Colonial Theatre Needs Your Help

Spring '24 Update:

Wow! It's hard to imagine that between mid-winter and April now; NEARLY six thousand dollars have been raised to help protect the theatre for the future!!

At the expense of tens of thousands of dollars: the board of directors supporting the Colonial Theatre in its 112th year of operation is thrilled to share that mitigation work has come a SUCH a long way already...

While it would've been ideal to fundraise the entire $75K needed to remediate the issues: since the safety of customers and the building were at stake: work was fast-tracked to protect them both.

All of this imparted, the Colonial has proven that providing a diverse canon of (50) films and (5) performances can help uphold the bottom line through concession and ticket sales. They just aren't enough to offset costs from the fire mitigation work.

For those who have already donated through (a.) donations (b.) memberships or (c.) GoFundMe–the board sends you an ecastic thank you for the support to date. Thank you!!

Interested in donating *MORE or for the FIRST time* but don't want to have GoFundMe to get any access to the funds? Colonial Theatre (incorporated as Belfast Theatre Arts Company) banks locally on Belmont Avenue with First National Bank at Reny's Plaza.

Sincerely,

Kyle Walton

Belfast Theatre Arts Company

March 2024 Update:



February 2024 Update: Today is just one of those days... currently there are at least five service trucks parked on High Street and they’re at the Colonial Theatre for one reason only: to make it even safer for the next century of moviegoers.

Over three business days, technicians will make improvements to the alarm and 24/7 monitoring so the theatre can better survive an emergency from electrical, fire or water damage.

Now here comes the even harder part – The Big C needs YOUR help to cover these modern remediation upgrades.

Realizing there is rarely an ideal time to donate to organizations–this is *the perfect* one to show YOUR support for the State of Maine’s oldest movie theatre.

Note: Though the Colonial is *not* in a state of peril; its operating fund isn’t robust enough as a 6-month old to endure tens of thousands of overages stemming from a renewed level of government regulation(s).

We (the Belfast Theatre Arts Company’s Board of Directors) SO appreciate your willingness to help fund the Colonial Theatre’s future!!

December 2023 Update: Wow, over twenty Maine and international cinema-lovers have already donated to the Colonial's Safety Upgrade Fund in less than the 24-hours since it was published!!

After more than a year of closure, on October 10, 2023, Waldo County's only movie theater - the Colonial - was purchased by a newly formed not-for-profit. Hawthorne Theater and Arts Collaborative (named after the elephant on the roof of the theater) immediately took over operations and reopened the theater in less than 6 weeks! Our hearts were bursting with joy to see people streaming back into the theater.

We met one woman who had attended shows at the Colonial almost every weekend for 30 years. As a teen, she would split wood throughout the week to earn money to take her siblings to the movies. How awesome to welcome her "home" so her 2-year-old can continue the family tradition of weekend films...

But not all of the news has been good news. Right before Thanksgiving, we learned that essential infrastructure upgrades to the 99-year-old building need to be made immediately. While we have big plans for future changes that will include adding accessible restrooms and air-conditioning, a couple of things can't wait:

One of the darkest times of year; will you please help us help the Colonial move forward to a brighter day? These additions and changes will give us all peace of mind, but will cost close to $100,000. We've only been open for a couple of weeks and don't have any reserves in the bank to help fund capital improvements. This fund-raising campaign will alleviate the fiscal burden of these upgrades.

Your generosity will also ensure that the Colonial can sustainably continue to offer a community screening and performance art space for Midcoast Mainers for generations to come!

THANK YOU for supporting community access to film and the arts, and wish you a joyful holiday season.

Gratefully,

Kyle Walton, Director and

The Hawthorne Theater and Arts Collaborative Board of Directors ***

*** Established in 2023, the Hawthorne Theatre & Arts Collaborative, comprises a board of directors all with midcoast Maine connections. With career focuses in community engagement, hospitality, marketing, legal and, movie theater management–the collaborative is committed to preserving Greater Waldo County’s access to the arts through the Colonial Theatre.