The stage lights are off and the seats have been sadly empty. This intermission has been necessary for the collective good—but we’ve missed you. A lot.
And we know you’ve missed powerful live performances that Purdue Convocations brings into your life, too. In the past, we’ve spoken rhetorically about the idea of what life would be like here without Convos and unfortunately, we experienced this.
It’s time to collaboratively usher in the next act: Staging Our Future. It is an ambitious plan to raise the curtain in our theatres once again.
The Purdue Convocations history is a rich one stretching over 117 seasons. It is intertwined with the cultural discourse of our community, our nation, and our world. In both good times and challenging times, our presentations have been extraordinary encounters that have offered thoughtful perspectives, transcendent escape, and powerful connections.
In the past, we’ve spoken rhetorically about the idea of what life would be like here without Convos and unfortunately, now in the time of COVID, we now know how this absence has made our hearts grow fonder for live performance.
We’re eager to get back to business—show business. However, we are a part of an interconnected, global performing arts and live entertainment ecosystem that has been profoundly disrupted. Every corner of our industry has been shuttered or severely altered. Along with an effective COVID vaccine and sufficient herd immunity, restoring our productive capacity is essential: we need to have the financial capacity to be back in business and have an audience that is eager to reconnect (safely) with live performances.
A return to financial health will allow us to:
- Create Capacity: without a traditional renewal campaign last spring and a large-scale season this year, we need your help to rebuild our capacity – you’ll get great shows in return.
- Program Powerful Work: great shows, world-class artists, powerful themes, and incredible discourse all require support as very few performances are built on box office success alone – you’ll get an incredibly diverse selection of performances to fill your life.
- Catalyze Student Learning: connections to curricula, learning communities, and student organizations are vital components of a comprehensive residential education – you’ll know that you’re creating an incredible residential learning environment for Purdue students.
- Power the Quality of Life: our community is a destination because of the incredible concentration of riches here, and Convos plays a powerful role in that dynamism – and you get to live in a culturally-rich, inspiring community.
How this can work: the timelines for our work extend 12, 18, and 24 months into the future, so multi-year pledges and major gifts in support of programs will be transformative as they provide the confidence and the capacity to realize these plans.
With that capacity, Convos will deliver world class offering next season and well beyond.
The stage is now set for you. Will you play your part?
For more information, contact our development team at (765) 494-9712 or email friendsofconvos@purdue.edu.