fu-GEN Theatre Company Holds A Clothing Sale Fundraiser

fu-GEN Theatre Company is hosting a clothing sale fundraiser at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre

Being a huge fan of both local independent theatre and cheap second-hand clothing, I was excited and intrigued to see fu-GEN Theatre Company was holding a clothing sale as a fundraiser on December 10th. fu-GEN is a company oriented toward the work of Asian Canadian theatre artists and, like all small indie theatres, they need fundraising in order to develop and produce shows.

Often theatre companies hold gala events to raise money, and fu-GEN won’t be eschewing that approach entirely. I spoke with Jason Thomas Chellew, their fundraising chair, who said that some people are tired of champagne galas and other people simply can’t afford them. His concept was to keep the gala, which will be sometime in 2013, but to add a series of smaller, more accessible events to their campaign.

This hit home with me, as someone who never attends gala fundraisers. Tickets to those are generally in the area of $100, which can be a lot to fit into your budget for one night out. And, since many theatres and other community non-profit organizations do them, it can feel impossible to pick just one or two to support.

Chellew, who was brought on board by fu-GEN Artistic Director David Yee and General Manager Carin Lowerison, has other smaller and affordable events in the works for 2013, such as lectures with talkbacks from guest artists, which will probably have a ticket price of $20 to $25 dollars, probably including snacks. There will also be another clothing sale in the spring and a silent auction.

However, the event at hand is the second-hand clothing sale on December 10th, where all clothing items will be sold for only $5 each. They have been accepting donations on Mondays between 12pm and 5pm at St. Luke’s United Church, 157 Carlton Street, Suite 207, but you can also contact nessa@fu-gen.org if you’d like to arrange a different time to drop off your used (but still in good condition!) clothing.

One of the best aspects of a clothing sale is that it can appeal to people who may not already be fans of fu-GEN. Hopefully these people will not only find some fabulous garments but also discover a new theatre company.

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