The Greater Derry Arts Council is a New Hampshire non-profit corporation dedicated to fostering the arts in the communities that we serve: Derry and the immediately surrounding towns. Headquartered at the historic Derry Opera House.
The products and services that will be offered by the Arts Council can be broadly segregated into two categories, those directed at consumers of the arts, and those directed at producers of the arts. Each of these groups serve as a primary constituent group for the Arts Council.
The products and services we direct to the consumers of arts include, but are not limited to, the following areas:
1. Promoting community involvement in the arts
2. Providing education in the arts
3. Producing performances in music, theater, dance etc.
4. Exhibiting the works of painters, photographers, sculptors, and crafts-people
5. Presenting lectures and workshops
6. Providing affordable and easily accessible entertainment
The products and services we direct to the producers of arts include, but are not limited to, the following areas:
1. Providing facilities for performances, exhibits, workshops, lectures
2. Providing sponsorship and funding
3. Assistance in grant writing and in obtaining corporate sponsors
4. Assistance in coordination of scheduling, publicity, calendars of events
5. Providing liaison and facilitation between producers of arts and local resources
6. Promotion
7. Workshops for market and business/art skills development
8. Networking
The Arts Council believes that the benefits of our programs will also accrue to the local Derry downtown businesses and aid in economic development through encouraging civic pride, increasing the visibility and viability of the downtown area and the preservation of an historic site.
A major part of the services the Arts Council will provide to the producers of arts is a readily available facility suitable for the type of performances, events, exhibits, etc. that our constituents desire. The lack of a suitable facility has hampered the programs of many arts organizations in the area, and the problem seems to be worsening.
To this end, the Arts Council is undertaking the renovation of portions of the Adams Memorial Building, in the downtown area of Derry. The second floor Opera House is well suited to many types of productions, and is equipped with a stage, balcony and non-dedicated seating that enables multi-purpose use of the space. The seating capacity, when fully renovated, is estimated at 300 - 400 persons. Additional space on the first floor and basement levels will be utilized for classroom, exhibit and related arts organization functions.
The Arts Council is undertaking this renovation project in partnership with the Town of Derry and the Derry Historical Society. The Arts Council expects to negotiate a lease for space in the building from the Town, in return for operation, maintenance, and eventual renovation of the facility that will be funded in large part from private sources.
