News From Britt Hill – December 2018/January 2019

With the holidays upon us, it seems appropriate to reflect back on the past year and share our list of many wonderful things that the Britt Music and Arts Festival board and staff are grateful for this season.

At a recent meeting with community members, a group that we affectionately refer to as our “Britt Festival Orchestra Gathering,” we were all struck by our collective resilience. After a rather challenging year, we sat around the table on an extraordinarily beautiful October day and reflected on how much we had learned this past year. We mused about our ongoing collaboration and even about the trials and tribulation. We understand that the best and most creative ideas are borne through adversity. For this, we are grateful.

The fact that Maestro Teddy Abrams, our fearless Artistic Director, will be our creative genius for the next five years is exciting! Teddy is already orchestrating long-range plans for dynamic and provocative programming for Britt Festival Orchestra patrons into 2020 and beyond. For this, we are grateful.

In addition to the new upgrades on the hill—new bench seating with additional seats, plus new lighting and new pathways designed to improve your Britt Experience—accessible seats and spaces became a major consideration during the final design and building process. Moving forward, our venue will provide people with physical disabilities a choice of admission prices and lines of sight comparable to those for able-bodied members of the public. For this, we are grateful.

The addition of 300 new seats has already allowed us to expand our Underserved Community Access Program by increasing the number of free tickets that we provide to local and regional non-profit organizations, allowing those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to enjoy an evening at Britt to do so. For this, we are grateful.

While many businesses and non-profits are struggling with the impacts of the 2017 and 2018 fire seasons, Britt’s board and staff leadership have never been stronger. We already have a plan for the 2019 season. For this, we are grateful.

Britt Society volunteers continue to serve as the backbone of our operations during the season. Their unwavering commitment and dedication is a phenomenon that we stand in awe of year after year. For this, we are grateful.

The Britt Music and Arts Festival continues to celebrate programs that illuminate and transform both individuals and communities through the magic of music. In a pragmatic and meaningful way, we believe that Britt contributes to the quality of life that we all value and cherish in this beautiful valley and its surrounding communities. For this, we are grateful.

May you and yours find gratitude this season as well!