The North Texas Peforming Arts has established a fundraising goal of $200,000 from its “Friends & Family” targeted capital campaign effort. The Friends & Family program is focused on contributions of $1,000 and below, and will offer “sponsorships” of it’s mainstage seating chairs, “Honor Wall” stars and a “Rogue’s Gallery” featuring it’s performers.
The project was made possible through a below-market lease grant from Starwood Retail Partners and the Shops at Willow Bend, and the support of the City of Plano. The Willow Bend Center of the Arts will feature a twenty-five thousand square foot complex at the Shops at Willow Bend which will house the new Willow Bend Center of the Arts, home of the North Texas Performing Arts and its Plano Children’s Theatre.
The facility will feature two mainstage theatres, two black box theatres, two dance studios, rehearsal and practice studios, and set-build and costume space together with the offices of the North Texas Performing Arts.
“This program gives our families, patrons and supporters the opportunity leave their legacy in our new home” says Mike Mazur, Managing Director of the Plano Children’s Theatre. “We intend to be at Willow Bend for a long time, and this unique program gives a family or patron the opportunity to secure their child’s place in our history.”
“Our sponsorship program allows a patron to commit now and pay over the course of the next year for a ‘Mainstage Chair Plaque’, [and] an ‘Honor Wall Star,’ both of which will be permanent fixtures in our new theatre or a metallic show photo up to an 11×14 size that enables patrons to submit their own memory of their child’s performance” says F&F Team Leader Lisa Chase. “We’re kicking off this effort with our own ‘Telethon’ next month to be followed by a ‘Sneak Peek’ event at the Shops at Willow Bend other exciting activities over the coming months until we get to our goal.”
“We’ve built upon this theatre foundation for almost thirty years with hard work and dedication of our parents and patrons” says Founder Sara Akers. “We use the phrase ‘managed by professionals but made possible by volunteers’ and this program is just another example of how very true that is for us.”
The “Telethon” will take place during the evenings from 6-9 on August 1, 2, and 3 at the Plano Children’s Theatre at 15th and Custer, and will feature students and parents reaching out to potential supporters and patrons. Friends & Family supporters and others will also take part in a special “Sneak Peek” event at the new Center of the Performing Arts site at the Shops at Willow Bend on August 8th & 9th.
The Plano Children’s Theatre and North Texas Performing Arts intend to move into the Shops at Willow Bend this Fall.
