STTC and The 5 & Dime's Production of "Ride The Cyclone"

Dear Swoop Troupe members, Ospreys and Theatre lovers all around,

As most of you may know, Swoop Troupe Productions puts on a Spring Musical every year. Since The University of North Florida does not provide the option to major in musical theatre, our Registered Student Organization is the only on campus resource that allows hundreds of our fellow peers to experience musical theatre together. Students of all majors have an opportunity to incorporate themselves and their knowledge into our productions. This allows students to gain experience outside of their college’s curriculum.

In light of recent modifications of the UNF Student Government's Constitution and Statutes, along with changes made to Florida's arts funding in the 2025 budget, we are facing multiple challenges and are in need of funding to support our future projects. Following a recent update from SG, we have been informed that Swoop Troupe is now a Tier Three (3) by the Office of the Student Body Treasurer. However, even with this information, this status still falls short to meet our needs and requirements.

Additionally, as an RSO on campus, we are required to pay for an off-campus storage space ($2,937.35 yearly) to hold our set pieces, props, costumes, marketing and more. Alongside that, we are also not provided with a theatre space to rehearse in and are required to pay for all tech week dates and performances on our on.

Given the recent changes implemented by our university and state, our options have become limited. However, with the help of a particular connection, we have successfully found a community theatre to collaborate with. The 5 & Dime Theatre is a community theatre well known for its commitment. Focusing on producing high quality, diverse theatrical performances. The 5 & Dime Theatre has shown incredible generosity and enthusiasm in their willingness to collaborate with us. We aim for this partnership to open new opportunities to combine the talents within both organizations.

As the 5 & Dime Theatre is kindly providing the necessary funding for our show, it is important to note that with the budget cuts made to Florida’s state art funding, they as well as us have experienced significant loss in their own funding as well. We are asking you all for assistance and aid as we are in a time and funding constraint, whether it is spreading the word, donating to our GoFundMe, or in any way you see fit.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to our email and we will make sure to respond as quickly as possible.