Knock at the Gate Receives Major Gifts from Former NJ Governor and Philanthropic Fund

The non-profit immersive audio company Knock at the Gate has received two major gifts from former New Jersey Governor the Honorable Thomas H. Kean and the S. Dillard and Adrienne Kirby Family Philanthropic Fund. The funding will support the new company's mission to create transportive, accessible and inclusive 3D audio experiences around reimagined classics, designed for the dark and pair of headphones. The support will help fund Knock at the Gate’s efforts to expand the reach of its work to audiences who have been historically marginalized in traditional theater going experiences including students, veterans, visually impaired, and lower income around the world, and to grow educational initiatives launched in partnership with Universities around the United States. 

 

“Knock at the Gate is a groundbreaking artistic endeavor for a brave new digital world,” said former New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean. “I am excited by their vision for the future of the arts using 3D audio, and I’m thrilled to support this promising company’s singular work and inclusive mission and I encourage others to do the same. I have not heard anything quite like the work of Knock at the Gate. Audiophiles, theatre goers and Shakespeare lovers alike are in for a transportive experience.”

"As long-time advocates for the power of the arts, especially in classical theater and Shakespeare, we are delighted to champion the out-of-the-box work of Knock at the Gate," saidS. Dillard Kirby (on behalf of the S. Dillard and Adrienne Kirby Family Philanthropic Fund at CFNJ). " My wife and children have been fans of Artistic Director Joe Discher for over 30 years and can well appreciate the impact of these immersive audio productions among listeners around the world and from all walks of life. We look forward to what is ahead."

 

Co-founded by theater makers Joe Discher and Sean Hudock, Knock at the Gate's third 3D audio experience The Tempest: A Surround Sound Odyssey, will be broadcast worldwide Winter 2024 with casting and release date to be announced soon. The company’s past critically acclaimed virtual productions, which place the listener at the center of the action, include Macbeth: A Surround Sound Experiment and Caesar: A Surround Sound Experiment which have streamed to thousands of listeners worldwide. To learn more, hear clips and donate, visit www.KnockattheGate.com 

                                                     

 

ABOUT KNOCK AT THE GATE

 

Fueled by works of Shakespeare and the science of sound, Knock at the Gate builds transportive immersive audio experiences with the goal of providing meaningful creative collaborations for theater and filmmakers around the world, fostering new connections between artists and audiences, and expanding the boundaries of immersion, resonance and access through the power of sound alone. Co-founded by director Joe Discher and actor/producer Sean Hudock in late 2020, Knock at the Gate’s critically acclaimed hi-fi 3D audio productions - designed to be listened to anywhere in space on a pair of headphones in the dark - have streamed to thousands of listeners around the world and been featured in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, American Theater Magazine, NPR, and “Good Day New York.” In Fall 2021, the company began its first educational residency at Emory University bringing students and professional artists together in an exploration of Shakespeare and virtual audio production. To date Knock at the Gate projects have raised nearly $15,000 for The Entertainment Community Fund, a national services organization for arts workers in need. Knock at the Gate is a fiscally sponsored project of the 501 c3 Fractured Atlas.