Since 2010, the KCP Presents Performing Arts Series has been producing world-class cultural events in dance, music, and theater right here in Vermont’s rural Northeast Kingdom. The Series relies on donations made directly to “KCP Presents Performing Arts Series.”
History
In the 1980’s, Jay Craven (founder and then-director of St. Johnsbury’s Catamount Arts), began producing a series of outstanding performing arts events in theater, dance, music, and comedy in the Northeast Kingdom. When Jay left Catamount Arts in 1991 to start his film production company (Kingdom County Productions), there was no longer a regular scheduling of these world-class events in the Northeast Kingdom, leaving a terrible hole on the Kingdom’s cultural landscape.
In 2010 Jay, working with Catamount Arts newly hired Executive Director Jody Fried, revived the series – this time as a program of Kingdom County Productions, where The Series resided until it transitioned back to Catamount Arts in May of 2015. Jay continues to program The Series, furthering its tradition of bringing mind-blowing and life-altering performances to the region.
Since 2010 The Series has produced such world-class artists as blues guitar ace Buddy Guy; the TONY -winning Guthrie Theater; flamenco star Jose Porcel; Grammy-winning Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster; soul divas Mavis Staples and Bettye LaVette; comedienne Paula Poundstone; country singers Rosanne Cash, Leanne Rimes, and Clint Black; 60’s icons Arlo Guthrie and Little Anthony and the Imperials; jazz stars Trombone Shorty and Cassandra Wilson, Afro Beat pioneer Femi Kuti, choral groups, Stile Antico, the bluegrass genre-defying Infamous Stringdusters, the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, the dazzling dancers of MOMIX — and many more.
These events enliven the senses, stimulate local economies, provide special access to young people, and animate enduring moments of shared community. Please join us!
Click Here for our season schedule and for tickets to upcoming shows.
Mission and Philosophy
Our mission is to strengthen community through broad access to world-class performing arts. We believe that exposure to cultural events results in more creative brains, broadened horizons, and increased positive connection to one’s community. We also believe that everyone should have access to such experiences and that neighbors getting out to enjoy a show together is good for the community as a whole. Nowhere is that access more important than in a rural area such as the Northeast Kingdom – and at no time has it been more pressing, with more and more of our communication and entertainment occurring via devices rather than face-to-face. What keeps us working hard to sustain the performance series? The dream of ever-more vibrant downtown areas, the desire to create moments of shared community, and the goal of exposing individuals – who might not otherwise have the chance – to world-class cultural events more commonly booked in large cities.
To that end, we keep our ticket prices exceptionally low – often less than half of what you would pay for the same performances elsewhere. In fact, ticket sales bring in only half of our production and marketing costs. We strive always to make up the difference by cultivating individual donors and business sponsors. It is these generous people who allow for our low prices, and who enable us to run Access Arts – a program whereby we offer free tickets to youth and discounted tickets to other interested groups and individuals as often as possible.
Here are some ways you can help us sustain the series here in the Northeast Kingdom:
- Attend shows. Simply going to the shows – regardless of what you pay – helps support our series.
- Purchase season passes. You get premium seats to every show, all season long. Purchasing a pass simplifies your life, demonstrates your commitment to the series and your faith in the quality of what we do, and helps us cover upfront production costs.
- Donate money. We know and love our donors and we pay back the love wherever we can. Free tickets, special events, special recognition and inside information are just some of the benefits of donating to KCP Presents.
- Sponsor a show. With an introductory level of just $350 to sponsor one of our shows, your business enjoys prominent placement in over $8,000 worth of radio and print advertising.
- Become a Presenting Partner. Our Presenting Partners receive recognition in all our radio and print ads, posters, email advertisements, season brochures, show programs and night-of-show thanks from the stage – for every show, all season.