The Tower Theatre - 'The Big Get-In!'

by The Tower Theatre Company in London, England, United Kingdom

The Tower Theatre - 'The Big Get-In!'

Total raised £72,908

raised so far

115

supporters

Following the success of our Tower Theatre crowdfunder, we are now accepting ongoing donations of support.

by The Tower Theatre Company in London, England, United Kingdom

We're still collecting donations

On the 24th July 2018 we'd raised £72,858 with 114 supporters in 91 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.

During our original crowdfunding campaign, we successfully raised £72,858 thanks to 114 wonderful supporters. We are now continuing to accept donations to help us to keep getting the theatre ready for the Autumn 2018 Season. Find out more about our original plans below.

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The Latest - 24 July 2018

  • We've reached almost £73,000 as of today (96%), and still have five hours left in our campaign;
  • Painting the new theatre space is now underway, and works are now all underway in the rest of the site;
  • Curious how this works?  See the Frequently-Asked-Questions (FAQ) post on the "Updates" page; and
  • Finally, please don't forget to tick the "Gift Aid" box when you donate and add 25% more for free!

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We are thrilled to announce that on Tuesday 6th February the Company completed on the purchase of the former Sunstone House in Stoke Newington. Now that we officially own the building it has been renamed "Tower Theatre" - our new home.   This is a huge milestone for the Tower and heartfelt thanks go out to every single person who has supported the project and helped us reach this momentous point.  Have a look at it from inside and out in the video at the bottom of the page, as you read down!

Our builders moved into the property on Monday 26th February to begin the renovation works, and are making great progress. The further along we get with the project the more opportunities there will be for our Members and Friends and other willing volunteers to get involved - the move into our new home is a mammoth task and we will be looking for volunteer groups to organise and assist with every aspect of the process.









The upper floor of the Tower  building where the theatre will take shape, as the mezzanine floor above and its structural supports/columns and stairs are being removed and cleared to make space for the house and stage.

We are pleased to confirm that we have funds for the purchase, refurb and conversion to performance-ready (albeit to only the most basic of operational levels) and plan to launch our Autumn 2018 Season from our new home.  That process is already underway.  However, while this leaves us with a reasonable financial 'buffer', there is still a menu of additional needs (and wants) that would increase the quality of our performances, contribute to building local relationships faster, grow the audience to our shows, and add 'quality-of-life' benefits to our Members, Friends, staff, actors, tech and production teams.

We're crowdfunding here to make the first season in our new home as successful as possible, and invest now for an even-more-successful second hundred years!
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To maximise the opportunities available to our Members, Friends, audiences and other supporters, there are a wide range of ways to support the Tower Theatre's 'Big Get-In':

Spread the Word - Check back regularly, comment, ask questions and engage with us here on Crowdfunder, and share this campaign with your friends and family on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram...) to get the word out about our new home!  Join us at events in the new space over the next months, and let us know what would make the Tower's new home even more valuable to you and our community.  Free!

'Give a Tenner or Two' - As the saying goes, 'Every little helps!' and every pound  will not only help us prepare to launch our first season in our new home, but prepare it for years and years of seasons to come.  More importantly, it will help us build a busy and dynamic base for our community, and build new relationships with the Stoke Newington neighbourhood (and beyond) to invite them to become a part of the Tower too.

In rehearsal for ARCADIA by Tom Stoppard, one of the few shows we're performing before moving
into our new home in Stoke Newington (photo by Robert Piwko of 
http://www.robertpiwko.co.uk

Many Hands, Quick Work - While we have the budget to get us up and running in our new home, every donation frees more of our remaining 'nest egg' for our financial security, unexpected costs, and strategic investments.  Like any show, there are a lot of small pieces of a theatre that we'll need to buy and get into place - donate one of many glasses, chairs, stools - or to a show's budget and help us make our existing funds go further:

  • Buy a Brick - Make a donation to the refurbishment fund to help us clear out, clean up, build and convert,  and we'll put your name on a brick in the building;
  • Raise a Glass! - We've got the basics, but there's plenty to upgrade in the theatre bar, donate to the costs of upscaling it, and we'll buy your first drink;
  • You a Regular Here? - The theatre bar's not just an important source of operational revenue, it's our community hub.  Put your name on a seat in it for posterity;
  • Take your Seats - The house holds over 100 in a flexible format, and each of them can be named in honour of someone - give their memory a seat to all our shows;
  • The Producers - Some of our shows run on a shoe-string budget, top it up to make each of our productions the best it can be in the first year in our new home.

