Fox Gives

Supporting Georgia's historic theatres means investing in the places where communities gather, stories come to life, and local culture thrives.

Last week, Fox Gives wrapped up two in-person workshops for organizations interested in our upcoming Single-Year Grant Program. We were honored to gather at the Winterville Cultural Center and the Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre, where attendees from across Georgia learned more about theatre preservation, operations, and the impact these treasured venues have on their communities.

Thank you to our hosts, as well as our partners at Georgia Council for the Arts and Georgia Center for Nonprofits, for helping make these sessions a success.

As we work to preserve and strengthen Georgia's historic theatres, we encourage you to support these incredible venues and explore their summer programming if your travels take you to the Winterville or Marietta areas.

Did you know that hundreds of historic theatre professionals gather annually for an amazing educational and networking conference?

The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year during the 2026 National Theatre Conference and Tour in Indianapolis.

The only dedicated conference to historic theatres in North America, this informative and fun conference includes sessions in numerous subject areas, as well as fantastic professional networking and interactive tours.

Join fellow preservationists this summer in Indianapolis from July 12-July 15. For more information to get you started, visit lhat.org/lhat-events/national-conference

Thank you to our partners at LHAT for continuing to host this impactful gathering for all!

A heartfelt thank you to Hart County High School for their two years as an All-Access Pass partner and for the lasting mark they've left on this program.

Through our Community Partnerships Multiyear Grant with Hart County Community Theatre, Hart County High School students connected with the performing arts through hands-on lessons, workshops, talkbacks, and behind-the-scenes experiences. As pilot partners, they also helped bring our first-ever Backstage Experience Day to life. Their feedback, enthusiasm, and collaboration were instrumental in shaping what that experience has become.

We are especially grateful to Seth Howard, Drama Teacher at Hart County High School, and Lani Sessoms, Artistic Director at Hart County Community Theatre, for their creativity and commitment to expanding arts access for students.
Hart County Community Theatre

As we celebrate the close of this chapter, we carry forward everything we've built together. The work we've done with Hart County will continue to inform how we create meaningful arts experiences for students for years to come. And while this particular journey has come to a close, we look forward to remaining connected with the wonderful Hart County community.

To learn more about All-Access Pass, visit foxtheatre.org/all-access-pass-program

Fox Gives is proud to award a $500,000 Multi-Year Grant to the Thomasville Municipal Auditorium in Southwest Georgia — the third multi-year grant in Fox Gives history and our largest investment to date in this region of Georgia.

For more than eight decades, the Thomasville Municipal Auditorium has served as one of South Georgia’s premier venues and one of Thomasville’s most treasured historic landmarks. Owned by the City of Thomasville, the Auditorium has long hosted concerts, performances, civic meetings and community celebrations for residents across the region.

This Multi-Year Grant will support critical restoration and infrastructure improvements needed to safely reopen and preserve the historic venue, including a new fire suppression system, emergency lighting, ADA accessibility upgrades and other essential building utility improvements.

We are honored to partner with the City of Thomasville on this unique preservation effort and congratulate Mayor Scott Chastain, the Thomasville City Council, city staff and the many community supporters working to revitalize this beloved historic space for future generations.

Fox Gives was proud to award a $500,000 Multi-Year Grant to the DeSoto Theatre during our May 6 Grant Ceremony — only the second multi-year grant in Fox Gives history.

Owned and operated by the nonprofit Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation, the DeSoto Theatre has served as a cornerstone of performing arts in Rome and Northwest Georgia since opening in 1929. Welcoming more than 30,000 visitors annually and serving as the home of the Rome Little Theatre, the historic venue continues to be a vibrant cultural hub for the community.

The DeSoto has partnered with the Fox Theatre through our community partnership programs since 2008, and the DeSoto Theatre has received the highest investment to date from the Fox Theatre.

Funding will support critical backstage renovations designed to improve sustainability, accessibility, safety and functionality for performers, technicians and visitors — building on previous Single Year Grants from Fox Gives, which supported renovations to the front-of-stage and proscenium.

Congratulations to the DeSoto Theatre and the entire Rome community on this exciting next chapter!

Save the Date: Single-Year Grant Applications open June 8!

The Fox Theatre’s grant program helps revitalize communities, one theatre at a time. If your historic theatre has a project in mind for the 2026/2027 grant cycle, the application window opens soon.

Interested applicants are encouraged to attend one of Fox Gives’ June Grant Workshops or Virtual Grant Session to learn more about funding categories, eligibility guidelines, grant writing tips, and additional funding opportunities. Whether you’re preparing your first application or ready to apply when the cycle opens, these sessions are designed to help you get started.

As a reminder, workshop & session dates are as follows:
• June 9 – Winterville Cultural Center (Winterville)
• June 11 – Earl & Rachel Smith Strand Theatre (Marietta)
• June 16 – Virtual Session

Learn more about eligibility, workshops, and how to apply: foxtheatre.org/the-fox-single-year-grants

Does your historic theatre have a project you think would be eligible for a 2026/2027 Fox Theatre Single-Year Grant?

Fox Gives is hosting three upcoming Grant Workshops and encourages interested applicants to attend, either in person or virtually, in June.

Attendees will learn more about the Fox Theatre's four funding categories, as well as grant opportunities from the Georgia Council for the Arts during our in-person Workshops.

Workshop Dates & Locations:
• June 9 – Winterville Cultural Center (Winterville)
• June 11 – Earl & Rachel Smith Strand Theatre (Marietta)
• June 16 – Virtual Session

For more details about the upcoming Single-Year Grant Workshops and to register, visit https://www.foxtheatre.org/the-fox-single-year-grants

What a special afternoon celebrating preservation, partnership, and community at the historic Morton Theatre in Athens.

Last week, Fox Gives partnered with Jittery Joe’s Coffee for a Blue Sky Blend pop-up event during National Historic Preservation Month — bringing together community leaders, coffee lovers and preservation advocates inside one of Georgia’s most beloved historic theaters.

As both a Georgia Presenters member and Fox Gives single-year grant recipient, the Morton Theatre continues to preserve its incredible legacy while investing in its future. Most recently, Fox Gives awarded the theatre a $57,000 single-year grant to support auditorium stair improvements and upgrades to the stage pit area.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for coffee tastings, conversations, door prizes, and a chance to celebrate the ongoing work happening at this historic community landmark. And a special thanks to Jittery Joe's Coffee and the Morton Theatre for helping make the day one to remember!

📷: Jennie Clayton Photography

Save the date for the Georgia Presenters Summer Retreat!

When: July 21–23
Where: Sautee Nacoochee Cultural Arts Center
Host: Mel Whitehead

This annual gathering brings together presenters from across the state for a few days of connection, creativity, and collaboration. Attendees can look forward to themed professional development, networking opportunities, block-booking conversations, and an agent/artist showcase.

Registration will be opening soon—stay tuned for more details!