC

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Bell Shakespeare

Helping teachers, helping students.

RESIDENT TEACHING ARTIST, PAUL REICHSTEIN, LEADING A PRIMARY WORKSHOP AT LINDFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL, 2013

REGIONAL TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP MASTERCLASS, 2013

One of the few modest risks to students in this beautiful part of the world is insulation. The residency went a long way to countering this and to opening the minds of our students to the happiness, empathy and quiet confidence that comes from acting and studying the human condition as related by William Shakespeare.

JAMES WALL, 2012 HEAD OF ENGLISH MOSSMAN STATE HIGH SCHOOL, QLD

Philanthropy

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WORK THAT SPEAKS TO EVERY AGE Before we can convey our passion to students, we need to ensure that it resonates with those who educate them.

We recognise the importance of providing training and development opportunities for teachers, enabling them to benefit from our skills and years of experience to make sure they have all the tools they need to deliver their own inspiring Shakespeare lessons and performances. Bell Shakespeare offers a suite of professional development opportunities for teachers both in person and digitally, including everything from online support to National Teacher Forums, which take place in a regional centre in every state and territory.

Teaching the Teachers: Regional Teacher Scholarship This annual scholarship gives teachers the chance to spend four days working with the Company in Sydney to hone their drama and English teaching skills, share innovative techniques for teaching Shakespeare and create a forum for connecting like-minded individuals. We then invite selected participants to apply to receive a regional or remote residency at their school, to extend their learning experience and provide longer lasting impact in their school community.

Developing a Deeper Connection: Regional and Remote Residencies Our school residencies are one of our most impactful student programmes. Experienced arts educators present two weeks of tailored, highly practical and engaging process-based experiences for a range of students and teachers in rural, regional and remote schools. Through these residencies our arts educators develop trust, breaking down barriers of disinterest and insecurity, to answer the most important question students ask – what does Shakespeare have to do with me?

When we share Shakespeare’s stories with young people, there is often incredible relevance to their own experiences, particularly students from refugee and immigrant backgrounds. Through learning about the stories and characters, young people can explore their own dilemmas within the safe haven of play and drama, making sense of painful experiences, and finding empowerment through selfexpression. Through this process, they also show significant improvement in literacy, public speaking and self-confidence.

The ability to gain confidence with the material and engage in healthy debate with likeminded people in such an atmosphere is a rare treat for us.

STEFAN PULPITEL, 2013 REGIONAL TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT SENIOR SECONDARY TEACHER YIPIRINYA SCHOOL, ALICE SPRINGS NT It’s in remote Indigenous communities that we often find our strongest connection, where the touch points and similarities in Shakespeare’s stories reflect their own lives and culture. Arts educators also find that introducing Shakespearean language, where Indigenous languages are prevalent, allows the students to play with language and meaning for greater effect – even more so than usual within these multilingual, storytelling cultures. This often results in Indigenous youth using a ‘mash up’ of local language and Shakespeare’s text to understand Shakespeare’s themes and to make new meanings and stories, often demonstrating great pride in their own language and cultural identity in the process.

One such project was the Tennant Creek High School production of Lungkku And The Rose based on Romeo And Juliet, which was developed by Bell Shakespeare and the school and involved participation from the entire community.

The more remote the region, the more we must invest to get there – which is why, with a cost of at least $25,000 per residency, we can’t do it without you.

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Bell Shakespeare

Going the extra mile.

THE PLAYERS PERFORM AT JUNIPERINA JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTRE IN LIDCOMBE NSW, 2013

It brings the real me out.

PARTICIPANT, 2013 FRANK BAXTER JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTRE KARIONG, NSW

A GROUP FROM THE WAYSIDE CHAPEL ATTEND THE COMEDY OF ERRORS AS PART OF THE HEARTS IN A ROW PROGRAMME, 2013

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH Aside from our educational activities across Australia, we are also committed to providing opportunities for those who, through social and economic disadvantage, would otherwise not experience the power and magic of Shakespeare or live theatre.

Walking in Another’s Shoes: Juvenile Justice Our workshops with young people at Juvenile Justice centres — including Frank Baxter Centre (Kariong, NSW) for boys and Juniperina (Lidcombe, NSW) for girls — have had a powerful impact. Following an Actors At Work performance, young offenders are encouraged to nominate themselves for a series of drama workshops delivered by our arts educators. These fiveweek workshops focus on the play featured in the performance and involve drama games, storytelling activities, stage combat training, scene work and character development, ending with a performance in front of their peers, teachers and family members.

Similar to our school residencies, the workshops enable participants to reflect on the themes and issues within the play and connect them to their own stories, with discussions led on subject matter that may include teenage choices, suicide, action and consequence, ambition, and the influence that others can have on one’s behaviour.

The programme aims for young offenders to improve their self-confidence and motivation, explore self-directed learning, enhance their social behaviour and interaction, encourage self-reflection about their actions and consequences in regards to decision-making, and increase their academic and cognitive skills.

