StoneLion Puppet Theatre

Transcription

1 StoneLion Puppet Theatre General Information Contact Information Nonprofit StoneLion Puppet Theatre Address 2025 Tracy Avenue Kansas City, MO Phone (816) Website Facebook facebook.com/stonelionpuppets Twitter twitter.com/slpuppets At A Glance How to donate, support, and volunteer For over twenty years StoneLion Puppet Theatre has been active in igniting the community to not only come to see our art but be a "Part of the Art" with several large activities needing volunteers of all ages. StoneLion does not sell tickets to our events/performances but feel all sectors of our community should have access to high-quality art and arts education/ This is accomplished by providing free programming sponsored by grant support and individual donations. Please help us continue this effort by donating and volunteering. has donate button to make if fast and simple to support our work in the community. 1

2 Mission & Areas Served Statements Mission Statement StoneLion Puppet Theatre is a professional not-for-profit theatre company dedicated to expanding the horizons of the young and young-at-heart through the art of puppetry in an interdisciplinary community of ethnic and cultural diversity. Background Statement Incorporated originally as StoneLion Productions Inc. in 1992 by Heather Loewenstein, the theatre survived entirely on program fees from schools, businesses, and institutions within the greater Kansas City area. In 1994, the company received its first commission to produce environmental programming for the Kansas City Zoo in a summer-long production. The following years saw installations of similar productions in Portland, OR; Atlanta, GA, and Colorado Springs, CO while the company continued its touring schedule. After the corporate sponsor of the program suffered a financial set back, it caused the company to re-evaluate the likelihood and unpredictability of sponsorship vs. grant funding for such productions, and prompted some key decisions, including the commitment to become a non-profit entity and a renewed commitment to local and national touring to its traditional customer base. In 2006 StoneLion joined the Chameleon Arts Consortium which provided Kansas City Parks and Recreation sponsorship and the ability to reach a more under served population with free community art programming such as our Green Day Festival series. StoneLion continues its commitment to high-quality art in the local market while expanding nationally and internationally. In 2016 StoneLion was given US State Department Arts Envoy status for our work abroad. Impact Statement Locally, StoneLion presented over 400 shows and workshops here and abroad in 2016 and continued their successful Puppets for the Planet festival series which grew into "Illuminated Waters" a two day festival of giant puppets that glow in the dark on and off the waters of Brush Creek South of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art on Memorial Day weekend. StoneLion s environmental art education has been extremely successful this year. StoneLion received an Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 grant allowing us to Teach for the Future. Artistic Director, Heather Loewenstein, along with our educational director, Shari Wilson, taught five master classes in universities in the four state region (NE, IA, MO, KS) for pre-service education majors on how to make art a vehicle to engage students and deliver curriculum, especially concerning climate sustainability within all subjects. Education majors developed intriguing art lessons of their own and received hands-on training within partner elementary schools. These lessons were distributed by StoneLion artists to another thirty schools in the region alongside our performances. Because of the success of this program, alongside our history of excellent art StoneLion received Arts Envoy status by the US State Department. StoneLion traveled to Fiji in August to conduct community workshops and master classes with students, teachers and local artists creating giant puppets for The Hibiscus Festival and giving performances at the invitation of the Fiji National University and the Fijian Arts Council with US Embassy support. StoneLion also received a major grant from the State Department to travel to the Mekong Delta in early StoneLion is creating a new production and developing another master class series for teachers in universities in Vietnam and Laos. StoneLion s Artistic director was invited to share this work as a featured presenter at the International Schools Grounds Alliance Conference in Lund, Sweden and The National Association for the Advancement of Environmental Education (NAAEE) Conference in WI this year. She was awarded the Lighton Foundation prize as Teaching Artist of the Year. 2

