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The Outburst Performance Gallery

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Hi, I'm Susanna Lee, a professonal standup comedian, storyteller, yoga teacher, former sex worker, and occasional burlesque artist.  I'm also now a new business owner, opening a performance venue in my hometown of Kansas City, MO, called The Outburst Performance Gallery.  My intention is to showcase the significant works of national, international, and local performance artists of multiple genres, giving my hometown the opportunity to enjoy performance artists that otherwise wouldn't have an onstage home in KC, for reasons of quantity, not quality.  I'd like to enrich the cultural landscape of the city, while also helping up-and-coming artists build their fan base.  
The opportunity to open The Outburst came very soon after I moved back to Kansas City from Los Angeles, and was very unexpected.  Though I hadn't planned on this venture, it's too ideal of a situation to let pass me by, and when I consider how beautifully everything has unfolded, and how helpful and giving of their time and resources my friends and colleagues have been, I am certain that this is what I am meant to do.  The space has been a highly esteemed black box theater for several years, known for innovative and cutting-edge productions.  I, myself, have created works in this space that have helped me define who I am as an artist, it's been a very welcoming and open space to work, and having it passed on to me thrills me to no end.  I'm continuing in that vein, with a heavy focus on individual spoken word performance art, and have all faith that my city will support and utilize my business, once they know about it, but need a little help getting started.  

My goal is to raise $9,850, which I realize sounds high, but will be spread out over the first 6 months of business, at which time I expect to be self-sufficient.  Here's how that breaks down:
Sound/lighting/tech supplies and installation: $750
Marketing/PR Person: $1250 ($500 initial, leading up to grand opening, $65/hour beyond that)
Business setup expenses (registrations/licensing/filing/insurance) $250
Logo design: $100
Basic website setup: $100
Rent cushion: $3200
Intern compensation: $1000 ($10/hour, will utilize interns to assist with daily operations)
Advertising: $2000
Talent compensation cushion: $1200

I hope to raise this money quicky, by the end of January, at the latest.  This is my first time owning a brick-and-mortar business, and I realize that I will have funds coming in from shows, but I'm not sure what to expect from that source, and want to make sure I can sustain the business in a worst-case scenario, until growth allows for it to self-sustain.

I have crowd-funded a previous project, and ran into trouble with fulfillment gift promises being beyond what I could take care of myself, and learned my lesson, so this time around, I'm keeping it very simple.  Here's the thank-you gifts I'm offering:
$25 - Your name will be listed on a donor appreciation page on the website (www.theoutburstkc.com)
$50 - previous level gift + an Outburst pin-back button
$75 - previous level gifts + 2 tickets to any show
$150 - previous gifts + your name (or the name of your choosing) on a donor appreciation plaque that will hang on the south wall of the venue
$500 - previous gifts + your name engraved on a chair (which will be available for you to sit on anytime you come to shows)
$1000 - previous gifts + 5 time use of the space (performance room and/or film screening room, which doubles as my office and the performer's green room) during any off-time. 
$10,000 - If you fund my entire project, I will negotiate appreciation gift(s) with you directly.
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Donations 

  • Paul Oldham
    • $25 
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer

Susanna Lee Lucky-Deluxe
Organizer
Kansas City, MO

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