Why Invest In Small-Scale Theatre?
Thistle And Rose Arts announces investment raise for inaugural Edinburgh Fringe programme
Reading time: 5 mins
Today, Thistle And Rose Arts, a pioneering theatre production company founded by producer Hannah Crawford, opens its doors to investors who wish to fund its inaugural Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme. To mark the occasion, Hannah shares her thoughts on the theatre investing landscape and the advantages to high net worth individuals of supporting small theatre companies.
No secret is made of the high risk associated with investing in large-scale commercial theatre. The truth is that eight in every ten shows on London’s West End never recoup their upfront costs. Yet thousands of people continue to open their wallets and support these great endeavours. Why? Because sitting down in the stalls of a bustling auditorium and watching the lights come up on a production made possible by your investment is nothing short of magical. The risk is all but a footnote in the face of the glitz, glamour and the potential of landing on a viral hit in Theatreland.
What’s interesting is, compared to the screeds of articles and features online about investing in Broadway and the West End, the ecosystem of small-scale theatre which comprises the scaffold on which these giants sit, and the opportunities within it, is never mentioned. Surprising though it may be, there is no less risk involved in the patronage of an emerging company than in that of a major revival opening on Shaftesbury Avenue. There is, however, infinitely more reward.
While an investor may find themselves sitting among a hundred others on the opening night of a West End run, those who pledge their support to smaller companies may be one of ten highly valued individuals facilitating a new emerging production. For those who choose to attach themselves to a show during its seed phase as a philanthropic backer, the potential exists to remain a key partner as it develops over the months and years into a successful touring production, nominated for prestigious awards and accolades, and see a significant return. There are opportunities abound to provide expertise and endorsement to the project and it can be incredibly fulfilling to enable the sustainable employment of many skilled and experienced creatives and performers. Not to mention the rewarding feeling of furthering the success of a production which extols the mission and values you share.
The sustainable employment of theatre professionals is of particular importance in the current industry climate. Sadly, the theatre industry has not recovered well from the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, despite popular belief, this is not entirely due to a lack of audiences returning to auditoriums. Rather, to a systemic reluctance to strategically and sufficiently fund key venues and organisations across the UK to aid their recovery. Specifically at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Underbelly reported an increase of 27% in ticket sales from 2019 to 2022 but the total number of registered shows at the festival was down 17% across the same period. In this context, the demand hasn’t diminished, quite the opposite, but the industry’s ability to supply is greatly hindered by this structural deficit of financial support. Anecdotally, many producers have lamented the loss of skilled directors, stage managers and other technical staff over the last three years and foremost commentators have routinely highlighted the poor rates of pay to which they were subject before the pandemic, let alone in its wake.
Angel investment in small- to mid-scale work is vital in this landscape. As a nation and a society, it’s crucial that we rebuild our British theatre ecosystem to ensure the survival of our favourite venues and organisations, of course, but more importantly to make sure there’s still a thriving industry in twenty years time for our children and young people who have so much to offer. Championing an organisation like Thistle And Rose Arts provides the ideal vehicle to make a lasting impact with your funds; with policies which ensure real living wages for all our freelancers, staffing structures which provide work experience and apprenticeship opportunities for school/university leavers and ambitions which include creating high quality productions which double as educational materials for under 18s.
Finally, investing of this kind isn’t all about statistics and pulling theatre back from the brink. It’s a thrilling and heartwarming experience. At Thistle And Rose Arts, our VIP perks for Edinburgh Fringe investors include front row seats to your chosen production, a complimentary bubbly reception on opening night, a meet and greet with the cast and creatives, signed memorabilia from the show and a feature on the show’s web page as a key partner and facilitator of its creation. For more information about investing in one of our productions, view our investment packs and contact Hannah using the details below.
Our team value kindness, competence and vision above all else. We believe in taking a new people-centred approach to producing. It’s about time we took the same approach to angel investing. If your values match ours and you’d like to make a real difference to our team, our creatives and our audiences, we’re excited to hear from you.
Investment packs: thistleandrosearts.co.uk/investment
Contact Hannah: thistleandrosearts.co.uk/contact
