As the COVID-19 lockdown came into play, the Theatre On The Square temporarily suspended all productions and not much has changed.
- The Theatre on the Square opened its doors in Sandton back in 1997.
- 2’500 new productions and concerts have been staged at the theatre.
- The last naming right’s sponsor was Auto & General Insurance.
- Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za for more stories.
The lights are off but someone is home. Daphne Kuhn, Producer, Owner and Artistic Director has been the guardian of both the performing arts and the Theatre on the Square at Nelson Mandela Square for almost 25-years.
As Irish poet and playwright, Oscar Wilde once put it: ‘I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being’.
Having brought some of the most memorable and entertaining live shows to the heart of Sandton for years, the space now faces an uncertain future, without the much needed funding it needs to keep the lights shining bright and live entertainment center stage. Support from the provincial or national government has not been forthcoming.
It has been a particularly hard time this last year – the deadly Covid as affected us all, not to mention the temporary sad closure of our beloved Theatre on the Square.
// Theatre on the Square Producer, Owner and Artistic Director, Daphne Kuhn
As corporate support for the theatre ended and with no live shows to bring in funds through the box-office, the theatre has had to devise a plan to keep the show going. Daphne has come up with a fundraising programme for which she requires wide-ranging support – without this the Theatre on the Square could face closure.
The theatre staff have all been paid since the temporary closure over a year ago, in addition to payments of rent, utilities and services. Landlords, Liberty Two Degrees, have now given the Theatre on the Square rent relief until such time as the theatre can reopen on Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton.
The tiers of support to assist in keeping the stage lights shining bright in Sandton include:
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP OF THE THEATRE CLUB
Great discounts on tickets for all shows, personal notifications, invites to special evenings, previews and Q&A opportunities.
SEAT SPONSORSHIP (200 SEATS)
Support the theatre and have your name inscribed on a small plaque on a theatre seat. You will also receive the benefits of Individual Theatre Membership.
INDIVIDUAL LIFE MEMBERSHIP
2 Complimentary tickets to every show produced by the theatre at a show time that is available and convenient. The names of Life Members will be inscribed on a board in the theatre foyer.
CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP
12 Complimentary tickets per month for corporate entertainment (average ticket price normally R100 – R150). Company names will be inscribed on a board in the theatre foyer and logos included in theatre programmes. Additional advertising available.
JAZZ CONCERT PROGRAMME WITH NAMING RIGHTS
Support the jazz musicians. Partner with the theatre and the successful ongoing monthly Sunday jazz concerts and receive naming rights. Companies will receive publicity, marketing, social media as well as advertising/logos in all programmes.
NEW SOUTH AFRICAN PLAYWRITING INITIATIVES
Become a part of an exciting playwriting initiative to promote the development of new South African works at the theatre.
CHILDREN’S & YOUTH THEATRE AS WELL AS THEATRE-IN-EDUCATION INITIATIVES, SCHOOL FESTIVALS AND MATRIC SET-WORK PROGRAMMES FOR STAGE, VIDEO AND FILM
Engage with various educational initiatives planned and benefit from the naming rights offered for individual projects with many marketing opportunities. Benefit from naming rights for individual projects.
WEEKLY CLASSICAL LUNCH HOUR CONCERT PROGRAMME
Naming rights offered for this special ongoing project. Support the classical musicians and have your company name branded on all marketing for the weekly lunch hour concerts. Benefit from publicity, marketing, social media and advertising/logos on all music programmes. 48 concerts per year!
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP
Put your company on centre stage, in the heart of the Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton. The theatre offers you corporate entertainment for clients and staff; usage of the theatre for corporate events (conferences, team building or product launches) by arrangement; naming rights for specific shows and concerts, by arrangement. Your support will be acknowledged by means of a plaque in the theatre foyer and in all relevant advertising and publicity. This will bear witness of your generous support of the theatre.
FULL NAMING RIGHTS TO THE THEATRE ON THE SQUARE
The theatre offers your company full naming rights of the theatre per year. This will include optimum daily publicity (print, digital and electronic), branding in the theatre and on Nelson Mandela Square, advertising and various marketing opportunities. It will also include theatre tickets for corporate entertainment for staff and clients, usage of the theatre facility for special events. This valued high profile naming rights sponsorship will bear witness of your outstanding contribution to the arts in SA for the cultural upliftment of all. Most importantly to Theatre on the Square for its artists and technicians, by enabling the theatre to generate a multiplicity of work opportunities
Live theatre must be kept alive as it has from time immemorial. The ritual of “going to the theatre” collectively enriches our souls as it entertains, uplifts and educates. There is no better time than the present, for healing and uplifting!
// Theatre on the Square Producer, Owner and Artistic Director, Daphne Kuhn
For further information and sponsorship pricing, call +27-11-883-8606 (Theatre Box Office) or theatreonthesquare@gmail.com
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