2023 GIVE BIG

Olympic Theatre Arts (OTA) is a volunteer driven, 501(C)3 nonprofit, community theatre located in Sequim, WA and serves the entire Olympic Peninsula.  OTA offers year round programming featuring local artists.  All who play at OTA understand that they are standing on the shoulders of giants: giants, who over 40 years of volunteering their time, energy, and finances have built an amazing theatrical playground. As such, they recognize that they must be giants themselves for the next generation. 

The current cultural at OTA is working hard to build on the organization's sustainability, so that it may continue to serve generations far beyond themselves. They are striving to upgrade the theatrical systems to be more efficient and increase inclusivity. They are also looking to create a training center to offer classes to the entire community, from ages 5 to 105, in acting, directing, improvisation, writing for the stage, and technical theatre. And they are working hard to keep the organization solvent by being fiscally responsible. By doing so, they hope to pave the path for OTA's next 40 years of inspiring community involvement through the arts. You can help further the volunteers at OTA on this mission, by  contributing resources during Washington's 2023's GIVE BIG campaign.

There are three areas of focus for OTA fundraising which you can help with contributions.  They include Technical Theatre Upgrades, Educational Program Support, and General Operating Expenses. 

Technical Theatre Upgrades:

OTA is working hard to keep the lights on as theatre cannot be performed in the dark.  OTA operates with an outdated theatrical lighting system that is quickly becoming obsolete. The Department of Energy, in a move to convert everyone to LED lighting, has put restrictions on manufacturing halogen bulbs which are what OTA's system runs on.  Once these bulbs burn out, OTA will be left in the dark unless they are able to upgrade to energy efficient LED lighting,  $23,000 has already been raised for this effort.  However, there is still a long way to go as each fixture costs between $750 and $2,500 to upgrade.  OTA hopes to at least double the current amount donated to get the theatre started on their transition.  By donating to our Technical Theatre Upgrades, you will be literally shedding light on the artists of the Olympic Peninsula. 

Educational Program Support:

It is OTA's responsibility to develop the next generation of talent for Sequim and the surrounding areas. Since the theatre program has been cut from the neighboring high school, and there are no sources for theatre classes within a 60 minute roundtrip drive, OTA sees the need to begin offering classes to the local community desiring to explore theatrical arts. There are plenty of retired and working artists in the area that are willing to teach at OTA and offer their services to the community.  However, OTA is limited with space to hold these classes.   As OTA now offers continuous programming of productions, both the Main Stage Theatre and the Gathering Hall Theatre are constantly in use.  There are no available spaces for classes. As such OTA is looking for local businesses and property owners who may have an extra space they can donate for OTA's use. Class rooms can be simple 300+ sqft rooms or large rooms that OTA could use as rehearsal space. Ideally, the location could be used as a scene shop for constructing sets for OTA productions as well. If you, or someone you know, has a facility available in Sequim, please contact OTA. 

General Operating Expenses:

It takes more than ticket and concession sales to afford to produce theatre.  Most theatres' primary sources of revenue are donations, grants, and sponsorships. While OTA strives hard to be self-sustaining, they too need these same revenue streams. Most grants are project related.  They are designed to help nonprofits expand and create new programs.  Seldom do you find a grant that will help with general operating costs.  Basic, but required expenses, like utilities, insurance, office supplies, and existing staff all are the responsibility of the organization to fund and do not fall under approved expenses for most grants.  General Operating Expenses are the lion's share of OTA's yearly budget. OTA works hard to pay these expenses on their own while simultaneously keeping prices low to their patrons and offering free  experiences to the community. Making up the shortfall between expenses and income cannot be done with grant writing. It is only made possible by individual contributions from people like you.  Please consider making an unrestricted donation to OTA to help with the General Operating Expenses it takes to run a community theatre.