Building a sustainable independent theatre practice with the support of individuals who value my work

The major challenge for an independent playwright is the lack of capital to stage and tour one’s creative work. MVG Productions is building a Subscriber and Angels network, particularly in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the two primary theatre centres, in order to provide regular income to sustain an independent theatre practice.

KEY CHALLENGES TO THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THEATRE

It costs R90 000-R200 000 to produce a new one-person play and R350 000-R500 000 for a 3-4 person play; such costs are prohibitive for an independent playwright

  • the longer the life of a play, the longer it generates income for its creative team, but there are relatively few distribution platforms to tour plays
  • short seasons within formal theatre spaces militate against recouping initial production costs let alone generating a profit to fund future works or tours
  • the labour-intensive nature of theatre makes it expensive to distribute at scale; unlike books, movies and music that can be exported globally through online platforms, theatre requires the cast to travel with expenses such as transport, accommodation and per diems

This is the nature of the theatre industry the world over, except that in more resourced countries, there is public sector funding, private foundations and individual patrons who support such work.

BUILDING A SUBSCRIBER BASE

MVG Productions’ medium-to-long-term sustainability strategy seeks to build subscriber base of at least 500 individuals in Cape Town and Johannesburg.  In exchange for R95 (individuals) or R170 (per couple/for two) per month (paying an annual subscription upfront provides a discount), subscribers will receive the following benefits:

  • free access to monthly staged readings of one of my existing plays
  • invitations to readings of new works as part of their development
  • free attendance at interviews, talks and panel discussions with interesting individuals
  • first option on reduced entrance and/or free tickets to MVG Productions’ plays
  • cheap or free tickets to other productions procured by MVG Productions
  • a regular newsletter highlighting how subscribers’ support is making an impact

BECOME AN ANGEL

Angels are individuals who contribute or help to raise at least R10 000.00 per year.  Angels (individual patrons) do not have to make a financial contribution themselves.

 Ways in which one can become an Angel:

  • recruit ten subscribers to MVG Productions who commit to subscribing for a year
  • host a show or two by MVG Productions over a year e.g. My Fellow South Africans at one’s home or at one’s company or at a school and raise R10 000 (100 people X R100 each)
  • introduce MVG Productions to a sponsor (individual, corporate or other) who provides sponsorship of at least R10 000
  • contribute at least R10 000.00 as a one-off donation or payable in instalments over a period of a year (start enjoying the benefits of being an Angel after the first payment)
  • a combination of any of the above e.g. recruiting 5 subscribers and hosting a home show to make up R10 000.00 or becoming a subscriber and recruiting a company to host a show

 BENEFITS OF BEING AN ANGEL

 In addition to the benefits to which Subscribers are entitled, Angels will

  • receive invitations to opening nights of MVG Productions’ plays
  • have access to rehearsals of plays in development
  • enjoy social engagements with creatives involved in a production
  • be eligible for up to ten free tickets for friends, family and colleagues per show per year
  • be able to host a free performance or a performance at a reduced fee for a charity, retirement village or school of the Angel’s choice
  • have optional listing in theatre programmes and/or on MVG Productions’ website
  • be able to choose with which MVG Productions plays they would like an association

 To become an Angel or Subscriber: click on https://forms.gle/qx6gPF5okNVp8geq9

WHY SUPPORT MY WORK IN PARTICULAR?

 1. I consciously do theatre that is provocative, that concerns itself with issues of social justice. This is not always theatre that attracts funding, nor is commercially viable.

2. There is much that makes us anxious within South Africa. By confronting these anxieties, theatre allows for emotional and psychological catharsis. 

3. We are a democratic-work-in-progress. Theatre plays a role in defending our democracy and affirms human rights such as the right to freedom of expression by practicing it.

4. My work is studied in IEB schools and tertiary institutions. Beyond the stages of formal theatres and festivals, theatre encourages critical thinking and engagement.

5. Formal theatre is generally elitist, accessible to those with disposable income and private means of transport. To assert the right of all – including under-resourced communities - to access the arts and for theatre to play its mind-changing roles, it requires support.