The region's largest performing arts center will salute the region's teachers with tickets to the 2021/22 season.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Philadelphia, PA, May 3, 2021) –– As the Kimmel Cultural Campus prepares to lift its curtains for the 2021/22 season, it celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week, and the teachers who've gone above and beyond in this challenging learning environment, by awarding hundreds of teachers gift certificates redeemable for tickets to its lineup of live, in-person performances. Through the generosity of its donors, the Kimmel plans to award 500 gift certificates valued at $50,000 to teachers in Title 1 schools.
"An important part of our mission is to deliver quality arts experiences to the region's young people, and we've relied on our teacher partners to help us more this year than ever. We've seen, firsthand, the miracles teachers are working in virtual classrooms, while simultaneously juggling their homelife during this stressful time." said Anne Ewers, President & CEO of the Kimmel Cultural Campus. "As a nonprofit performing arts organization, that relies on teacher collaboration, our hope is to ignite the City's gratitude toward teachers and to show them how much they are appreciated. We are grateful for the support that we've received from donors and are honored to be able to say thank you in this way. We are eager to welcome all of these super-hero teachers to our campus to relax and be transformed by live performance."
Kimmel Cultural Campus is now welcoming teachers to sign up for one of 500 $100 gift certificates to use on tickets to select shows in the upcoming season. Starting today through May 31, 2021, teachers in Title One schools are invited to fill out a brief form to receive a gift certificate. For more information and full terms, please visit kimmelcenter.org. Teachers will independently select the specific tickets, seat locations, and event dates.
Despite being closed for more than a year due to COVID 19, the Kimmel Cultural Campus remains firmly committed to delivering quality arts experiences to the region's youth, transforming its education programs to be delivered in the new world of the digital classroom. So far this year, the Kimmel's education initiatives have exceeded expectations, reaching more than 15,000 students in Title 1 classrooms via its virtual residencies, field trips, and instructional videos.
"Teachers are the lifeblood of our schools and have been invaluable in helping us to administer the Kimmel's free arts education programming," says Susan Quinn, Director of Education of the Kimmel Cultural Campus. "As we have worked to find ways to continue our support of teachers and students during the pandemic, we've been humbled by the appreciation we've seen in return. Teachers have taken time out of their full days to reach out to us with their thanks. Now it's our turn to say, 'thank you' and 'we appreciate YOU' by providing a night out to look forward to with gift certificates."
The Kimmel education programming is 100% free to schools, thanks to the generosity of donors. These education programs are designed to provide a broad performing arts experience to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, and give special opportunities for older students with higher levels of interest. The Kimmel's education expansion project-aims to educate, engage, and inspire 100,000 students each year in the Philadelphia area through FREE education programming on the Campus and within the community. Launched in 2018, the pilot year saw a 57% increase in total learning hours (up from the 2016/17 season), as well as an extraordinary 309% increase in total activities, and a 49% increase in participants.
The Kimmel Cultural Campus education programming is made possible by the support of generous donors, including: The Aramark Charitable Fund; Chubb; The Doran Family Foundation; Patricia and David Holveck; Independence Blue Cross; The Lenfest Foundation; Merck Foundation; and M&T Bank.
The Kimmel Cultural Campus was forced to cancel and postpone all classes as well as productions, concerts, and events across the campus. Despite being closed, the Kimmel identified unique ways to continue to fill the needs of the community by partnering with local charities on food and blood drives; serving as a polling place for the elections; and opening up as a peaceful resting place for protesters and police last summer. However, the negative financial impact of the pandemic has been dire with projected losses of more than $51M in gross revenue. As a result, the Kimmel has launched an aggressive Road to Reopening Relief Fundraising Campaign Contributions will allow the Kimmel to survive this crisis and solidify its place anchoring the Avenue of the Arts on Broad Street. As the most impactful performing arts center in the region, and the second largest in the nation, the Kimmel Cultural Campus' activity contributes greatly to the City and State's economic health. Combined, the activities of Kimmel Center, its Resident Companies, and its visitors generate a total economic impact, within our 11-County region, estimated to be more than $585 million annually, supporting nearly 5,000 jobs per year. The Kimmel Cultural Campus' activity alone generates more than $7.1M in city tax revenue and $6.8M in state tax revenue. The 2,000 events that happen across the Campus each year appeal to the unique spirit of this region- attracting diverse audiences and contributing to what makes Philadelphia so special.
For more information about the Kimmel Cultural Campus, go to kimmelcenter.org.
KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region's diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1-million guests per year and includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater – representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. We are home to eight esteemed Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region's most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region's young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. Read Kimmel Cultural Campus' vision statement, world view, and mission statement here. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how it encompasses our mission, co-workers, and programs here.