For over 30 years, Aurora Theatre Company has inspired audiences, moved conversations forward, employed hundreds of local artists, held student matinee performances for Berkeley High and other local schools, and brought thousands of people to the downtown Berkeley area. 

We ask the Berkeley City Council to provide Aurora with an emergency grant of $500,000 so that this vital organization can continue to survive, thrive, and contribute to the cultural life of Berkeley and the Bay Area.

Even as a play about Berkeley that Aurora commissioned, developed, and premiered is moving to Broadway, Aurora is facing a dire financial situation in the wake of the pandemic. For theaters across the Bay Area and the country, ticket sales have yet to return to pre-pandemic numbers. Aurora needs more time to rebuild its ticket sales and its income. A $500,000 emergency grant would allow Aurora to move forward with its recently-announced 2024/2025 Season, continuing to rebuild its audience and reach new theatregoers.

In addition, we ask the city to consider providing a significant tax break to landlords who give free or reduced rent to nonprofit arts organizations. This incentive could be a game-changer for Aurora and other Berkeley institutions.

Berkeley is a special place in large part because of its arts and culture. As a professional theatre employing great local artists and telling stories that speak authentically to this community in the present moment, Aurora is a vital resource that cannot be allowed to disappear.