Your Impact
Our family of philanthropic donors and supporters is instrumental to so many elements of our work, from supporting the commissioning of new work, to taking the Company on the road and underpinning many of our education and outreach activities. In 2020, the generosity and commitment of our donor and supporter community was critical to maintaining the stability and sustainability of the Company through such a financially unpredictable period. Philanthropic and sponsorship income represented 27% of Sydney Dance Company’s revenue in 2020. We welcomed the significant support of a number of grant-making trusts in 2020, including the Neilson Foundation, Thyne Reid Foundation, The Balnaves Foundation, Crown Resorts Foundation, Packer Family Foundation and Nelson Meers Foundation. As we adapted many of our programs to suit virtual connectivity in light of physical restrictions, their flexibility was transformational as it allowed us to pursue opportunities to keep our community connected. As we cancelled the first performance season of the year, we were heartened by the immediate response from our audiences, with 23% of those who held tickets donating their value, many of whom were making a gift for the first time. With additional cancellations of both our Melbourne and second Sydney seasons, this generosity continued. As with all of our activities in the first half of 2020, our donor engagement shifted online and we were delighted to be able to continue to “meet” with
our donor family in a series of virtual gatherings. From “opening nights” of Cuatro and Dance Locale, to Zoom cocktails to celebrate what would have been the start of a national tour with our Touring Circle, we were so pleased to be able to stay in touch, thanks to the power of technology. As restrictions eased and the dancers returned to the studio, we hosted a number of online rehearsal viewings, live from the studios, giving our community the opportunity to enjoy the rare treat of watching dance! Rafael and the dancers kept busy and creative, making numerous short videos and digital diaries to share. Our donors learned much about the dancers’ lives, interests and personalities that they wouldn’t have otherwise known; who knew that Victor Zarallo was a budding TV chef who makes a mean Spanish omelette! We celebrated a number of international awareness days, including Happiness, Dance and Gratitude and joined charities around the world in celebrating Giving Tuesday Now in May. The short film the dancers made to acknowledge Giving Tuesday Now was shared widely and resulted in generous support from 152 new donors to the Company. Fundraising dinners are a cornerstone of Sydney Dance Company’s philanthropic calendar and, in pre-pandemic in February 2020, supporters were delighted to attend an exquisite evening with Rafael, the dancers and the Australian String Quartet in the home of Board Member Carla Zampatti AC to raise funds for
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2020 Impact Report
