Virginia Children's Theatre Announces Emergency Fundraising Campaign

Virginia Children's Theatre (VCT) - the commonwealth's only professional theatre solely dedicated to youth, schools and their families - announces today the immediate need for an emergency fundraising campaign. This fundraising campaign is focused on retiring debt that the theatre has accrued related to rising costs for their mainstage productions. For theaters across the country, including VCT, the post-pandemic time has brought critical challenges. The theatre is calling on the public to pour out their support and help sustain VCT for years to come.

In 15 short years, VCT has made a significant impact on the lives of youth and families across the region. 10,000 school children receive access to high quality live theatre at VCT each year, where professional productions are provided at a significantly reduced cost. VCT teaches theatre and performing arts to 19,000 youth who participate in Academy classes/camps, schools residencies and outreach; 50% of the students served are economically disadvantaged. VCT4TEENS, a health and social issue play produced by VCT, tours high schools and middle schools throughout the region each year. Each spring, a touring musical production is mounted and toured around Virginia to 60 different locations. A tuition-free summer camp, called Kaleidoscope Camp, is offered for young people with special needs. The programming of VCT is vast, and without it, a significant void will remain.

Unlike so many other regional theatres across the nation, Virginia Children's Theatre was able to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown. Moving productions to outdoor locations, offering creative ways to participate in classes and camps and receiving government funding all helped VCT not only stay open, but thrive during such an unknown time. When so many other arts organizations were forced to close their doors and cease operations, VCT was able to provide top-notch, quality programming for students throughout the Roanoke Valley and beyond.

Rising production, labor, and materials costs, audience numbers not returning to pre-pandemic levels, and the end of government funding have all contributed to the theatre accumulating the current mainstage production debt. This immediate need for funds will help VCT to keep the stage alive and make plans for the future.

VCT is calling on their community to help maintain operations at the theatre. “For 15 years Virginia Children's Theatre has been dedicated to inspiring, empowering and transforming the lives of the theatre makers and audiences of tomorrow,” says VCT Managing Director Jeanne Bollendorf. “We want to be transparent about our current situation, but we cannot forge this next path alone. This is a heartfelt plea to the public: we are in need of your help and financial support in order to continue serving area youth. We must raise the necessary funds to go forward. Please consider making a gift to VCT to help us retire this debt. The time is now.”

A donation page has been set up on VCT's website where interested supporters can make a monetary gift to the theatre: https://tinyurl.com/VCTfundraiser. All donations are tax deductible. Donors are urged to consider becoming a monthly sustainer by making an ongoing monthly recurring gift. Supporters may also make donations over the phone by calling the VCT offices at 540-400-7795 or through the mail at PO Box 4392, Roanoke, VA 24015.

Virginia Children's Theatre (VCT) is an independently owned and operated 501(c)3 organization located in Roanoke, Virginia. VCT is the only professional theatre in the commonwealth of Virginia solely dedicated to youth, schools and their families. VCT produces a variety of high caliber professional literature based musicals, concerts, and issue driven plays each season. These productions are produced in the Roanoke Valley and toured throughout the commonwealth of Virginia. The VCT Theatre Academy provides year-round high-quality music, theatre and dance education for students Pre-K through 12th grade through in-school residencies, in-house classes & camps and outreach across the commonwealth. VCT has a mission to inspire, empower and transform the community through the magic of live theatre!