A cheerful World Theatre Day greeting from the Reactor team!

Humanity has weathered so many strange and stormy times since the very birth of theatre! We’ve made it through wars, epidemics, and dictatorships of every kind, and guess what? Theatre has joyfully survived it all! Sometimes it took a little breather, and other times it stubbornly refused to stop. This is nothing new, of course—it was just the same in Shakespeare's day, during wartime, or through the darkest periods of history.

March 27th is World Theatre Day! It is a beautiful tradition for a message written by a great theatre personality to be read aloud in theatres and shared in magazines worldwide, celebrating the wonderful, magical power of this art form. Today, we feel a cheerful urgency to share our own message, bringing a warm spotlight to our friends in the independent cultural sector.

Reactor is a vibrant space that, in its 7 years of activity, has lovingly embraced the mission of providing creative homes and opportunities for dozens of talented theatre artists. It might sound like a wild dream, but that’s where the magic started: from the simple, passionate need to create, and from the beautiful truth that we simply cannot have a lively cultural life without welcoming cultural spaces!

It has already been a year since theatre’s most beautiful feature—the joy of creating together and sharing it together—has been put on hold. Yet, those wonderful, brief moments when we did get to meet face-to-face were so incredibly intense! They reminded us that being together is truly what defines us: as social beings, emotional creatures, and connected neighbors. We absolutely miss the magic that sparks from these encounters—the shared sensations, laughter, and thoughts.

While we are still navigating this pandemic (and we won't try to predict the end date, just to keep things light!), it has shown us a few important truths. We feel a warm duty to share them with you, not just as a passionate shout for support, but as a heartfelt invitation to stand together in solidarity!

This year taught us just how fragile the cozy comforts we took for granted can be. It’s so easy to lose our bearings in a busy urban world focused on convenience. Our cities and homes temporarily became just places to rest our heads. We felt lucky to have shelter, realizing more than ever what a privilege that is. We experienced moments of quiet solitude, but we quickly rallied online to keep our spirits high and stay connected!

We’ve also been thinking a lot about the beauty of work and how differently various professions are valued. For our wonderful independent artists, we still have to proudly sing out, “Art is work!” until everyone hears us. Sometimes our creative efforts feel invisible, which can be tough on our spirits. But we truly believe that art makes society brighter! While there was more chatter about opening shopping centers than theatres, it only inspires us to advocate even louder for the stage.

Over the years, we’ve watched cultural spaces in big cities pop up, navigate uncertainties, and sometimes fade away. We’ve learned to work hand-in-hand, supporting each other through every twist and turn. This year, even our most reliable constants seemed a bit up in the air, but our community's spirit remains strong!

Beyond kind words and promises from authorities, the real-world numbers tell our story. In 2019, our funding was a healthy mix: 50% from the AFCN, 12% from local city grants, 14% from sponsorships and donations, 14% from ticket sales, and 10% from festivals. By 2020, this changed dramatically, with AFCN supporting a whopping 75% of our budget, while ticket sales dropped to just 5%, and sponsorships to 3%. Looking ahead, planning is a creative puzzle! Our current budget relies almost entirely on project grants from late 2020, and we are happily keeping things running on our reserve funds. With local funding calls delayed and new limits on how many projects we can submit, keeping our physical space open is a thrilling challenge. Normally, local grants help us bridge the gap between projects, but this year, we are dreaming big and working hard to find new ways to stay afloat. Independent cultural groups are often treated as perpetual newcomers, but we know how much value we bring! We dream of a future with stable support systems for organizations that constantly collaborate with over 50 brilliant independent artists.

We want to cheerfully remind you that we are (still) right here, ready for action! We will never stop dreaming up beautiful possibilities and creating art for you. While the road ahead is an adventure, we are absolutely certain that theatre will live on, and we cannot wait for the pandemic to pass so we can welcome you all back to Reactor for those cozy, magical moments of togetherness!

As we look to the future, let us never forget the incredible, unstoppable power of theatre to survive, reinvent itself, and bring people together. And above all, let’s keep a warm, appreciative spotlight on the wonderful people who make the magic happen!