Building a Tower - We've got the budget for the building and all the basics, but there are a few opportunities to make some specific elements possible, freeing up our reserves for other important options and priorities.  If you've got a bit more to donate and want to put it toward a specific piece of the build, have a look at these options:

  • For £1,000 - Fund outreach to the community, with a combination of advertising in local papers, media and websites, participation in local events, and events for key communities we want to engage;
  • For £2,000 - Fund the internal communication system within the building necessary to link show operations, make announcements, wireless headsets and internal phones;
  • For £3,000 - Fund improvements to dressing room areas, improving the lighting, flexible dividers, secure storage, and easy access racks for costumes and props;
  • For £4,000 - Fund our technical finishing capacity inside the building, one for costumes and props repair/construction, and the other a portable collection of tools/resources for set assembly;
  • For £5,000 - Fund a much needed refresh of the decorating of either the entrance, public areas and bar, or the finishing of the theatre space with sound-proofing and light-proofing.

Boost a Team - We'll be ready for our Autumn 2018 season, but over fifteen years scattered between venues and depending upon others' infrastructure, we have just the minimum necessary resources 'in-house' to produce our shows.  If you're able to consider a more substantial donation, each '£2,500 Boost' we receive in a specific area - lighting, wardrobe, set/props - will allow us to upgrade it to take full advantage of our phenomenal new space:

  • Lighting - Upgrade technical interface/tools, improve electrical framework and lighting infrastructure to perform a wider variety of productions with more creativity, add gel and gobo library, variable LED options;
  • Wardrobe - Replace old costume pieces, fill gaps in the overall wardrobe 'portfolio', provide on-site infrastructure to clean and repair costumes, add wigs, make-up/accessories, and improve access to our collection;
  • Set/Props - Optimise the new building for set construction/finishing, replace damaged/worn set pieces, increase our stores of materials (wood, paint, stain, wallpaper), add critical tools to our stores, and round out our prop catalogue;
  • Rehearsal - Improve the rehearsal rooms with upgraded lighting, flooring, tables,  speakers, provide foldable chairs/tables, projector/screen, sound-proofing and dividers for the larger studio/rehearsal space;
  • Management - Enable the Tower to invest in additional management and office capacity, box office tools, upgrade the website, improve facilities and computers, extend marketing reach, and increase automation and financial management.

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For those who could consider a more generous donation...

The new home of the Tower Theatre Company, a fascinating and quirky building at the centre of Stoke Newington in North London - with space for rehearsal rooms, office, bar, storage, a studio and incredible space for the main stage.

Major Donor Tiers - If you've been with the Tower for decades, or just joined in the past year, this is the single best opportunity to make a major donation to the charity's work and future.  The building is paid for and the initial refurb is funded, but doing so has reduced our reserves significantly, and much more needs to be done to secure the Company for the years to come.  If you've been considering a major gift, please do it now:

  • £5,000 Donation - "Stage Manager"
  • £10,000 Donation - "Producer"
  • £15,000 Donation - "Director"
  • £20,000 Donation - "Artistic Director"
  • £25,000 Donation - "Patron"

Major donors  will be recognised by name and honorary title on a plaque in the lobby on opening night of our first season in the new space, plus in every show's programme throughout the first season, as well as be given access to exclusive events, 'behind the scenes' opportunities and other benefits.