3 Needs Statement StoneLion is looking for operational support and development advice. We do a lot with very little but our office staff of 1.5 is tired. We need to expand our management and delegate. We are looking for volunteers with the professional background and experience to guide us for the future. StoneLion is looking for volunteers and financial support to expand our popular Puppets for the Planet festival Series. This event has become the largest free community art event in the area. We are moving to a new location and expanding the culminating event to two days instead of just one. Last year one hundred eighty-nine volunteers performed in the giant puppet show The Mermaid s Tale on Mother s Day last year to thousands. This event has out grown its current space. We are looking for corporate and foundation sponsors to help with this and for community volunteers to help plan and shape the expansion. Some support is guaranteed but we need to raise at least $15,000 more. Board Chair Statement I am proud to be on the board of StoneLion. When I first started as a volunteer I had no idea the impact this group has. It is more than beautiful puppets and entertaining stories. We produce magic. Seeing these puppets transforms children and adults. The joy and amazement that everyone gets is indescribable. It is a moving experience for people watching as well as the people performing. I don t know of any activity that brings as much joy as these puppets do. I am, personally, affected every time I perform with them. We have accomplished a lot! Our Mother s Day for Mother Earth had the largest puppets we have ever used including a 24-foot mermaid. We have performed internationally including Dubai and Fiji. We are growing our Day of the Dead Parade with Mattie Rhodes Center. We also continue to expand our program of environmental education. All of this without any admission charge. There is still a lot to do.the growth that we have makes it harder on the volunteers and few staff members we have. More paid staff is needed. We still, also want to expand our art and need funds so we can experiment with different materials and effects. One that we have started working with is environmental projections on the puppets and more technical illuminated puppetry. We are looking for dedicated volunteers who can assist us in charting our course for the future and development assistance to make it happen. Board Chair Service Categories Theater Arts Education Arts Services Areas of Service Areas Served Areas International National MO KS 3

4 The US State Department in 2016 chose to award StoneLion Arts Envoy status. This has opened up many opportunities for work overseas as well as our national touring company. 4

5 Programs Programs Illuminated Waters Description Category Population Served Short-Term Success Long- Term Success Program Success Monitored By Illuminated Waters is a two-day water festival free to the public. This event is an expansion of our wildly successful annual Mother s Day for Mother Earth giant puppet show. This festival will be a five-hour long event replicated on two different days over Memorial Day weekend May 25 and 26 from 5 p.m p.m. The event will take place in Theis Park (47th and Oak) utilizing the park, the amphitheater and the waters of Brush Creek. The festival portion of Illuminated Waters will feature up to five different areas of interest with specific themes such as reduction of pesticides or reducing plastic.this event will culminate in a giant evening puppet show including floating puppets actually on the waters. Imagine community volunteers from the ages of 2 on up alongside our professional performers manipulating illuminated puppets with a positive message about the need to protect our water. These puppets would then end the night with a puppet glow. Funding and volunteers are needed. Arts, Culture & Humanities, General/Other Puppet Shows General/Unspecified, General/Unspecified, This festival series' short term success is demonstrated by the numbers of individuals participating in the day's events including art activities, tabling and performance based interaction. We also believe it is the quality of the experience not just the quantity of participants. We at StoneLion believe some of our most successful festivals have a lower attendance rate because they are in areas of the community that do not regularly attend art events. An example is last year's festival at St Mark Child Devlopment Center. Through our surveys we discovered almost 80% of the participants: 1.Had never attended a theater performance. 2.Had never recycled before. That day they were exposed to many different art forms in the neighborhood and had been given information on how and why we need to care better for our neighborhoods by recycling, not littering and using alternative energy sources. We found it interesting that most of the audience that day did not actually have children enrolled in the center but came from the surrounding neighborhoods. WHY: Our goal is to bring awareness to environmental issues in our own area and to provide realistic opportunities for change and involvement, while exposing our audience to a broad range of ARTISTIC mediums; puppetry, theater, music, dance and sculpture. This interactive project will enable community members of all ages, races, and socio-economic strata to become a part of the art of puppet-making and performance while celebrating the environment, and reminding the community as a whole of our impact on the world in which we live. Group surveys are sent to each community group we perform into asking for quantitative and qualitative feedback. Audience feedback from our general public programs are solicited both in a survey box and in volunteers polling random participants. Gate counts are a bit difficult to track as these events are generally outdoors and do not require tickets. We periodically quarter the audience participating and count individuals. 5

6 Examples of Program Success StoneLion's goal with this festival series is to involve neighborhoods in their community both by providing information and activities that convince them for the need to become engaged in their world around them and to explore the opportunities available to them in the arts. An example of this success is the fact that last year we had 210 volunteers helping put on the event. They performed in a show who's message was that each of must contribute to the works around us. CEO Comments While StoneLion's requests are for our Environmental programming presently we are not only limited to this style of performance. StoneLion has successfully produced many literature and art inspired productions over the years and welcomes the opportunity to partner with other professional companies such as symphonies, opera companies, theaters and visual artists. Our art is community based and as such is influenced by that community's needs and wishes. Please see our website for all the possibilites... 6

