Philanthropy and major gifts
Support usPhilanthropy and major gifts
Your support can make a world of difference
A major gift, personally or through a charitable trust, could help us to welcome even more people to shows, widen our reach into the local community, offer a young person their first step into a creative career or invest in this building, making it future-proof and ensuring people can enjoy shows here for generations to come.
If you are interested in ways to get involved with a major gift, explore the information below or contact our Head of Philanthropy, Sophie Henstridge-Brown via email: [email protected] or by phone on 01243 812915.
Artists Circle
Artists Circle level supporters make a significant contribution to our charitable work with annual support between £5,000 and £11,999. You will be able to support a particular project or area of our work that you are passionate about, and enjoy a close relationship with the Theatre.
In addition to the involvement of Season Circle, you will receive:
- The opportunity to attend three technical rehearsals during the Festival Season
- Invitations to meet the cast at all our Supporters Nights^ (tickets must be purchased separately)
- An intimate discussion event with leading performers and creatives for Artist Circle supporters
- An invitation to attend our autumn drinks event with our Directors, Justin Audibert and Kathy Bourne
- Exclusive CFT trips and visits, for example Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London transfers***
- The opportunity to join a curated weekend in Chichester including seeing shows at CFT, drinks with Justin and Kathy and exclusive cultural experiences around Chichester***
- Acknowledgement on our website, in Festival and Winter season brochures and publicly on our foyer boards
Pay by card
Directors Circle
As one of our closest supporters, you will enjoy a special relationship with the Theatre and the people who make the magic on and off the stage happen, from the first spark of a new show through to the final curtain. We invite annual support from £12,000 to be part of the Directors Circle.
The involvement below gives a flavour of how we will involve you with our work (all in addition to the involvement at Artists Circle):
- A rare opportunity to join a studio rehearsal in London
- Our annual Chairman’s Dinner hosted by Mark Foster with very special guest writers, actors and creatives
- Read scripts and see Research and Development workshops of plays which are still in development
- Meet writers and hear about their projects-in-development at two private Writers Round Table events a year
- A personal thank you from our Artistic and Executive Directors
- Acknowledgement of your support on our website, in Festival and Winter season brochures and publicly on our foyer boards
Pay by card
Set up as direct debit
How your gift will make a difference
Support new writing through The Playwrights Fund
Ever wondered what it takes to create a play from scratch? (Hint - it involves lots of time, dedication and risk.) The Playwrights Fund invests in nurturing new writers and developing new plays, so that we can keep telling stories that deserve to be heard.
Help others in the community through CFT's work
Our incredible Learning, Education and Participation team (LEAP for short!) work tirelessly to break down barriers keeping some people from experiencing theatre and being part of our story. Your support would light a spark for even more people – whether that’s by offering more bursaries to our Youth Theatre, expanding our workshops for families, or offering accessible performances so that everyone gets to experience amazing theatre.
Support the next generation of artists with their creative careers
New artists need a place to start developing and building their skills. And taking your first step into a career in theatre is never easy. That's why we're creating more opportunities for young people to launch their career at CFT. We run apprenticeships and traineeships, and this year are piloting a brand new career development programme for emerging theatre artists and creatives. With your support we can nurture the next generation of theatre professionals.
Making our theatre fit for the future
CFT was built on a dream and a shoestring. More than 60 years later, we're still thriving. But keeping our concrete hexagon up to date takes clever ideas and (to put it bluntly) a lot of funding.
Constant investment in the literal building blocks of our theatres means we can keep putting on amazing shows, wowing audiences in a safe and sustainable building. And we want our creatives to have access to the latest technologies so that they can dream big - like designing sets in virtual reality!
Your support will keep CFT at the cutting edge of theatre-making, while also making us more sustainable and more efficient.
** Your annual support can be paid annually or spread across monthly direct debit instalments.
*** Additional costs may apply with details and dates announced alongside the launch of the Festival Season
^Supporters Nights are held for every show in the Festival season with the dates marked in the calendar pages of the brochure and on our website. Tickets must be purchased to the production for an invitation to be sent.
All levels of CFT membership above Friends comprise a benefits value which reflects the actual cost of providing those benefits to the charity. Any amounts given over and above the benefits value are given freely as a donation and are eligible for Gift Aid. All donations are non-refundable. Artists Circle benefit value £329, Directors Circle benefit value £415. To discuss purchasing benefits separately please contact the Development Team on 01243 812915. The full T&Cs of memberships can be found here.
