Featured image credit: Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash
The Harriet Tubman Effect (HTE) has partnered with a number of Broadway shows to launch Lantern Tix, an accessible ticketing initiative.
Through the new scheme, groups and individuals from New York community-based organisations, schools and under-resourced communities will be able to watch Broadway shows for just $22.50 (£18/€21).
The Harriet Tubman Effect is a human resource centre and institute for justice advocacy and research.
Participating organisations are aligned with the principles of HTE, which includes dismantling systemic oppression. The founder of HTE, Nicole Savanna Johnson, told Broadway News that there were over 80 communities building partnerships within the organisation.
She said: “Communities are determined as eligible after they’ve engaged in a community partnership meeting with one of our Harriet Tubman Effect researchers and discussed their commitment to our five values (resisting white supremacy culture, research as learning, reallocation of wealth, culture of empathy and efficacy).
“We seek to enter into intentional partnership with these communities beyond the ticketing initiative, so an intentional meeting with our researchers is the first step to finding shared goals and purpose.”
Johnson also said that around 30 industry professionals met recently to discuss how to implement accessible ticketing, and how to sustain the programme. The meeting also addressed barriers to sustained accessible ticketing initiatives, and a group of theatre professionals was established to meet regularly to discuss accessibility.
The ticketing initiative began with a partnership between Sara Bareilles, Gavin Creel and the producers of ‘Into the Woods’. The production has so far donated 1,000 tickets to communities. A number of schools and organisations have benefitted from these tickets including Professional Performing Arts School, Waterwell, Apex for Youth, Covenant House, Leadership Prep, Queens Metropolitan, Creo College Prep and We Engage in Prevention Awareness (WEPA).
Further Broadway productions have since joined the programme including ‘Kimberly Akimbo’, ‘Leopoldstadt’ and ‘Topdog/Underdog’.
To help launch Lantern Tix, participating Broadway shows made tickets available for $22.50 to partner organisations, for select performances in November. HTE distributed around 900 tickets throughout the month, according to Broadway News.
The Harriet Tubman Effect hopes to grow Lantern Tix into a permanent scheme.
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