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A year ago, Denver was home to one of the most vibrant, critically acclaimed, wildly celebrated performing arts scenes in the country. There were numerous capital campaign projects underway, new theaters and music venues under construction and getting ready to open. Kids of all ages could explore dozens of top quality opportunities to grow through arts education. New writers, directors and actors flocked to Denver to debut the most exciting cutting edge theatre being produced nationwide.
However, today make no mistake Denver’s performing arts are in a huge hole. Even with outstanding leadership, creative minds and passionate stakeholders, Denver’s theatre, music, dance and arts education is hit hard by the pandemic and struggling to stay afloat.
Help Denver Performing Arts on Colorado Gives Day:
Colorado Gives Day is TODAY, December 8. 2020. I have no doubt Denver’s Performing Arts will make it through and rise to even greater heights than ever before. However, these organizations need our help. Few businesses and nonprofits have been hit harder in this pandemic than the arts. Stages are dark and a lot of people are out of work for an indefinite period of time.
That’s why today is so important. All donations made before midnight tonight will be increased in value thanks to the $1 Million Incentive Fund. This fund is made possible by Community First Foundation, FirstBank and other community members. By increasing the value of every donation it makes Colorado Gives Day one of the largest Give Where You Live Days in the country!
10 Worthy Denver Performing Arts Non Profits to Support on Colorado Gives Day
These ten long running Denver based arts nonprofits are absolutely amazing! You can make a donation to any one of them by simply going to the Colorado Gives Day website.
1. Denver Center for Performing Arts
Giving to the DCPA is giving to the mother ship of Denver performing arts. The DCPA is one of the nation’s largest non-profit theatre organizations housing numerous theatres, DCPA Broadway, DCPA Theatre Company, DCPA Cabaret, DCPA Off Center. Supporting the DCPA is also supporting one of the most comprehensive far reaching arts education programs in Colorado.
Falling under this tent is also The Women’s Voices Fund, The Denver Center Alliance and The Denver Public Schools Shakespeare Festival – the largest and oldest student Shakespeare festival in the country.
2. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
For five decades, CPRD has developed an internationally esteemed organization that operates beyond the traditional performing arts model. There are four pillars of the organization, namely, the CPRD Ensemble, Academy, Theatre, and Education programs. Working in concert, CPRD programs have created an oasis where a varied population—by gender, race, age and ethnicity—gather to study and appreciate a modern, cross-cultural approach to creative community development.
Housed in the historic A.M.E. Shorter Church in Five Points, CPRD serves as a convener of community, art and dance. Classes in the Academy are open to everyone.
3. Colorado Ballet
Colorado Ballet is a non-profit organization celebrating nearly 60 years of presenting world-class classical ballet and innovative dance in Denver. With 31 professional Company dancers and 21 Studio Company dancers, Colorado Ballet presents more than 50 classical and contemporary ballet performances every year. Education is also a big focus or the organization. The Academy provides training to students ages 1 ½ through adult, beginner through pre-professional. Colorado Ballet’s outstanding education and community engagement programs enable thousands to experience the magic of dance.
4. Wonderbound
Wonderbound is a contemporary ballet company located in Denver that lives at the convergence of tradition and innovation, vulnerability and courage, and intimacy and openness. Under the direction of Garrett Ammon and Dawn Fay, Wonderbound is committed to the development and sharing of collaborative artistic experiences. These undertakings have come to define Wonderbound, producing creations that erase boundaries between mediums and engage artists and audiences in candid explorations of the human experience.
5. Colorado Symphony
Colorado Symphony is one of the leading orchestras in the United States. CSO performs more than 150 concerts annually at Denver’s Boettcher Concert Hall and across Colorado. They Symphony is home to 80 full time musicians as well as celebrated guest artists from around the world. Recognized as an incubator of innovation, creativity, and excellence, The Colorado Symphony continually expands its reach. Through education, outreach, and programming CSO stands as a leader in Denver’s performing arts. CSO collaborates with Colorado’s leading musical artists, cultural organizations, corporations, foundations, sports teams, and individuals, to expose diverse audiences to the transformative power of music.
6. DSA Friends Fund – the Denver Performing Arts Incubator
Denver is home to one of the leading performing arts junior high and high schools in the United States boasting numerous professional artists graduates at the top of their field. DSA boasts an incredibly talented and diverse student body of aspiring young writers, dancers, musicians, actors, directors, set designers, visual artists and film makers. DSA Friends Foundation provides funding for aspects of the school’s programming that are not funded by Denver Public Schools.
Denver School of the Arts currently faces a “gap” of $1,500 per student. This gap is the difference between what it costs to provide a comprehensive arts/academic education per student and what the school receives per student from the district.
7. The Denver Actor’s Fund
The Denver Actor’s Fund offers financial and practical assistance for members of the Colorado theater community in medical need. The DAF has distributed $675,000 in seven years. The DAF is actively exploring new ways in which it might be able to provide long-term artist assistance specific to the ongoing ban on indoor public performances.
8. Denver Film Society
The Denver Film Society has worked to promote the film as both an art form and a civic forum, developing a program that includes year-round screenings, community outreach projects, and renowned special events. As the only nonprofit theater in Colorado, Denver Film engages members and the general public in a lifelong love of film. Operating out of the Sie FilmCenter on Colfax Avenue, the organization’s year-round cinematic home, presents the annual award-winning Denver Film Festival in November and a series of smaller film festivals throughout the year. In addition, Denver Film produces the popular summer movies series, Film on the Rocks at Red Rocks Amphitheater.
9. PHAMALy Theatre Company
PHAMALy Theatre Company, which stands for Physically Handicapped Amateur Musical Actors League, strives to create a world in which disability and the differences within the human condition are celebrated. PTC has produced accessible and welcoming top quality theatre performances in Denver for 3 decades. PHAMALy’s founders were ahead of their time. They built an inclusive organization that continues to directly served disenfranchised individuals with disabilities from all racial, ethnic, gender, and class identities.
10. JCC Denver
The JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center illuminates the human experience through creative and cultural programs in the performing, visual, and literary arts. All ages and religious denomination can find a cultural home at this community center. The Mizel Arts and Culture Center, the arts and culture branch of the JCC, serves over 26,000 people a year. Programming ranges in variety including: exhibitions, concerts, films, author appearances, theatrical performances, literary and film festivals and arts education. The J’s facilities are top notch with the luxurious 400-seat Elaine Wolf Theatre, the 100-seat Pluss Theatre, a rehearsal studio, and excellent space for receptions and lectures.
…And Many More!
Rest assured we have personally vetted every one of these worthy nonprofit performing arts organizations. Many of these we know from the inside out! Of course there are lots of other phenomenal performing arts organizations in and around Denver not mentioned here. As you can see, we are lucky to have strong Denver performing arts institutions throughout our neighboring counties. Indeed, you will find some of the best work out of Arvada, Aurora, Parker, Lone Tree, Broomfield, Thornton, Lafayette, Golden and beyond. You can see all of these when you visit the Colorado Gives Day website.
The Denver performing arts community is something special. Together we can work to keep the arts alive in the Mile High! I can’t wait to see you at the show!