7 Leadership & Staff Executive Director/CEO Executive Director Term Start Feb Ms. Heather Nisbett-Loewenstein Experience Heather Nisbett-Loewenstein, started StoneLion years ago when she discovered puppetry melded performance and design into one big lump of fun that could communicate complex ideas and messages in a way that traditional theater could not. Heather s work as designer, puppet director and lead performer helped local PBS station KCPT win an Emmy for Bark Park Place. Directorial and design credits include The Continuing Adventures of Felicia Flash series and its latest installment Spelunk! Saving Our Springs. This entertaining series has focused on environmental issues in thirteen different productions, 2 DVDs, numerous television spots and literally thousands of performances across the country. The summer of 2006 found Felicia performing 276 shows at The Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, WA which won PDZA the American Zoo and Aquarium Association s Education award. She has directed, written and/or designed over 125 productions for StoneLion as well as collaborated with published authors and professionl musicians to create unique and excellent work. Recently she was awarded the Lighton Foundation prize as Teaching Artist of the Year. She received the Kansas Association of Environmental Education Community Partner of the year award in 2013 and has been a featured presenter at two major international conferences in Heather holds degrees in theater from Boise State University and the University of Dublin, Trinity College. Senior Staff Taylor Gass Title Office Manager Staff Paid Full-Time Staff 2 Paid Part- Time Staff 2 Volunteers 200 Retention Rate 100% Paid Contractors 14 Formal Evaluations CEO Formal Evaluation CEO/Executive Formal Evaluation Frequency Senior Management Formal Evaluation Senior Management Formal Evaluation Frequency NonManagement Formal Evaluation Non Management Formal Evaluation Frequency Quarterly Annually Semi-Annually Plans & Policies 7

8 Organization Has a Fundraising Plan Organization Has a Strategic Plan Management Succession Plan Organization Policy and Procedures Nondiscrimination Policy Whistleblower Policy Document Destruction Policy Under Development Under Development No Collaborations StoneLion Puppet Theatre is a Parks Partner with the Board of Commissioners of The Kansas City Parks and Recreation and as such receives full support and sponsorship. StoneLion is a member of the Kansas City Young Audiences Touring Roster, The Missouri Arts Council Touring Roster, UNIMA International, The Puppeteers of America, The National Association for the Advancement of Environmental Education, International School Grounds Alliance and The Kansas Association of Environmental Education. StoneLion is in current artistic collaborations with Mattie Rhodes Art Center, Project Central and For the Sea. We are collaborating with Project ANOULAK, Creative Literacy Laos and Hong Duc University for our Mekong Delta Project "Hands Across the Waters." Awards Awards Award/Recognition Organization Year Community Partner of Excellence Regional Emmy in partnership with KCPT for Bark Park Place Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education Emmy Awards for Television and Broadcasting Teaching Artist of the Year Lighton Foundation 2016 Government Licenses Is your organization licensed by the government? No CEO Comments Since our staff is fairly small, the Producing Artistic Director of our company also serves as the Executive Director and fulfills all functions for both positions. She answers directly to our Board of Directors. We are looking to expand the office management staff with volunteers or funding for a marketing/grant writer position. Presently the office manager handles all bookings. 8

9 Board & Governance Board Chair Board Chair Mr. Larry Goodman Company Affiliation Computer Solutions Term June 2016 to June Board Members Name Ms. Deborah Barker Ms. Tina Gipson Mr. Larry Goodman Mr. Fred Goodson Mr. Phil Kimmi Ms. April Roy Mr. Eban Schaecter MS. Paige Stonerock Ms. Melissa Straus Ms. Bonnie Traner Affiliation Lakeside Nature Center DeLaSalle Center Computer Solutions Retired Theater Professor Gynzyme Biosurgery Kansas City Missouri Public Library Xtime Inc. Private nurse Geo. P. Reintjes Co. Inc. Allied National Inc. Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black 1 Asian American/Pacific Islander 0 Caucasian 9 Hispanic/Latino 0 Native American/American Indian 0 Other 0 Board Demographics - Gender Male 4 Female 6 Unspecified 0 Governance Board Term Lengths 2 Board Term Limits 3 Board Meeting Attendance % 0% Written Board Selection Criteria? Under Development 9