My students are aware that they have missed out in their lives on these kinds of enriching, education and cultural experiences and are extremely grateful that they have been given the opportunity to enjoy a live performance of a Shakespeare play.

ANNETTE MYLREA, 2013 ADULT LITERACY TEACHER KATOOMBA DAY AND EVENING COLLEGE, NSW

Shakespeare for Everyone: Hearts In A Row Our Hearts In A Row programme presents a unique opportunity to share a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience with individuals from disadvantaged schools and community groups. Hearts In A Row provides many people with their first exposure to Shakespeare and often live theatre and, for some, their first visit to cultural spaces such as Sydney Opera House or Arts Centre Melbourne. The experience includes a special pre-show talk from one of our trained arts educators, and free tickets and programmes for the performance.

Some of the groups we’ve worked with over the years include participants from Mission Australia, The Wayside Chapel and Liverpool Girls High School.

Donations of $10,000 or more provide an entire row of seats for a group of 30 and enable you to nominate an organisation or school of your choice to be the recipients of this unique experience.

LIVERPOOL BOYS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTEND A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM AS PART OF THE HEARTS IN A ROW PROGRAMME, 2013

HEARTS IN A ROW RECEIVED GOOD PRACTICE RECOGNITION IN THE 2013 CREATIVE PARTNERSHIPS PHILANTHROPY PROGRAM AWARD CATEGORY

BELL SHAKESPEARE

students reached on average

per year + another 70,000 online

4,000 Most number of

cities visited on one main

stage tour Between both teams

THE PLAYERS

perform for students for

weeks each year

Philanthropy

Even a rich tradition needs a little help.

Now in my 80s, I wish I could be more certain that, as I nod off, I will feel on the back of my neck the hot breath of like-minded successors.

They will be intent on the same enjoyment and satisfaction that I have experienced.

THE LATE ANTHONY GILBERT AO

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PLAY YOUR PART Without help from donors, our final curtain would have dropped years ago.

Our reach and capacity are only restricted by the limitations of funding. As a not-for-profit organisation built on a foundation of giving, every dollar we receive is invested back into the productions you see on stage and the work we take into the community.

Donations to Bell Shakespeare can be made in the following ways: Supporting Cast This programme enables us to allocate funds where we need them most, with donors recognised in the following levels:

$50K+ $25K+ $10K+ $5K+ $1K+ $500+

Stage VI Stage V Stage IV Stage III Stage II Stage I

Doing It Your Way If you prefer to directly support a programme or initiative that particularly speaks to you, please contact us to discuss how you can support our work, your way.

A Lasting Legacy Thanks to the foresight and generosity of the late Anthony Gilbert AO, Bell Shakespeare has become the accomplished Company that it is today, and his legacy still lives on.

By leaving a bequest for Bell Shakespeare in your Will, you create an enduring gift that helps to ensure future generations are introduced to, and inspired by, the work we do.

Give us a hand.

Your Donation I wish to support the work and future of Bell Shakespeare by making a Supporting Cast donation of: $1,000

$5,000

$10,000

$25,000

$

(other amount)

I would like to learn more, please contact me about: Leaving a lasting legacy to Bell Shakespeare in my Will

Supporting a specific Bell Shakespeare programme

Your Details Mr

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Acknowledgement Please acknowledge my donation as: I would like my donation to remain anonymous

Payment Details E nclosed is a cheque made payable to The Bell Shakespeare Company Fund Please debit my credit card

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Please make my tax-deductible receipt out to: Thank you for your support.

We will send you a receipt shortly.

Please return this completed form to the Bell Shakespeare Philanthropy team via: Email giving@bellshakespeare.com.au Fax +61 2 9241 4643 Post (no stamp required) Philanthropy, Bell Shakespeare, Reply Paid 10, MILLERS POINT NSW 2000 Donations can also be made by calling +61 2 8298 9017 or visiting www.bellshakespeare.com/support

The Bell Shakespeare Company Fund is included on the Register Of Cultural Organisations and endorsed by the Commissioner of Taxation as a charitable institution and Deductible Gift Recipient, so every donation made of $2.00 or more is fully tax-deductible. The Bell Shakespeare Company Limited ABN: 87 050 055 251

Get in touch ZoĂŤ Cobden-Jewitt Head of Development T +61 2 8298 9070 M +61 409 340 240 E zoecj@bellshakespeare.com.au Sarah Jackson Philanthropy Manager T +61 2 8298 9017 M +61 404 033 516 E sarahj@bellshakespeare.com.au

The design and printing of this brochure has only been made possible thanks to the generous support of our partners:

Bell Shakespeare has kept the environment in mind when printing this brochure. We have used Nordset 140gsm paper stock from BJ Ball Papers – an environmentally friendly paper product that is chlorine free, carbon neutral and sourced from managed forests. Special T Print have also used soy based inks in the printing process and have recycled all waste for future use.

Bell Shakespeare T +612 8298 9000 F +61 2 9241 4643 E giving@bellshakespeare.com.au W bellshakespeare.com.au PO Box 10, Millers Point NSW 2000 Level 1, 33 Playfair Street, The Rocks Sydney, Australia