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  • 1.  Talent Show Fundraiser

    Posted 07-07-2023 13:38

    Hello,

     

    I've been teaching over 20 years but I thought I would try something different this year for a fundraiser. I would like to do a school-wide high school talent show.

     

    I really don't know where to start so I'm asking for any advice that anyone can give to make it successful. I would also like a timeline, materials, student handouts, etc. Do you have prizes, trophies, etc.? Any advice would be very much appreciated.

     

    Thank you so much!  

     

    Patricia Giles

     

     

    Sent from Mail for Windows

     



  • 2.  RE: Talent Show Fundraiser

    Posted 07-08-2023 10:04
    At my school we have what is called a buyout assembly where kids purchase a ticket to attend the assembly instead of two class periods that day. We release three times and try to keep it simple. We get tons of singers so we really have to choose just the best of them.



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  • 3.  RE: Talent Show Fundraiser

    Posted 07-08-2023 12:25
    Adding to the great ideas already. We invited groups as well as individuals to perform, so we had a group from the swim team, the FHA, the NHS, the Mock Trial etc. A theatre student were assigned as directors and creators for these groups to come up with a short talent which represented what they did. We also had the Dan e team, a vocal ensemble, a drum line, so our winners' categories included novice and experienced performers for groups and individuals. A big hit was a short faculty staff skit-something suitable from 'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE' or other sources. --
    Gai Laing Jones
    Past President Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) Governing Board; Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF) Founding Board Member; Past CA Educational Theatre Association (CETA) Past President, VP Membership; Drama Teachers Association of SO CA (DTASC) Advocacy Director; Ojai Art Center Theatre (OACT) Executive Board; El Dorado High School (EDHS) Emeritus Theatre Chair/Educator; AATE Member; AACT Member; SAG-AFTRA Member; Radio Players Performer
    Theatre Ed Textbook Author-RAISING THE CURTAIN-www.perfectionlearning.com; THE STUDENT ACTOR PREPARES-www.intellectbooks.com; BREAK A LEG. . .TIPS AND TRUISMS FOR THEATRE TEACHERS, and CURTAIN GOIN' UP Truisms and Tios for Community Theatre Actors, Directors, Technicians and Other Volunteers; www.gaijones.com; gaijones2013@gmail.com.



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  • 4.  RE: Talent Show Fundraiser

    Posted 07-08-2023 11:30

    We do two types of talent shows at my school.

    Fall: Coffee House fundraiser for student trips.  ITS students donate snacks, paper goods, and tea. The department orders coffee from Panera. The talent and acts are selected by audition (basically to screen for content and also if there are too many to weed out the best).  Everyone submits their audition through a Google Form with a link to their act. Coffee House is show case that takes place in the cafeteria or space outside of the normal theatre - since there is food mess.

    Spring: Long Reach (my school name) Has Talent, a pass through fundraiser for local charity.  Happens in the theatre.  Acts are judged by teacher volunteers, awards are to local food spots like Starbucks. Last year the audience also voted through a Google form and we had the "People's Choice" awards.

    Time liine for both types of shows:   

    • 1 -1.5 months from show, audition publicity (give everyone at least three weeks to submit the form); Theme of the show  or charity is selected
    • 2-3 week from show acts are selected and notified; voluteers signup; MCs selected; tech crew selected, etc. show publicity begins
    • 2 weeks deocorations are assembled; volunteers confirmed
    • 1.5 weeks from show line up is finalized and typed into a program; music tracks and other equipment needs are finalized
    • Week of show - food, materials are gathered; coffee ordered, etc.; box office set up
    • Day before show - dress rehearsal; tech crew notes cues and equipment needs
    • Afternoon of the show - load in sound and lighting; Decorate the space; set up the food
    • Show time - tickets sold at the door, show, and clean up.

    Hope that helps - I love talent show events because I don't have a long rehearsal schedule. It is one rehearsal, one night and you are done and usually make good money for your program. Let the students run most it and that helps spread out the work load. Also sometimes there is talent that shows up that you might not know about and can possibly recruit - win win!

    Let me know if you have any questions:)



    ------------------------------
    Marla Blasko
    Director/Teacher Theatre Arts
    Long Reach High School
    Columbia, Maryland
    ------------------------------

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  • 5.  RE: Talent Show Fundraiser

    Posted 07-08-2023 11:57
    It CAN work....I tried cosponsoring one with our Band program last year.  We did it, but it was only modestly successful, but I gained a few takeaways that I'll share:

    1) Plan it way in advance...we planned ours a little too late to build really good momentum and participation....put in on the calendar months in advance and start building interest.  Think about WHEN to have it so it doesn't conflict too much with sports games, prom, or other major events.

    2) KEY: Find a way to get a broad spectrum of participation from across the school, not just the arts kids. This will boost your audience turnout.  If you brand it too strongly as "sponsored by the _____ program", it will reduce participation.  We had good participation from theatre and band students, but that limited our audience.  If we had started earlier, we could have probably gotten more groups involved. Invite clubs or other campus groups to get involved with an act (maybe give the non-performance oriented groups some ideas to encourage them to participate for fun).

    3) See if you can find a well-liked/charismatic teacher, administrator, or well-known community member to be the MC....or have "celebrity guest judges".  Somebody who will help you draw audience.

    4) Do you want it to be competitive? or just for fun?  Either approach has pros/cons...and each approach will attract/deter some people.

    5) I'd recommend allowing an audience participation/voting element, even if you have judges.  This encourages each act to bring out their friends and supporters (which = ticket sales).

    6) Encourage/recruit teachers to participate too...again, they will draw audience. If you've got a colleague who sings, plays guitar, etc...invite them!  (If it's competitive, maybe have a separate category for teachers?


    Hope that helps.




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  • 6.  RE: Talent Show Fundraiser

    Posted 07-08-2023 12:27

    Great advice! I'm going to compile all of this great information and discuss it with my colleagues. 

    Thank you so much!



    ------------------------------
    Patricia Giles
    Theatre Director
    Hardaway High School
    GA
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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