To discuss making a Major Gift, please contact Alexander Knapp on the fundraising team at 07956 601 674 or [email protected] .

Legacy Gifts - The Tower's new home was made possible in part due to a bequest from a long-time Member.  If you'd consider making a Legacy (or Living Legacy) Gift now - more than £25,000 - there are opportunities for naming rights within the building, bespoke additions, programmes or scholarships that it could enable.  Alternatively, contact us to learn more about leaving a bequest to the Tower to sustain its work, art and community.

To discuss making a Major Gift, please contact Alexander Knapp on the fundraising team at 07956 601 674 or [email protected] .

Rewards

This project offered rewards

£25 or more

Many Hands - Up in Lights

Help us lay a new virtual foundation, strengthen the new space and put your name up in lights on one of the bricks in our new building. Reward - Your name on a 'brick' in a prominent wall in the building.

£50 or more

Many Hands - Raise a Glass

Help build out the bar's infrastructure: glass- and barware, equipment, facilities (refrigerator, dishwasher, ice-maker), screens. Reward - First drink's free (voucher)!

£100 or more

Many Hands - A Regular Here...

The theatre bar isn't just an important source of operational funding for our shows and work, it's also the social hub for the membership and friends. Reward - Your name at a placeholder at the bar, a table, or one of the chairs

£250 or more

Many Hands - Take a Seat!

Name one of the chairs in the house - for yourself, a friend, in memory, as a cast/crew, member, in honour of someone. Reward - Permanent embroidery/nameplate on one chair

£500 or more

Many Hands - The Producers

Our production teams, cast and crew make magic out of nearly nothing (budget-wise)...make our first impression more impressive by supporting a show. Reward - Programme acknowledgement, 'Made possible by...'

£1,000 or more

Upgrades - Community Outreach

Help us find and make new connections in Stoke Newington (and beyond) - key to our long-term success in the community. Reward - Two free tickets for any show, name on in-theatre plaque

£2,000 or more

Upgrades - Building Communications

In a much larger space, communications during the show will be more challenging - help us buy a wireless headset system and upgrade existing speakers we have. Reward - Three free tickets for any show, name on in-theatre plaque

£2,500 or more

Boost - Lighting

"What light through yonder window breaks?" - help us take our lighting from basic to brilliant. Reward - Four tickets to an exclusive 'Behind the Scenes' workshop with Tower Lighting Designers

£2,500 or more

Boost - Wardrobe

"Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, but not express’d in fancy" - help us improve our wardrobe from simple to Shakespearean. Reward - Four tickets to an exclusive 'Behind the Scenes' workshop with Tower Costume Designers

£2,500 or more

Boost - Set and Props

"All that glisters is not gold..." - but we can give the illusion of opulence in the sets and props we craft into rich scenes. Reward - Four tickets to an exclusive 'Behind the Scenes' workshop with Tower Set Designers

£2,500 or more

Boost - Rehearsal

"All the world's a stage..." - help us upgrade our rehearsal spaces to make them better for our casts, and more appealing to hire. Reward - Four tickets to an exclusive 'Behind the Scenes' workshop with Tower Stage Managers

£2,500 or more

Boost - Office

"He that has a house to put's head in has a good head-piece" - our productions rest on a foundation of our office, let's multiply the impact of both. Reward - Four tickets to an exclusive 'Behind the Scenes' workshop with the Tower Management Committee

£3,000 or more

Upgrades - Dressing Rooms

Upgrade our dressing/green/other rooms with better lighting, lockers and racks for costumes, props and more. Reward - Four free tickets for any show, name on in-theatre plaque

£4,000 or more

Upgrades - Finishing Capabilities

Space is at a premium, but we can creatively make room for a costume/prop workshop, and a mobile workshop for finishing sets. Reward - Five free tickets for any show, name on in-theatre plaque

£5,000 or more

Upgrades - Refurbishment

We've got the bricks and mortar, but still it really needs a lick of paint (and much more!) Reward - Six free tickets for any show, name on in-theatre plaque

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