10 Written Conflict of Interest Policy? Percentage Making Monetary Contributions 50% Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions 100% Constituency Includes Client Representation Number of Full Board Meetings Annually 7 Standing Committees Advisory Board / Advisory Council Finance Volunteer Education Strategic Planning / Strategic Direction CEO Comments StoneLion Puppet Theater is a thriving, urban arts organization that is working to enrich the lives of families and youth. For over 20 years, StoneLion Puppet Theater has endeavored to expand audiences, develop educational programming and connect with the community while continuing to grow artistically. StoneLion has found success in environmental education through community fairs, school and library shows, and even an annual giant puppet festival: Puppets for the Planet. StoneLion has connected with the inner city community and, without a fee, allowed audiences access to the arts that otherwise would not have been possible The Board of Commissioners of the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department has seen this impact and now provides a re-purposed building as StoneLion s office space, puppet building space and storage. StoneLion s reach is not just a local one. This unique puppet company has performed their shows from coast to coast and has even been asked to create and perform shows for The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The company has also traveled internationally with performances in Guatemala, Dubai, Sharjah and Cambodia. We are actively looking to add to our volunteer committees and board of directors. We are looking for help in Marketing, grant writing and governance to make the next twenty years as amazing as the last and to take StoneLion tot he next level. Advisory Board Members Name Ms. Cheryl Kimmi Mr. Lance Loewenstein Affiliation KC Fringe Festival and grant writer Strawder & Loewenstein LLC 10

11 Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start Jan 01, 2017 Fiscal Year End Dec 31, 2017 Projected Revenue $252, Projected Expenses $229, Endowment Value $0.00 Spending Policy Income Only Percentage 0% Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Total Revenue $191,181 $163,707 $127,607 Total Expenses $174,690 $139,071 $163,620 Revenue Sources Foundation and Corporation $138,301 $69,809 $40,050 Contributions Government Contributions $0 $0 $0 Federal $0 $0 $0 State $0 $0 $0 Local $0 $0 $0 Unspecified $0 $0 $0 Individual Contributions $0 $0 $0 Indirect Public Support $0 $0 $0 Earned Revenue $51,619 $92,098 $87,557 Investment Income, Net of Losses $0 $0 $0 Membership Dues $0 $0 $0 Special Events $0 $0 $0 Revenue In-Kind $0 $0 $0 Other $1,261 $1,800 $0 11

12 Expense Allocation Program Expense $0 $0 $141,997 Administration Expense $174,690 $139,071 $21,623 Fundraising Expense $0 $0 $0 Payments to Affiliates $0 $0 $0 Total Revenue/Total Expenses Program Expense/Total Expenses 0% 0% 87% Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue 0% 0% 0% Assets and Liabilities Total Assets $483,596 $453,888 $431,507 Current Assets $119,999 $52,276 $17,631 Long-Term Liabilities $18,308 $813 $3,750 Current Liabilities $41,785 $46,063 $45,381 Total Net Assets $423,503 $407,012 $382,376 Short Term Solvency Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets 4% 0% 1% Top Funding Sources Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount Environmental Protection Agency $50,100 Johnson County Kansas Stormwater $27,272 Missouri Arts Council $20,850 Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Amount Johnson County Kansas Stormwater $37,420 Missouri Arts Council $18,773 Missouri Arts Council $21,773 Kansas City Young Audiences $15,764 Francis Family Foundation $7,500 Mid America Regional Council $5,400 Capital Campaign Currently in a Capital Campaign? No Campaign Purpose Purchasing our own building and theater space. This campaign is being designed currently. Goal $0.00 Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years? Organization Comments While StoneLion does not have a full audit we have a CPA that files our 990 forms. We are looking for funds or a grant that will help pay for a full audit of our financials opening up other grant opportunities. Foundation Comments FY 2015, 2014, 2013: Financial data reported using IRS Form 990-EZ. Foundation/Corporate revenue line item may include contributions from individuals. 12

13 Created Copyright 2017 Greater Kansas City Community Foundation 13