Recently Heritage Fund had the opportunity to convene community organizations and leaders around the idea of establishing a performing arts center in Columbus. The timing was good, and we were able to secure a $60,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. that when combined with a handful of generous local donations enabled us to hire Theatre Projects for a feasibility study of a new performing arts space.
The study included focus groups, individual meetings and a widely distributed electronic survey, which produced 823 responses — the largest number experienced by Theatre Projects, an international arts consulting firm, and the largest I can remember from the numerous local surveys conducted over the years.
The respondents were a majority women and represented a reasonable spread of ages from under 30 (10%) to over 50 (52%). Fifty-three percent of those surveyed earn more than $100,000 per year, which is important data in determining the level of support for ticket prices.
The large response rate indicates a strong desire for entertainment and performance options. Given our location, many people travel to attend concerts, plays, etc. and would continue to do so. They also want local performances and community event space.
Theatre Projects pointed out that Columbus was fortunate to have a “robust inventory” of performance venues. Of course, they heard an earful about the problems associated with each venue, but they also heard that these venues are not fully utilized and could be made more satisfactory with some adjustments. And therein lies our near-term opportunity.
What if we created a centralized hub for arts and cultural community programming, which could establish a Columbus presence with booking agents and steer performance opportunities into existing venues? Not only would we develop a “performance profile” but also a track record of supporting performance and entertainment locally.
The feasibility study done by Theatre Projects opened our eyes to a broader set of options than just whether to build a new performing arts center. They provided a roadmap for our community that may lead to a significant investment in a new or renovated performing arts center, if the demand and support are present.
If you want to see Theatre Project’s public report, you can find it under the Community Leadership tab of the Heritage Fund website at heritagefundbc.org/theatre-projects.
