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KEEP CUTTING BALL ROLLING!

Help us reach our goal of $45,000 by March 2024 to keep our doors open! 

At Cutting Ball Theater we find ourselves in an unfortunate position to deliver some deeply disappointing news. As many of you may be well aware, the current funding landscape for theater in general, but especially theater in the Bay Area, has been prickly and dwindling at best in recent years following the pandemic. State funding is down, Foundation and major donor funding for the arts is down, and in spite of applying for more grants than ever before, and seeing inspiring ticket sales from our community so far this season, Cutting Ball is facing possible closure as early as April 2024.

Even the most storied, established arts organizations are feeling the impact of our current arts funding crisis so unfortunately it's an industry wide struggle that we have also succumbed to. However, being one of the last arts organizations in the Tenderloin, we feel a strong sense of responsibility to preserve the longstanding neighborhood tradition of radical, experimental art.

We strive to be more than just a place to purchase tickets; our community and neighbors matter to us. We have worked tirelessly this season to do on the ground outreach to Queer and BIPOC artists, to open our doors to anyone who wants to participate in art, and to share any and all vital survival resources we have with those who need them most.

If artists don't have space to experiment, to push the boundaries of their form and discover what is new, visceral, and vibrant then the arts scene as a whole withers. Small experimental spaces are the roots to the whole performing arts ecosystems.

Art is a community service, and is only made possible by robust community support. This is why we are deeply asking for our community’s support. With your help, there is hope to be able to save this beloved venue and continue to deliver and create experimental art.

 

We need to raise $45,000 by March to keep pushing and ultimately $200,000 by June to fund the whole season and get us on a good start for next season. 

 

Keep Cutting Ball rolling with any donation big or small at cuttingball.com/donate

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WAYS WE SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES

WAYS WE SERVE ARTISTS: 

  • Providing San Francisco Bay Area artists equitably paid work. We are a non-equity professional theater paying actors $20/hr whereas larger organizationS with more resources, pays non union actors minimum wage.
  • Our current Variety Pack festival is paying 40 Bay Area artists including playwrights
  • Provide artists of all ages a space to experiment and take risks with their artistry
  • Prioritize equitable and collaborative internal working culture
  • Working towards eliminating the wage gap between executives and entry level positions
  • Nurture ongoing relationships with artists
  • Provide entry level opportunities for early/mid career artists
  • This season supported four early career designers through apprenticeships
  • Provide resources to underrepresented populations to share their stories
  • Play a vital role in the theater ecosystem by providing an entryway for new works to develop and make it through the pipeline towards larger regional theaters
  • Contribute fresh, exciting, radical ideas to theater arts


WAYS WE SERVE OUR AUDIENCES:

  • Provide affordable access to the theater through our sliding scale ticketing structure
  • Provide first look at art that is coming into the scene
  • Provide access to Interactive and experimental arts experiences
  • Provide access to a mix of thematic stories including reimagined classics and world premieres
  • Provide opportunities for audiences to access SF’s historical experimental arts scene
  • Provide access to a wide range of authentic cultural representations and stories
  • Foster creative thinking in audience members and inspiration to experiment and take risks in their own lives
  • Provide education highlighting the Tenderloin History and important Tenderloin changemakers through our lobby displays

 

WAYS WE SERVE OUR TENDERLOIN COMMUNITY:

  • Provide access to our space free of charge to artists and tenderloin community members
  • Provide access to free art supplies, sanitation products, narcan, and a welcoming and caring environment.
  • Provide free classes, coaching, and workshops to Tenderloin youth and young adults through partnership with Larkin Street Youth Services, SF Boys and Girls club, and other small education based organizations in the Tenderloin.
  • Provide support for small businesses in the tenderloin such as the Transgender District and Code Tenderloin through our raffles.
  • Provide free access to performances through community tickets and community night performances
  • Provide exposure to Tenderloin visual artists through our Lobby Art Display
  • Provide Tenderloin artists access to art and theater making
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DONATE TODAY >>