Dance aficionados have shown their support for Queensland Ballet, with more than $1.2 million raised for its annual Giving Day last month.
This year the money will go towards the QB Academy which provides support for its young students with a world-class teaching faculty, allied health professionals, stage technicians, costumiers, musicians, performance showcases, and scholarships.
Queensland Ballet Development and Endowment Director Rachel Walsh said their Giving Day was an important fundraiser, but it also helped to connect with the community, as well as within the dance company.
“Supporting the Academy is something that’s very dear to the dancers, because 50 percent of our company are Academy alumni,” Ms Walsh said.
The dancers took on the challenge to engage the most number of supporters via their own social media, with an internal competition that saw the winners taking home the prize of one night’s accommodation donated by the Sofitel Brisbane.
This year the $1 million target was beaten, with match donors who agreed to quadruple every dollar donated on Giving Day. Ms Walsh said there were 978 donations this year, from 805 donors, which included 352 new donors.
Queensland Ballet Academy Director, Christian Tàtchev said the Academy was grateful for the donations received on Giving Day, because with only State funding and no Federal Government backing, it was becoming increasingly difficult for the Academy to be sustainable without this type of support.
“The government talks about us having enough money to survive, but instead let’s talk about having enough to thrive, rather than just to survive,” Mr Tàtchev said.
“Most of my colleagues in Europe – they have funding, they always say, ‘We don’t need to worry, we are funded properly’.
“But Australia misses out because it could be cheaper to study overseas than to study in Australia. Often overseas it’s free and heavily subsidised. We cannot compete, but it’s just how our system is structured unfortunately.”
Queenslanders make up 76.5 percent of the students at the Academy, with 17 percent coming from interstate, and 6.5 percent are international students.
To make a donation to Queensland Ballet, click here.
