News from Britt Hill – September 2023
As you read this, another Britt season is drawing to a close. It’s been an incredible summer of performances: The Princess Bride with the Britt Festival Orchestra; Diana Ross; Ringo Starr; Kelsea Ballerini; Tig Notaro; Ashley McBride; Buddy Guy; and so many more We’ve welcomed almost 60,000 people to our ticketed performances, and a few thousand more to admission-free children’s events in Jacksonville, Ashland, and Medford.
Britt aims to serve the broadest possible community with performances. That means that night after night, we welcome thousands of folks who bring their own life experiences, struggles, hopes, and stories to spend an evening together. This diverse array of people experiencing live music together is one of the most important parts of what we do. The arts give us common ground.
We live in a divisive time. Sometimes I think that’s one of the rare things we can agree on! And in times of division, I think the arts—particularly live performance—are essential to building community. For a few hours, we can exist in a shared container, experiencing something extraordinary together.
Jacksonville, too, is a special container that we all share. Britt without Jacksonville would just be another ordinary music venue; it’s the beauty of our shared community that makes it special. Night after night, Britt artists comment on how much they love Jacksonville. They stroll over to the farmer’s market and buy goat milk soap or hot sauce. They hit up Cerberus or GoodBean, buy a gift for someone at home from Happy Alpaca or Rebel Heart. Our community is an important draw for artists and visitors alike.
We’ve all been through a lot over the past few years, and I know that sometimes we are painfully aware of the places where we don’t agree. Yet, in a large audience and when prompted by an artist we love onstage, we sing with one voice. It’s remarkable. It’s a privilege. It’s what reminds us that more unites than divides us.
In this off-season, Britt will be exploring ways that we can continue to grow our role as a gathering place for the Jacksonville community. We’ll be launching a strategic plan that outlines our next 3-5 years. We hope you’ll be a part of that conversation and lend your voice to the choir. Thank you for another extraordinary season of performances, and this fall, I hope I’ll see you out for a walk on the hill.
All the best, Abby