PAGEANT One Year Anniversary Fundraiser

*Donations made through GoFundMe are not tax-deductible. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please kindly follow this link.

What is PAGEANT?

Pageant is an artist-run performance space in Brooklyn, NY that fosters experimentation for underserved artists. We opened our doors in April 2022 through a major community fundraising effort and we are sustained today through the continuous work of our unpaid organizers. In our first year, Pageant programmed 24 performances, 11 monthly workshops, and four artists talks, benefitting over 50 artists with diverse performance practices in our community. Pageant is a space for artists to commune, have greater autonomy over their artistic practice and build a sustainable community model for supporting each other.

Who runs PAGEANT?

We are a team of working artists who organize, curate, produce, and staff each event. We currently operate without institutional support or funding and are sustained by the unpaid labor of our community. Our organizers administratively support the space through communications, marketing, and bookkeeping, as well as organizing and executing all production and technical support before, during and after all events.

Why run PAGEANT?

Pageant was founded with the vision of supporting experimental dance and

performance work for artists at varying stages of their career, regardless of their access to institutional support. In a city where resources are scarce, we aim to provide alternative models for supporting performers to take creative risks in their practice, process, and vision, leading to greater autonomy for artists and sustainable models for developing a body of work. All of Pageant's programming is offered on a sliding scale, donation-based pay system with no one turned away for lack of funds. This ensures our programming is accessible to our community and helps expand our network to be more inclusive.

PAGEANT'S future?

Funds raised will help us to invest in the artists we support and in our brick-and-mortar space. Your donation will help us expand the structural and technical capacities of the space through upgrades such as; adding more seating, improving our accessibility standards, and advancing our technical support in lighting and sound. These necessary upgrades will directly impact those we program through increasing audience sizes, leading to higher artist fees and greater visibility for the presenting artists. And ensure that every event at Pageant remains on a donation-based pay system. With a proper budget for the upcoming year, we can keep event costs low without the potential burden of debt that will ultimately fall on our unpaid organizers, and while still paying all presenting and teaching artists fairly.

Pageant is unique in that it offers high-quality presentation opportunities for early career artists regardless of institutional backing. We take risks in our programming, supporting a wide range of artists without established criteria. The work we’re doing is an alternative model for running a space; operated entirely by artists for artists, we are creating a fluid and circular ecosystem for a more autonomous future for dance artists in New York.

*Donations made through GoFundMe are not tax-deductible. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please kindly follow this link.