Support ActUp Theater: Where Arts Meet Activism

Transform Lives Through the Power of Performance
At ActUp Theater, we believe every community member deserves to see themselves reflected on stage — and every neighborhood deserves access to transformative arts experiences. Since 2015, we've been mobilizing the power of the arts to create change, opportunity, and hope in Hartford.

Our impact speaks volumes: More than 4,500 community members of all ages annually experience our Broadway-style productions, educational programs, and empowerment workshops. With 95% of our cast and crew identifying as people of color, we're creating representation that's rare in the Greater Hartford region — and desperately needed.

Individual Donations

Your Gift Creates Opportunity
When you support ActUp Theater, you're investing in more than performances, you're investing in futures. Your donation helps us provide:

    • Professional Broadway-style productions featuring performers of all ages

    • Master classes open to community members at every skill level

    • Open auditions welcoming participants from children to adults

    • Family affair performances that unite generations on stage

    • Free arts education for more than 200 youth annually

    • Broadway trips to New York City where students meet professional casts

    • Paid fellowship opportunities for teenagers

    • After-school and summer programming during critical hours

    • Broadway-style productions featuring performers from ages 8 to 80+

    • Leadership workshops empowering activists across generations

    • Safe spaces for creative expression for the whole community

    • Cultural programming bringing together neighbors who might not otherwise connect

    • 99% program retention rate — participants of all ages choose to return year after year

    • 100% of program participants develop stage direction and performance skills

    • Community members gain confidence in public speaking and performance

    • Intergenerational mentoring where teens guide younger participants and learn from adult community members

    • Youth graduates have gone on to attend Howard, Spelman, NYU, and other prestigious universities

    • Participants of all ages become community leaders and artists

DONATE NOW

Every dollar you give directly supports community members of all ages who are discovering their voices, building confidence, and learning that their stories matter. Whether it's an 8-year-old taking the stage for the first time, a teenager developing leadership skills, or an adult community member pursuing a lifelong dream of performance, ActUp theater is a place where creativity flourishes and dreams take center stage across generations.

Sponsorships

Partner With Purpose
Forward-thinking companies understand that strong communities drive business success. When you partner with ActUp Theater, you're aligning your brand with meaningful impact while supporting participants across all generations.

Why Partner With ActUp?

  • Your investment directly reaches low-to-moderate income families — 80% of our youth participants qualify for free/reduced lunch program. We provide detailed reporting on outcomes, attendance, and community engagement that demonstrates real return on investment.

  • Our programs develop critical 21st-century skills: creative problem-solving, public speaking, teamwork, and leadership. We're preparing Hartford's future workforce while building confidence and cultural competency across all age groups.

  • Partner with an organization where diversity isn't an initiative — it's who we are. ActUp is a Black-led theater company with predominantly BIPOC programming that creates authentic connections with communities that matter to your business.

    • Logo placement in programs, websites, and social media

    • VIP experiences at our sold-out performances

    • Employee volunteer opportunities

    • Custom partnership packages available

  • We use evidence-based approaches for emotional intelligence and resilience-building. Your support funds cutting-edge programming that integrates arts education with Common Core standards.

  • Our productions draw audiences from 29 surrounding towns and out-of-state visitors, contributing to Hartford's cultural economy. Performances regularly reach over 1,000 attendees, generating significant foot traffic for local businesses.

PARTNER WITH US

Partnership Opportunities Include:

  • Program sponsorship (ActUp Theater Arts Academy, Main Stage Productions, ACTIVATE workshops, PopUp With A Purpose performances)

  • Event sponsorship (Broadway trips, showcases)

  • Capital support (equipment, facility improvements)

  • Employee engagement programs

  • Board participation opportunities

The ActUp Difference

Unlike other performing arts organizations, ActUp Theater combines professional-quality productions
with deep community roots and social justice activism.

Our unique approach includes:

  • Multi-generational programming where teens mentor younger children while learning from adult community members

  • Community-responsive storytelling that addresses real issues like racism, economic inequality, and violence

  • Professional development pipelines with paid opportunities annually for local artists

  • Family engagement with high parental involvement and intergenerational participation

Join us in mobilizing the power of the arts. Together, we're not just changing lives — we're changing Hartford, one performance at a time.

ActUp Theater, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. EIN: 81-1065321

Questions about donating or partnership opportunities?

Contact us at development@actuptheater.org or call 860-453-0600.

Support Our Mission