THE TOWNIES, INC. CONNECTS PEOPLE
ONE STORY AT A TIME.
Our mission is to cultivate a more compassionate, creative and just community by nurturing artistic expression and connecting people to one another and themselves through brave storytelling, writing and performance.
IMPORTANT TOWNIES UPDATE:
Hello Sparkly Townies Lighting Up The Night Sky,
We love you all more than we can say and could never thank you enough for everything you’ve done to support, nurture, and amplify the beautiful words and brilliant voices of your friends and neighbors across the four radiant and diverse corners of Ventura County and beyond.
We write to share that we have made the incredibly difficult decision to put our beloved nonprofit on pause.
We at The Townies have always encouraged folks to tell their full and honest truths, to name that which hasn’t been named, and to acknowledge that which is challenging to face. Now it’s our turn as an organization to do the same. The truth is that we have been fighting relentlessly for over a year, as, nation-wide, grant-writing and fundraising have been dramatically less fruitful than they have been in the past (you can read more about this financial shift in the statewide report we've included below). And understandably so: the past few years have been difficult for all.
The performing arts sector specifically has been devastatingly affected. Countless venues from small town playhouses all the way up to large regional theaters are closing across the state and the country. The same funding challenges at the foundation of all these closures have taken a toll on our beloved Townies as well. We have pivoted, innovated, and pivoted some more and while every member of our team remains deeply committed to our mission and staying connected, one raw, vulnerable and empowering story at a time – it has come time for us to accept that our current path in the non-profit performing arts world is no longer sustainable.
This is what has brought us to the decision to put the nonprofit on pause, though it is a strategic pause. We will be referring to this upcoming period as a “hibernation” because we know that the mission of The Townies, Inc. powerfully endures even if we can't know exactly what the future holds.
We are deeply proud of all we’ve accomplished in the five years since the official formation of The Townies, Inc. We started with a few board members and a volunteer leader, and grew to an eleven-member board and two paid staff: Artistic Director and Executive Director. Our dedicated staff, board and volunteers have done a spectacular job of putting their whole hearts behind our mission. We've launched countless stories loudly and unapologetically into the world from our amazing little studio. We've celebrated, danced and laughed through three Block Parties, dozens of class shows, a Disco Paella Party, a year's worth of StoryWorks, multiple Comedy/Party Things, and so, so much more. We've kept our doors open and expanded our classes through a pandemic. We've produced 44 episodes of The Townies Podcast, a heartfelt chronicle of our beloved community. These stories, your stories, whether shared live at the studio, on the podcast, or on Zoom in our Virtual Writers Rooms, have kept us connected through the most difficult of times.
At the bottom of this email are several articles about the state of affairs in the performing arts, including one about “regenerative strategies.” We are joining other performing arts spaces in entering a crucial phase of the regenerative cycle: releasing ‘what is’ to make space for ‘what’s next.’
To everyone who has had the courage to share your stories in our classes, or to lend your full ears and hearts to listen: thank you for showing us and so many others what it means to be our most vulnerable and compassionate selves. This exchange - heart for heart and breath for breath - it has a ripple effect that helps people live bolder, more authentic lives and they shine a little brighter, becoming a beacon for others.
Please keep an eye out for further updates, which will include information on our upcoming celebrations, how you can help us in this transition, where to continue accessing workshops, how to pre-order The Townies Ink Journal, updates on the status of the studio, and more.
Until then, please buy tickets to see plays, readings, performances, take your friends and support the arts across Ventura County and beyond… the arts sector is resilient, but it can’t climb this mountain without your support.
With buckets of love, gratitude and regenerative strategies,
Molly Allison, Executive Director
Lily Brown, Co-Founder & Board Member
Kim Maxwell, Founder & Artistic Director
Rain Perry, President of Board of Directors
THE TOWNIES, INC.
The Townies, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Organization. Your gift is tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.