Short Summary
Welcome to Ozark Living Newspaper Theatre's Art of Change campaign. OLN grew out of a collective interest among Central Arkansas artists and activists to develop a theatre company that used puppetry, mask, movement, and spoken word to generate dialogue and action about community problems, both local and global. Established as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in 2017, OLN has spent its first year building partnerships with educational institutions, other arts organizations, and local charities.
In building toward our inaugural season of full production in 2018-2019, we have conducted workshops on nonprofit organizing, grant writing for arts and social justice, and the #MeToo movement as it impacts working artists. In the past year, OLN has used large parade puppets to raise funds for Louisiana flood relief, to make Central Arkansans aware of proposed campus concealed carry legislation, to support juvenile justice arts projects, and to raise funds for local women's shelters. Like the "Living Newspapers" developed under the Federal Theatre Project during the Great Depression, OLN exists to get Americans thinking and talking about the issues that affect them on an everyday basis - and to take action to bring positive change to their communities.
What We Need & What You Get
The Art of Change campaign focuses on three goals:
-Paying for rehearsal and performance venues for our Unfringed Fests in support of local charities and for our 2018-2019 season.
-Raising funds to pay workshop leaders and venue costs for our juvenile court theatre partnerships with Faulkner County Juvenile Court.
-Raising funds to partially cover production costs for our 2018-2019 season: "Waiting for Lefty" by Clifford Odets, an original, devised piece based on the #MeToo movement, and "Flex" by Candrice Jones.
Contributors to the Art of Change campaign will receive the following benefits:
Up to $10: One free ticket to any OLN production.
$25-$50 range: Fees waived for one OLN-sponsored workshop or two tickets to any OLN production.
$50-$100: Fees waived for up to two participants in an OLN-sponsored workshop or four tickets to any OLN production.
$100 or above: Fees waived for up to four participants in an OLN-sponsored workshop or six tickets to any OLN production.
The Impact
OLN's Board and artistic collective is committed to the idea that great theatre happens in two ways: First, through committed, talented artists engaging in passionate performance. And second, through motivating people who do not normally do theatre to use it as a tool for positive social change, to address community problems, and to engage in action for social justice.
Risks & Challenges
Most new theatre companies fail within their first couple of years. OLN is no more immune to the risk of failure than any other company. Our challenge is to engage the proverbial "little guy." We're less interested in mega-donations than we are in small donations from a wide swath of community members who feel disenfranchised, disengaged, and discombobulated by the current political climate. Yes, OLN will apply for grants to enable its partnerships and pursue its artistic goals, but our "bread and butter" can and should be from small donors (yes, $10 counts), workshop participants, and audience members. We believe the work we do is exciting, necessary, and worth paying for. We believe in paying artists for their work and consider that a main goal. And we believe that the best litmus test for the vitality of a theatre of action is support from the people least able to give large donations.
Other Ways You Can Help
OLN would like to work with you to create stories about your community's history and challenges. If you think you "qualify," organize a community meeting and invite us to make a presentation. We'll tell you how we will work with your community to engage in theatre-based problem solving.
