14 December 2022
Newsdesk
The Ticket Bank is a new initiative from the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation and Cardboard Citizens, in partnership with some of London’s leading cultural organisations: The Almeida Theatre, Barbican, Bush Theatre, Gate Theatre, The National Theatre, Roundhouse and Tara Theatre.
Launching on Monday 9th January as a one-year programme, The Ticket Bank will make an estimated 1,000 tickets a week available to those who would otherwise not be able to afford to engage with culture during the cost-of-living crisis.
To date, seven leading cultural organisations have committed to the charitable initiative with more to be announced in the new year. Each cultural organisation has pledged tickets for theatre, comedy, live music and dance performances at a donate-what-you-can rate via The Ticket Bank web page on the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation website. A donation can be of any amount and even the most modest of gifts will be celebrated.
The Ticket Bank will be working with the following partners to ensure that tickets reach the people and communities historically under-served by cultural organisations:
Centrepoint, a charity working with young people experiencing housing precarity and homelessness;
The House of St Barnabas, a Soho-based charity that helps London's homeless back into work;
The Longford Trust, a charity supporting young adults to rebuild their lives through education after serving a prison sentence;
Positive Action in Housing, an independent, anti-racist homelessness and human rights charity dedicated to supporting refugees and migrants to rebuild their lives;
A Network of Food Banks across the capital providing emergency food and support to people locked in poverty;
and relevant Outreach programmes of cultural organisations as well as Cardboard Citizens, Union Chapel and The Big House.
These partners will provide access codes direct to their programme participants to enable them to book tickets via The Ticket Bank.
Chris Sonnex, Artistic Director and joint CEO of Cardboard Citizens, said: “Access to art and culture are essential to the human condition, a human right. If people can’t afford these riches, society is poorer off. I’m incredibly proud of the London arts and culture community coming together to offer tickets city wide to people who, through no fault of their own, are on or under a poverty line. It is a real act of change, and it will give many people, who couldn’t otherwise, the opportunity to be entertained, to see other worlds, to escape and most importantly to dream”.
Caroline McCormick, Chair of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation, said: “Very rarely you come across an idea that is so simple and brilliant that you can't believe it doesn't already exist. When Chris Sonnex told me his idea for The Ticket Bank, my response was as simple as his idea - "we have to make this happen." Today I'm very proud to be announcing the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation’s partnership with Cardboard Citizens on The Ticket Bank which from January 2023 will connect thousands of people in London who wouldn't otherwise be able to access culture during the cost of living crisis with our finest cultural institutions”.
To support the further roll-out of The Ticket Bank by making a donation, and for further information please visit: https://www.culturalphilanthropyfoundation.co.uk/the-ticket-bank
