COLUMBUS, Ind. – Organizers are ready to raise the curtain on the next act of the historic Crump Theatre as a performing arts center in downtown Columbus. Newly launched “Project Encore,” an initiative of Heritage Fund, is reimagining the future of the 135-year-old theater as a multipurpose venue to serve and entertain generations for years to come.
Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, with the support of building owner Columbus Capital Foundation, has commissioned project manager Steve Sanders of Stephen Sanders Consulting to lead Project Encore, building on the past several years of significant grassroots volunteer efforts to stabilize and revamp the iconic theater and respond to community input supportive of the desire for more performing arts and a larger renovation of The Crump.
The theater, believed to be the oldest still in operation in the state, has been the subject of several community studies about its potential to play a key role in the city’s downtown revitalization, including being within the area of focus of the current Columbus Downtown 2030 Strategic Plan.
Heritage Fund commissioned a comprehensive study last year of the demand for live entertainment and performing arts in the community, which included regional market data and an inventory of the city’s current venues. Consultants Theatre Projects Inc. determined that rather than investing in a new performing arts center, Columbus should focus on its current catalog of underutilized venues – including The Crump – that could be refreshed and programmed to satisfy local and regional market needs for entertainment.
Project Encore is working on detailed planning to transform the space into one viable for year-round live entertainment. Plans for the 700-to-750-seat venue include a fully operational balcony, expanded lobby and outdoor areas, event space, state-of-the-art lighting and sound, and programming for regional touring acts.
In January, Heritage Fund awarded a $50,000 grant, matched by private funders, to establish Project Encore. Work is underway to create a stand-alone 501(c)3 nonprofit entity and form its board of directors in advance of an upcoming capital campaign that will be launched as project estimates and operating budget projections are finalized. Initial concept renderings, to be released in the coming weeks, have been commissioned from two design firms and a team of graduate students to help generate fresh perspectives of a Crump Center for the Performing Arts.
For more information about the Crump Theatre and Project Encore, visit www.thecrump.org.
