Opinion: Many thanks for helping venues stay afloat

The application portal for the federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) to provide relief funds for devastated indie venues across the U.S. has launched after a failed launch earlier in April due to technical difficulties.

You might better recognize this as the culmination of the #SaveOurStages (SOS) Act spearheaded by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) that you helped us spread awareness of and advocate for since summer of last year. Thank you!

Finally, those efforts are paying off as tens of thousands of venues across the country apply for this much needed federal assistance, which could be the only thing standing between them and permanent closure.

Hopewell Theater sincerely thanks its patrons for their part in helping vulnerable venues and performing arts centers stay afloat. Nobody wants to see these cultural hubs disappear just as hope is on the horizon for a post-pandemic world.

By signing petitions, sharing our posts, and spreading the word, you helped make this happen. You showed that people believe in the importance of the arts industry. Thank you. We will get through this together (and with a lot of federal assistance for the arts).