Fox Theatre continues community partnership with launch of “Fox Gives”

If you’ve spent some time in Atlanta, chances are you’ve had your own Fox Theatre experience, or at the very least, have passed its flashing marquee lights on Peachtree Street. After nearly a century of existing as a cultural landmark for the city, the Fox Theatre continues to uplift its neighbors and friends beyond the city limits through an expanded community partnership program, Fox Gives.

The program instills the same passion for community support that once saved the Fox Theatre long ago. As if passing a baton of partnership, the program aims to restore historic theaters and offer new vocational opportunities for young individuals passionate about the arts. In doing so, Fox Gives has more than doubled its financial investment.

“We aim to share our story and the lessons we have earned by supporting historic theaters throughout Georgia in their own quests for preservation and renewal,” Allan Vella, President and CEO of the Fox Theatre, shares as the theater celebrated 15 years of community partnership through the initiative formerly known as The Fox Theatre Institute. “This transformation of The Fox Theatre Institute into Fox Gives signifies not just a new name but an expanded vision to do more,” he added.

Fox Gives, which operates as a multi-tiered program, offers many opportunities for support, including an interactive elementary school program, ‘Fox in a Box’, which will launch in the summer of 2024 and will focus on how significant events in the Fox Theatre’s timeline intersect with key classroom lessons.

Additionally, Fox Gives offers a standout feature — the All-Access Pass program, designed to mentor high school students by offering them firsthand insights into the diverse careers in entertainment. All-Access Pass invites high school students to learn about the critical backstage roles — from lighting and sound to stage and venue management.

The Fox Theatre is also continuing its single-year grant programs, as well as a new multi-year grant program which will start July 1, 2024, and further foster economic and community development through arts and culture. The first grantee under this new program is the Hart County Community Theatre in Hartwell, Georgia, which will receive $500,000 to aid in the restoration of their century-old venue.

Chris Escobar, owner of the Plaza Theatre, Tara Theatre and executive director of the Atlanta Film Society, shares his remarks on how Fox Theatre’s grant programs have directly changed the lives of Atlanta artists, business owners, and movie-goers alike. 

“If you go back 10 years ago, the Plaza Theatre was on the verge of closing. Not only was it going to need the capital, but it was going to need some expertise and endorsement”, Escobar said.

“Now we have had three grants from the Fox, and I’m happy to report that in just 10 years we have gone from almost closing, to being bigger and better than the 20 years prior,” Escobar added. “We have now secured the longest lease the theater has ever had in its 85-year history.” 

Tina Lilly, Executive Director of Georgia Council for the Arts, praised the hands-on experience that the Fox Theatre’s grant programs offer. “They don’t just say ‘here’s the grant.’ They walk you through things, make on-site visits and create a network so it’s done properly.” 

Lilly added that the impact of the Fox Gives program has an outreach outside of Atlanta city limits, and touches rural Georgia as well. “They provide access to the arts in areas where there is nothing else. All of our wonderful artists don’t have to go to New York or Los Angeles, they can even stay in rural Georgia and work. They’re bringing tourism to these smaller communities, too”, she said.

The expansion of support from Fox Gives doesn’t stop at these life-changing programs and grants, however. As part of its plan for significant growth in 2024, Fox Gives will be directly benefiting from a portion of every ticket sold at the Fox Theatre. 

This strategic approach ensures the ongoing development of each program under the philanthropic umbrella of the Fox Theatre. This proves the direct impact that supporters of the Fox Theatre have on each individual whose life is touched through Fox Gives in the decades to come.

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