Welcome to this edition of "Inside MBT!"
Each month of 2019 we're exploring and celebrating the impact of the arts through "The Arts + Social Impact Explorer." This month we look at how the arts affect the concept of "history, tradition, and heritage." We'll then look at how MBT participates in heritage activities for community betterment, and spotlight a volunteer's passions for preservation of our stories.
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| HISTORY, TRADITION
& HERITAGE
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"Arts, history, tradition, and heritage intersect in all sorts of important and surprising ways. The collective memory of a community resonates inside each member of that community, and if that connection to history is weakened then the ability to participate fully in the community’s present and future is weakened as well. Whether culture is the core of heritage, or is the mechanism through which heritage and tradition are preserved and transformed over time, art is central to cultural health and heritage.
Thousands of cultural heritage organizations work to preserve and promote cultural heritage and identity every year. Artists help pull and transform traditional stories from communities, reconnecting members of the community in new and interesting ways. By making cultural history more accessible, we can break down preconceptions and bind our communities together."
*Americans for the Arts
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IMPACT
Connecting with Community Heritage Galvanizes Interest in the Community's Future
- A 2003 study found that a community project built around compiling living history from every age, neighborhood, ethnicity, and background in a community yielded a stronger interest from those interviewed about the current and future identity of the place.*
| Mount Baker Theatre's existence today is thanks to a remarkable partnership between city, county and community in the early '80s. This combined focus on historic preservation and creation of an ongoing vibrant community gathering place has been stewarded by many people—and has both captured and created history.
MBT volunteer archivists work to record the history of the building and the people who have passed through. MBT docents share the history through tours. Staff and community writers document the past and future of happenings on this spot across decades. Our dedication to historic preservation makes the building an accessible living memory itself.
68% of Tourism is Cultural
- When combined with tourism, arts and cultural heritage can be a significant economic catalyst. Sixty-eight percent of long distance (more than 50 miles) American travelers say they included a visit to an arts/cultural heritage site during their trip.*
| Mount Baker Theatre both attracts—and relies on—visitors to Bellingham to make the entertainment presented on our stage a sustainable activity. Of our database of attendees, 44% are from outside of Whatcom County, and that number has been growing by a little over 1% annually the last three years.
Mount Baker Theatre also participates to promote overall heritage activities. MBT key staff are currently on the stakeholder committee of a joint project of the City of Bellingham and Bellingham and Whatcom Tourism to promote Cultural Heritage Tourism. A strategic plan has been drafted with a consultant, and objectives from marketing to operational issues are being attacked in a larger group of regional community entities.
Arts Facilitate Understanding Controversial History
- Artistically preserving heritage can help reconcile difficult history, encourage self-expression, and aid family healing in service to community empowerment and change.*
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SPOTLIGHT
One of our tour guides on why she enjoys sharing the history of the Mount Baker Theatre
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"I love sharing MBT history with our patrons because I think the stories connect them more to the Theatre and therefore they are more likely to be concerned about its welfare. I also want them to look at "her" and see more than just a "pretty face." Her history is woven into the fabric of the history of Bellingham and Whatcom County. We need to honor the things that make the 'Ham what it is."
-Maureen Scott, Long-Time MBT Volunteer & Tour Guide |
SUPPORT MATTERS
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Join the Community in Wishing MBT a Happy 92nd Birthday!
MBT is making it easy for everyone to celebrate 92 years together by giving a little to make a big impact. If you haven’t already, you can give just $9.20 (or more if you wish!) and your donation will be combined with fellow theatre lovers to create one big community birthday gift for the Theatre.
$2,728 towards the $9,200 goal has already been raised through the MBT website! You can contribute there, too, or through MBT’s Facebook fundraiser—and then spread the word by Liking, Sharing, and Commenting online.
From $9.20 to $920, every gift is truly appreciated! Thank you for your commitment to Mount Baker Theatre's mission to enrich the community through a vibrant historic theatre. |
| | EXCEPTIONAL OUTINGS COMING SOON! |
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Get in Touch Ticket Office Hours
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104 N Commercial Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
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Box Office: (360) 734 - 6080 |
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Mon-Fri: 10am - 6pm or to showtime
Sat-Sun: 2 hours prior to showtime
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Mount Baker Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the performing arts.
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